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.
“This race was a mental race, more than a physical one. After the mistake in Austin it wasn’t easy to lead the race like that from beginning to end, but I knew I had the pace to do it and the bike to do it. I wanted to do a race like in Argentina and at the start in Austin to prove it was a mistake there. I felt good all weekend, smooth, comfortable and able to ride how I want. Thanks to the Repsol Honda Team, they’ve done an amazing job over the last few weeks and here this weekend. It’s great to be leading the championship again.”
Marc Marquez – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Alex Rins – P2
“It’s incredible to get a win and then a 2nd place. I feel very happy; this race was really difficult and starting on the third row made it harder. I gave 100% and I knew that my race pace could be close to Marc’s, so I planned to try and get a good start and go towards the front. The Spanish fans were amazing today, I could see Peluqui corner full of fans and it gives me a real boost every lap. I want to keep up this consistency and I hope for another good finish in Le Mans.”
Alex Rins – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Maverick Viñales – P3
“To be on the podium feels like a victory to me. I saw that Dovi and Petrucci were behind me, together, so I thought “Woah, Dovi is going to push, so it‘s going to be difficult”, so I just tried to do my best laps and ride the best sectors I could. Honestly, it was difficult because I had just a little bit of tyre left at the end. I don‘t know if I could have done more laps like that last lap, but I‘m happy because the bike was good at the end. It was very important to demonstrate that we could be there. We recovered a lot of confidence, especially with the front tyre. We‘ve done something different on the bike, that gives me more consistency at the start so I can be much more precise. I‘m really happy because we didn‘t lose any positions at the start, we even gained one, and then another during the race. We‘ve been working really good during the whole weekend. After FP3 we were out of Q2, which means that, since then, we‘ve improved the bike quite a lot. Today was a good test to see where we are. It‘s important that we weren‘t so far from the front in the end. The most important thing is to be on the podium consistently. If we give our best, I think I can arrive at the top, but honestly there‘s no time to relax. Especially tomorrow, we need to do a good test. It‘s very important tomorrow to get everything done and go to Le Mans with a good mindset.”
Maverick Vinales – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Andrea Dovizioso – P4
“If we consider the issues we’ve always had in the past at Jerez, we can be satisfied with both our pace and the gap from the front at the end of the race. That said, it’s a pity we couldn’t step on the podium, which was our goal. The race was faster than what we expected, and I lost too much ground at the start. In the final phases, I took quite a few risks to cut the gap from Viñales, but I was still losing too much ground in the faster corners to be able to attack him under braking. We knew that on fast-flowing tracks such as this one we would have struggled a bit more. We need to improve our corner speed, we have done that to some extent already and we’re not far from our rivals, so tomorrow we’ll keep working in this direction.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Danilo Petrucci – P5
“Overall, I’m happy with the way we managed a race that proved to be a bit trickier than what we expected. Early on, I simply tried to stay calm and collected to preserve the tyres for the final laps, and honestly I thought the podium was within our reach, but unfortunately it wasn’t the case despite the fact that both Andrea and I gave our 100 percent until the very end. I lacked a bit of corner speed and I couldn’t be as efficient as I would have liked under braking. To finish in the top-three, this year, it’s necessary to iron out every single detail and, in my case, to start from a better position on the grid. That said, it’s been a positive weekend. We collected important points for our championship and, starting tomorrow, we’ll keep working as hard as ever to get closer to the front.”
Danilo Petrucci – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Valentino Rossi – P6
“We made the choice of the tyre at the very last moment. I wanted to race with the medium, but later the temperature rose a lot and we thought “Medium or hard? Medium or hard? Medium or hard?”. In the end we put in the hard, and I think this is the big thing we could have changed. I’m very curious to try the race with the medium, because at the end Maverick was good. I did a good start, but at the beginning I didn’t have enough pace to overtake, but on the second half of the race I was good. I was stronger and my pace wasn’t too bad, good enough to overtake, go, and take some points, which are good for the championship. I think that if I had started more towards the front I could have stayed with the front group, around where Maverick was. The pace of today’s race was very, very fast. I was like 25 seconds faster than my race last year, the gap to first position is less, I felt more comfortable on the bike, and especially on the last lap I was fast. Now we have to concentrate on the next few races.”
Valentino Rossi – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Franco Morbidelli – P7
“With this seventh position we have rounded off a good weekend for us. We were very quick at the start of the race and I was feeling good and comfortable with the pace of the front runners. I also felt comfortable with the tyres, although as the laps went by I lowered my speed because that changed. In the end, we managed the tyre wear well, so that on the last few laps we would have the ability to fight for the top Independent Team Rider honour with Cal Crutchlow. It’s the first time we have achieved this, so it’s a positive thing that we should repeat many more times. This is a good result for us and it shows that we are improving every day. Now we will try to do a good job at tomorrow’s test, which is also here at Jerez, to be as prepared as possible for Le Mans.”
Franco Morbidelli – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Cal Crutchlow – P8
“I never really found a good setting all weekend, I think if I’d been able to find a better setting I would have been able to use the hard rear tyre. This morning I was quite fast on the hard rear tyre, but I wasn’t confident enough to use it in the race because I didn’t know if I was going to have a bad feeling with it like the last couple of days. So I opted to go with the medium and it was the wrong choice – it’s as simple as that. But I tried my best and eighth place was better than not finishing today, for sure. We need to work on the setting of the bike, that’s the main thing, as I don’t feel very comfortable at the moment, as you saw in the race.”
Cal Crutchlow – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Takaaki Nakagami – P9
“At the end of the race we were quite competitive and the lap time was consistent, in the low 38s and on the last lap I did very close to the best time, but it was too late. The first lap was much better than at the other circuits, but we are still missing a bit of aggression on the riding and I lost a few positions at the start of the race. We have to focus on that point because during the race and at the end of the race we were quite strong. It’s another top 10, P9 is not too bad but we can improve a lot for the next race and keep improving.”
Takaaki Nakagami – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Stefan Bradl – P10
“I am very happy with the result because we have done a good job over the last months testing. We found positive things and turn it into a result which is important to me, reinforcing in myself that I have the speed. It’s also important for the team around me, the guys work a lot away from the races so these points and the positive feedback is a reward for them. The work we are doing now will be important for the future. Thanks to my team and to HRC for all their efforts.”
Stefan Bradl – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Aleix Espargaro – P11
“In the very early stages of the race, I struggled to find traction, but after just five or six laps I began to feel more at ease, and I was lapping with a good pace. The situation got even better in the last ten laps, where I was decidedly consistent. I began to make up ground on the group of riders ahead of me and I knew I could battle with Nakagami and Crutchlow, who I was getting closer to. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible because Miller hit me as I was overtaking him. I was already all the way on the inside of the turn and it was a rather violent blow. Fortunately, I was able to keep it upright. However, that made me lose a position to Bradl. The race was our best track session of the weekend and that makes me happy. Right now, obtaining the maximum result and not making mistakes is the important thing, and today we were able to do that. Tomorrow will be another very important day of testing. I’ll be the first one out on the track, and we will keep working hard to improve.”
Aleix Espargaro – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Jorge Lorenzo – P12
“It has been a difficult end to the weekend, we wanted to be stronger but I am still not comfortable on the bike. We are still lacking kilometers compared to the other Honda riders. Today especially I was not comfortable on the bike and it was a very difficult race. Tomorrow’s test will be important for us to try and improve my feeling, especially on corner entry where I think I am losing the most. We have to keep working.”
Jorge Lorenzo – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Pol Espargaro – P13
“I did a good race. I suffered with the grip in the beginning but caught Lorenzo and passed him. I then just misread my pitboard and eased off a lap earlier. It was one of the biggest mistakes in my career. I was so focussed and so on the limit that I was not thinking about anything else except that Jorge would not pass me back. In the end we lost one position and also I would have been closer to the winner in terms of race time. I know we also had good lap-time speed today. We have a lot to do tomorrow now and to compare what we had in Le Mans and also this weekend.”
Pol Espargaro – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Johann Zarco – P14
“Tough today. I wanted to overtake more riders but I was on the limit for a lot of the race and losing in acceleration, so it was complicated to pass people on the brakes. I could keep some pace and kept with Pol but in the second half of the race I had to set the target of just finishing. I think we will take some good information in the Monday test. We had some improvement during the weekend but we need to take the general feeling on the bike higher.”
Johann Zarco – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Tito Rabat – P15
“Well, after a complicated weekend we have understood a lot of things, we have improved the grip. Now the objective is to make the bike a bit more agile during the race so that we can reach with more strength at the end of the race, catch a slightly higher pace with less effort. But hey, it has been for me super important this point, at least one point goes well. Looking forward to the test tomorrow, we will work on the bike, continue working on braking and level up.”
Karel Abraham – P16
“I am very angry. There are already two races in a row in the same position, 16th. It is a pity. I made a mistake at the beginning and I hate to start like this the second year, it was very bad and it is impossible to go back. Anyway, the first lap was good, the first part of the race was good, so Tito overtook me, it was still good, but unfortunately I started to lose the lead and I made two mistakes in turn 6. Then Tito opened quite a distance when I made a mistake and then squeezed but I was left with the same gap behind Tito, but I could not cut him, it was very hard.”
Bradley Smith – P17
“At the start of the race I was a bit rusty, but then things improved. Unfortunately, the medium front tyre did not help me to be incisive in braking, but I haven’t been able to try the hard compound much on the RS-GP and that is one of the things I intend to do in the tests tomorrow. This morning I felt good, but the high temperatures in the afternoon changed things. In the finale, I managed to ride better and be more decisive in the battle against the other riders. Overall, it was a positive weekend for the type of work that we are doing.”
Bradley Smith – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Miguel Oliveira – P18
“It has been a difficult race, I couldn’t manage to stay up with the riders in front of me. So I just kept my rhythm, pushed every lap and took home 18th position. The team tried many things to help me but it seems like this weekend with the new parts, it was hard to find our balance with the bike again that we built through the tests and the first races. Now with the new material, I think we need a bit more time to find solutions to help me being comfortable and fast on the bike.”
Miguel Oliveira – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Hafizh Syahrin – P19
“We tried some different things in the warm-up this morning and I have to admit that I didn’t think it was a big improvement but the feeling was a bit better. In the race I did my fastest laps of the weekend and caught up with [Bradley] Smith and Miguel until eight laps to go I couldn’t keep the pace anymore because the rear was sliding quite a lot and I couldn’t open the gas like I wanted to. Anyway, I keep believing in myself, stay positive and we for sure keep working hard for the next round in order to be better for the home Grand Prix for my team.”
Hafizh Syahrin – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Jack Miller – DNF
“I am very sorry because it is always a shame to fall with a few laps to go. I am especially sorry for the team that did a great job in these three days in Jerez. I tried to stay with the group fighting for the podium then I felt that I no longer have feeling. I’ll be back stronger at Le Mans.”
Jack Miller – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Pecco Bagnaia – DNF
“It was a difficult race because I didn’t get off to a good start. My race pace was not bad but when I tried to overtake Espargaro I made a small mistake and crashed. It’s a shame because we worked well this weekend. I can’t wait to be at Le Man, a track I really like.”
Pecco Bagnaia – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Joan Mir – DNF
“I’m disappointed that I didn’t finish the race, because I had good potential this weekend, but racing is like this. I was happy with my feeling, and when I was catching the group in front I felt good. I really like Le Mans and I hope I can do a great race there and get the result that I know I’m capable of.”
Joan Mirr – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Fabio Quartararo – DNF
“You could say that I am both disappointed and happy. The race was very good; I felt very good on the bike and it was fantastic to ride with the top riders. That was until we suffered a small mechanical problem with the gear shifter. It’s something very small but it affected us a lot, forcing us to abandon the race. Despite this, I’m happy with the work that we’ve done during the weekend and we will continue in the same way at the coming races. The whole team have done an exceptional job, but in this sport there are things that you can’t control. As we did in Qatar, we will take away the positives – there were many of those at this GP. Before the season began, none of us expected to be fighting for the podium and to get a pole position in the fourth race of the year, so we should be happy with the work that is being done. I’m looking forward to the next race, which is the only home GP I have – I hope to do my best.”
Fabio Quartararo – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Andrea Iannone – DNS
“I am sorry that I wasn’t able to be out there on the track. Yesterday in FP4 it seemed like we had found a positive direction for the weekend, but unfortunately the crash kept us from continuing our work. I hope to be at full fitness and back in the saddle as soon as possible. I am staying positive and confident.”
Andrea Iannone – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Team Managers talk Jerez MotoGP
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Ecstar Team Manager
“Alex did a great job, starting 9th in Jerez and recovering to 2nd is not easy at all, it’s one of the most difficult tracks to make up places. He did a great race, and his pace was very fast until the end. So, I want to congratulate him, and also to say thank you to all the team. I’m happy about Joan’s race, because despite the crash with 3 laps to go, he had good pace and was very close to the top in terms of lap times. So overall it’s been a positive day.”
Alex Rins – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“Considering where we were at after FP3, we welcome today‘s results with open arms. A lot of work has been done this weekend. We found a good set-up for Maverick in FP4. He had a really good start and positioned himself at the back of the front group, that was a key factor for today‘s podium. Also, he kept a really good pace the entire race and fended off Dovizioso, setting a 1‘38.1s on the last lap. We‘re very pleased with this third place, because it‘s a great confidence booster after a couple of tough races for him. Valentino‘s race had been compromised by the Q1 session and, at a track like this, starting from the fifth row is a huge set-back. The beginning of his race wasn‘t as good as usual, and he wasn‘t feeling comfortable with the hard front tyre for most of the race. Still, there are some positives to take away from this round. We arrived here with some doubts, because the last two years we have struggled here, so today‘s third place is a testimony to the hard work we have done and improvements we have made over the winter. Tomorrow we have a few things that we would like to try, especially concerning the electronics settings. If we find positive results, then we will use this new solution in Le Mans.”
Maverick Vinales – Jerez MotoGP 2019
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“A weekend with some problems and it looks like we struggle more with rear grip here compared to some other places. The riders pushed to the maximum and Pol made a great race. In the end a small mistake led to a big consequence and I feel very sorry for him. He could have been 12th but did well anyway. Johann was also in this group. Pol’s fastest lap-time was just 0.5 slower than the race winner and we are twenty seconds behind Marquez: these are not horrible figures but we know we have to help the riders more and we will work hard in the company to make the bike better.”
Pol Espargaro – Jerez MotoGP 2019
2019 MotoGP – Round Four Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Marc Marquez
Honda
41’08.685
2
Alex Rins
Suzuki
1.654
3
Maverick Viñales
Yamaha
2.443
4
Andrea Dovizioso
Ducati
2.804
5
Danilo Petrucci
Ducati
4.748
6
Valentino Rossi
Yamaha
7.547
7
Franco Morbidelli
Yamaha
8.228
8
Cal Crutchlow
Honda
10.052
9
Takaaki Nakagami
Honda
10.274
10
Stefan Bradl
Honda
13.402
11
Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia
15.431
12
Jorge Lorenzo
Honda
18.473
13
Pol Espargaro
KTM
20.156
14
Johann Zarco
KTM
26.706
15
Tito Rabat
Ducati
28.513
16
Karel Abraham
Ducati
36.858
17
Bradley Smith
Aprilia
41.39
18
Miguel Oliveira
KTM
41.57
19
Hafizh Syahrin
KTM
50.568
Not Classified
43
Jack MIller
Ducati
DNF
36
Joan Mir
Suzuki
DNF
20
Fabio Quartararo
Yamaha
DNF
63
Francesco Bagnaia
Ducati
DNF
2019 MotoGP – Round Four MotoGP Championship Points Standings
Marc Marquez took his home round victory in Jerez, in a performance that saw him finish 1.654 seconds clear of second-placed Alex Rins, while Maverick Vinales claimed the final podium position. The result moves Marquez back into the Championship lead, following a disappointing crash from the lead in Texas, just a point clear of Rins.
Jerez MotoGP
Marquez took the holeshot from third on the grid, with Franco Morbidelli just getting the jump on rookie, polesitter teammate Fabio Quartararo to slot into second. But it was tight, with Andrea Dovizioso initially threatening for P2 but then getting shuffled back to fifth behind Viñales. Rins made progress as well, immediately moving up from his P9 on the grid.
Marquez set about getting into a rhythm at the front, but Morbidelli wasn’t letting the reigning Champion escape. Little by little, however, the gap began to extend. And as the number 21 dropped off the back of the Repsol Honda in the lead, teammate Quartararo was looking menacing in third. Sure enough and soon enough, the Frenchman was able to capitalise on a small mistake for the Italian and it was the rookie polesitter into second.
Marquez fended off early charges from Morbidelli and Quartararo
Unleashed, Quartararo soon set about getting on terms with Marquez’ pace and dropped the squabble for third in a few corners – looking like he might even be on for a forward assault. But suddenly, the Frenchman’s Petronas Yamaha SRT machine was moving off the racing line and Quartararo was left dejected on the way back to pitlane with a mechanical problem. From a record-breaking and youngest ever pole position to a chance at his first MotoGP podium, the number 20 sadly left Jerez empty handed.
Fabio Quartararo
That left Morbidelli in second and Rins in third after slicing past Viñales – with Dovizioso and Petrucci giving chase. Morbidelli then began sliding backwards down the order, however, as Rins got past before Viñales, Dovizioso and Petrucci were able to follow suit. And the Suzuki of Rins then started cutting into Marquez’ lead…
Morbidelli, Rins, Vinales
It wasn’t to be, however, as the Spaniard escaped the fight to complete the podium but wasn’t able to reel in the race leader.
Marquez crossed the line in clear air for an impressive answer to his critics after his COTA crash, and the 25 points for the win put him back at the top of the Championship by a single point. Ahead of whom? Alex Rins, who moves up into second after his impressive second from ninth on the grid.
Dovizioso, Petrucci, Crutchlow
The fight for third became a duel between Viñales and Dovizioso, and the Italian was close throughout the final lap looking for a way through – but the Spaniard held firm. Under pressure throughout, he took his first podium of the season after some difficulties with the start in recent races. Petrucci followed his teammate home in sixth – a couple of seconds back – with Valentino Rossi slicing through to sixth from P13 on the grid.
Rossi leads Crutchlow
Rossi fought off the likes of Jack Miller – who later crashed out – Cal Crutchlow, teammate Takaaki Nakagami and, eventually, Morbidelli too, to make his progress through – the ‘Doctor’ inside the top ten for the first time in the weekend on Sunday.
Jack Miller – DNF
“I am very sorry because it is always a shame to fall with a few laps to go. I am especially sorry for the team that did a great job in these three days in Jerez. I tried to stay with the group fighting for the podium then I felt that I no longer have feeling. I’ll be back stronger at Le Mans.”
Morbidelli was in P7 by the flag ahead of Crutchlow, Nakagami, and an impressive P10 from wildcard and Honda test rider Stefan Bradl. Aleix Espargaro was 11th, ahead of a very difficult day for Jorge Lorenzo down in 12th. Pol Espargaro was P13 ahead of teammate Johann Zarco, with Tito Rabat completing the points on home turf.
Valentino Rossi
So as we leave the Spanish GP and head for the new challenge of Le Mans, it’s Marquez who’s made amends for his COTA crash and taken back the Championship lead – by a single point. Rins lurks close and seemingly needs only to work on his qualifying, and Fabio Quartararo looks to recreate his Jerez form on home turf. Don’t miss the fifth round of the season and tune in for France on the 19th May for more MotoGP.
Marc Marquez – P1
“This race was a mental race, more than a physical one. After the mistake in Austin it wasn’t easy to lead the race like that from beginning to end, but I knew I had the pace to do it and the bike to do it. I wanted to do a race like in Argentina and at the start in Austin to prove it was a mistake there. I felt good all weekend, smooth, comfortable and able to ride how I want. Thanks to the Repsol Honda Team, they’ve done an amazing job over the last few weeks and here this weekend. It’s great to be leading the championship again.”
Marc Marquez
Alex Rins – P2
“It’s incredible to get a win and then a 2nd place. I feel very happy; this race was really difficult and starting on the third row made it harder. I gave 100% and I knew that my race pace could be close to Marc’s, so I planned to try and get a good start and go towards the front. The Spanish fans were amazing today, I could see Peluqui corner full of fans and it gives me a real boost every lap. I want to keep up this consistency and I hope for another good finish in Le Mans.”
Alex Rins
Maverick Viñales – P3
“To be on the podium feels like a victory to me. I saw that Dovi and Petrucci were behind me, together, so I thought “Woah, Dovi is going to push, so it‘s going to be difficult”, so I just tried to do my best laps and ride the best sectors I could. Honestly, it was difficult because I had just a little bit of tyre left at the end. I don‘t know if I could have done more laps like that last lap, but I‘m happy because the bike was good at the end. It was very important to demonstrate that we could be there. We recovered a lot of confidence, especially with the front tyre. We‘ve done something different on the bike, that gives me more consistency at the start so I can be much more precise. I‘m really happy because we didn‘t lose any positions at the start, we even gained one, and then another during the race. We‘ve been working really good during the whole weekend. After FP3 we were out of Q2, which means that, since then, we‘ve improved the bike quite a lot. Today was a good test to see where we are. It‘s important that we weren‘t so far from the front in the end. The most important thing is to be on the podium consistently. If we give our best, I think I can arrive at the top, but honestly there‘s no time to relax. Especially tomorrow, we need to do a good test. It‘s very important tomorrow to get everything done and go to Le Mans with a good mindset.”
Jerez MotoGP Podium 2019 – Marc Marquez P1 – Alex Rins P2 – Maverick Viñales P3
2019 MotoGP – Round Four Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Marc Marquez
Honda
41’08.685
2
Alex Rins
Suzuki
1.654
3
Maverick Viñales
Yamaha
2.443
4
Andrea Dovizioso
Ducati
2.804
5
Danilo Petrucci
Ducati
4.748
6
Valentino Rossi
Yamaha
7.547
7
Franco Morbidelli
Yamaha
8.228
8
Cal Crutchlow
Honda
10.052
9
Takaaki Nakagami
Honda
10.274
10
Stefan Bradl
Honda
13.402
11
Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia
15.431
12
Jorge Lorenzo
Honda
18.473
13
Pol Espargaro
KTM
20.156
14
Johann Zarco
KTM
26.706
15
Tito Rabat
Ducati
28.513
16
Karel Abraham
Ducati
36.858
17
Bradley Smith
Aprilia
41.39
18
Miguel Oliveira
KTM
41.57
19
Hafizh Syahrin
KTM
50.568
Not Classified
43
Jack Miller
Ducati
DNF
36
Joan Mir
Suzuki
DNF
20
Fabio Quartararo
Yamaha
DNF
63
Francesco Bagnaia
Ducati
DNF
2019 MotoGP – Round Four MotoGP Championship Points Standings
Pos
Rider
Bike
Points
1
Marc Marquez
Honda
70
2
Alex Rins
Suzuki
69
3
Andrea Dovizioso
Ducati
67
4
Valentino Rossi
Yamaha
61
5
Danilo Petrucci
Ducati
41
6
Maverick Viñales
Yamaha
30
7
Jack Miller
Ducati
29
8
Takaaki Nakagami
Honda
29
9
Cal Crutchlow
Honda
27
10
Franco Morbidelli
Yamaha
25
11
Pol Espargaro
KTM
21
12
Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia
18
13
Fabio Quartararo
Yamaha
17
14
Jorge Lorenzo
Honda
11
15
Francesco Bagnaia
Ducati
9
16
Joan Mir
Suzuki
8
17
Miguel Oliveira
KTM
7
18
Johann Zarco
KTM
7
19
Stefan Bradl
Honda
6
20
Andrea Iannone
Aprilia
6
21
Tito Rabat
Ducati
2
22
Karel Abraham
Ducati
0
23
Hafizh Syahrin
KTM
0
24
Bradley Smith
Aprilia
0
Moto2
Remy Gardner’s front running start to the 2019 FIM Moto2 World Championship came to a premature end in the fourth round held earlier today at the Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto in Southern Spain following a turn one crash for the 21 year old Aussie.
Fastest overall after the three Free Practice sessions the #87 ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing rider qualified an impressive fourth, heading the second row of the tightly packed grid for the 23 lap race around the 2.7 mile Andalusian circuit.
A typically quick getaway when the race began saw Gardner slot into third as the pack headed into turn one. Moments later he was flicked over the high-side of his Kalex machine, landing heavily which brought out the red flag. Despite a valiant effort to repair his machine during the stoppage Remy was unable to take part in the fifteen lap restart after a visit to the medical centre ruled him unfit due to concussion.
Remy Gardner – DNF
“We missed the front row by the smallest margin but I felt really good with the bike, the team and everything that is happening so was really excited for the race. After a good warm up I thought we would have a good race. I made a decent start and after a bit of elbowing into turn one I slotted into third and then I high-sided and that was the end of what could have been another really good race result. I still don’t fully understand why I went down and then they wouldn’t let me restart. I am sorry for the team, and all my supporters. The main thing is I am ok, am still fifth in the championship and will be back strong in Le Mans.”
This left Lorenzo Baldassarri to lay his assault on the 2019 Moto2 World Championship in Jerez, winning a shortened race ahead of COTA podium finisher and form man Jorge Navarro. Baldassarri’s teammate Augusto Fernandez, who returned from injury at his home Grand Prix, put in a stunning ride to his first ever Grand Prix podium as he took third.
The race was cut to 15 laps after a first start saw a chaotic first two corners with multiple-rider incidents, and first faller Remy Gardner was unable to make the restart as was Dimas Ekky Pratama. In addition, Alex Marquez, who couldn’t avoid contact with Gardner’s bike, was forced to restart from pitlane at his home Grand Prix – nevertheless a feat and some formidable work from the EG 0,0 Marc VDS mechanics to get the machine race ready.
So off the line the second time around, it was Fernandez who got the holeshot, the Spaniard making a stunner of a start to head teammate Baldassarri and the two immediately bolting away. Tom Lüthi was in third and Xavi Vierge in fourth initially, but Navarro was a man on the move and was soon through into fifth on the chase.
Meanwhile, Baldassarri’s pace was searing and the Italian was closing in on his teammate. By nine laps to go the gap was only a couple of tenths and the move came later in the lap, with the number 07 machine then starting to break away – as Navarro got the hammer down, now up into third.
A few laps later the Spaniard was starting to make some serious gains, and with three laps left on the clock it was close between the leading trio. Sure enough, Navarro was able to push through into second a lap later, with Lüthi threatening in fourth but the fight for the podium seemingly set to be between three men.
Over the line for the final lap, Baldassarri was well over half a second clear but the Speed Up behind him wouldn’t be shaken off and Navarro was shaving tenths off the Championship leader’s margin. Despite that, Baldassarri couldn’t quite be caught and the Italian crossed the line to take his third win of the year – although it was only three and a half tenths at the flag. Fernandez followed the two home for his impressive P3.
Lüthi took fourth for some solid Championship points, with Brad Binder taking P5 and his best result of the year so far ahead of Vierge. Tetsuta Nagashima took his best ever Grand Prix result in seventh, beating his previous best by a single position.
Luca Marini beat an impressive ride from rookie teammate Nicolo Bulega – back from injury – to take P8, with Iker Lecuona completing the top ten behind the duo.
Enea Bastianini wasn’t far off the top ten though and was second rookie, with Fabio Di Giannantonio next up in twelfth. Dominique Aegerter took more points for the new MV Agusta in P13 – after scoring their first at COTA – with Andrea Locatelli and Marcel Schrötter completing the points. Schrötter had been pushed wide early on.
Sam Lowes and Jorge Martin were amongst those who crashed. That’s it from Moto2 and after an expensive day in the standings for the likes of Marquez and a perfect result for Baldassarri, we roll on to Le Mans – with the Italian now 17 points ahead.
2019 Moto2 – Round Four Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Lorenzo Baldassarri
Kalex
25’33.841
2
Jorge Navarro
Speed Up
0.359
3
Augusto Fernandez
Kalex
1.091
4
Thomas Luthi
Kalex
2.428
5
Brad Binder
KTM
3.767
6
Xavi Vierge
Kalex
4.955
7
Tetsuta Nagashima
Kalex
7.842
8
Luca Marini
Kalex
8.026
9
Nicolo Bulega
Kalex
8.571
10
Iker Lecuona
KTM
10.235
11
Enea Bastianini
Kalex
10.445
12
Fabio Di Giannantonio
Speed Up
12.708
13
Dominique Aegerter
MV Agusta
14.179
14
Andrea Locatelli
Kalex
15.47
15
Marcel Schrotter
Kalex
16.188
16
Bo Bendsneyder
NTS
18.335
17
Somkiat Chantra
Kalex
20.944
18
Steven Odendaal
NTS
22.591
19
Lukas Tulovic
KTM
25.896
20
Joe Roberts
KTM
27.15
21
Stefano Manzi
MV Agusta
27.887
22
Marco Bezzecchi
KTM
28.312
23
Philipp Oettl
KTM
29.063
24
Alex Marquez
Kalex
32.311
25
Xavi Cardelus
KTM
+1’01.987
Not Classified
/
Jorge Martin
KTM
8 Laps
/
Sam Lowes
Kalex
8 Laps
/
Mattia Pasini
KTM
10 Laps
/
Simone Corsi
Kalex
12 Laps
Not Starting
/
Remy Gardner
Kalex
0 Lap
/
Dimas Ekky Pratama
Kalex
0 Lap
2019 Moto2 – Round Four Moto2 Championship Points Standings
Pos
Rider
Bike
Points
1
Lorenzo Baldassarri
Kalex
75
2
Thomas Luthi
Kalex
58
3
Marcel Schrotter
Kalex
48
4
Jorge Navarro
Speed Up
44
5
Remy Gardner
Kalex
38
6
Alex Marquez
Kalex
36
7
Luca Marini
Kalex
35
8
Augusto Fernandez
Kalex
27
9
Enea Bastianini
Kalex
26
10
Brad Binder
KTM
25
11
Iker Lecuona
KTM
19
12
Sam Lowes
Kalex
19
13
Tetsuta Nagashima
Kalex
17
14
Xavi Vierge
Kalex
16
15
Andrea Locatelli
Kalex
16
16
Mattia Pasini
Kalex
13
17
Fabio Di Giannantonio
Speed Up
9
18
Simone Corsi
Kalex
8
19
Nicolo Bulega
Kalex
7
20
Somkiat Chantra
Kalex
6
21
Bo Bendsneyder
NTS
5
22
Dominique Aegerter
MV Agusta
5
23
Khairul Idham Pawi
Kalex
3
24
Jesko Raffin
NTS
3
25
Jorge Martin
KTM
2
26
Marco Bezzecchi
KTM
0
27
Jake Dixon
KTM
0
28
Lukas Tulovic
KTM
0
29
Philipp Oettl
KTM
0
30
Steven Odendaal
NTS
0
31
Stefano Manzi
MV Agusta
0
32
Joe Roberts
KTM
0
33
Xavi Cardelus
KTM
0
34
Gabriele Ruiu
MV Agusta
0
35
Dimas Ekky Pratama
Kalex
0
Moto3
Niccolo Antonelli took an impressive victory in the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, getting back on the top step for the first time since Qatar 2016 and back on the podium for the first time since Motegi in 2017. The win marks a milestone first ever victory for the SIC58 Squadra Corse team, and Antonelli’s teammate Tatsuki Suzuki took his first podium to made it double delight and a 1-2 for the team.
The historic result for the squad, run by late MotoGP Legend Marco Simoncelli’s father Paolo, is also an emotional one as it comes on the 15th anniversary of Marco Simoncelli’s first Grand Prix win, taken on the 2nd May in the 125cc race in the 2004 Spanish GP. Rookie Celestino Vietti joined the two SIC58 Squadra Corse machines on the podium for his second ever rostrum finish.
Suzuki took the holeshot from middle of the front row and was a threat from the off, with Lorenzo Dalla Porta losing out from pole as the Japanese rider immediately set about putting pedal to the metal, initially able to create a small gap. But, as ever in Moto3, the fight at the front then became a freight train.
A group of 10 made up that front group initially, with some key names out of contention early on. Gabriel Rodrigo went down, tagging Albert Arenas, although the latter stayed on – and then Championship leader Jaume Masia was suddenly out at Turn 2.
Back at the front, Suzuki was starting to get reeled in by Dalla Porta and the Italian didn’t waste time once he’d caught the SIC58 Squadra Corse rider, striking with 19 to go. By then, Antonelli was in P3 but the squabble continued throughout the group and Vietti was next to take his turn at leading. The final corner created spectacular shuffle after shuffle, and the group expanded as the laps ticked down – with 19 riders then creating a long snake of Moto3 talent stretching much of the main straight.
More drama made sure to shake it up again, however. Antonelli was leading as he seemed to suffer a moment and the rider following him – Marcos Ramirez – got caught out, going straight down and the pack miraculously avoiding the stricken Honda. Not everyone could avoid the consequences though as two-time Jerez winner Romano Fenati ran on as he steered clear. If that wasn’t enough, rookie Raul Fernandez then crashed and collected Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider Sergio Garcia – leaving a top group of ten.
By the final lap a trio head emerged as the favourites. Antonelli led Vietti led Suzuki, and the Japanese rider was the man playing his cards first. As it would turn out, it was the final hand of the race – his move past Vietti created a little space for leader Antonelli and the number 23 just had to keep his nerve round the final corner.
That he did, crossing the line for his first win of the year and fourth overall, making his team Grand Prix winners and moving himself up to second in the Championship – just one point off new leader Aron Canet. Suzuki was able to keep second for his first podium, ahead of a second rostrum for rookie Vietti, who now leads the Rookie of the Year standings by a huge margin.
Canet took P4 and a solid points haul to put him at the top of the Championship standings, ahead of a stunner from Albert Arenas as he returned from injury in fifth. Kaito Toba pipped Jakub Kornfeil to sixth, ahead of poleman Dalla Porta. Rookie Ai Ogura took ninth and his first ever Grand Prix top ten after knocking on the door since the start of the season, with Andrea Migno taking tenth.
After serving a Long Lap Penalty for exceeding track limits, Dennis Foggia took P11, ahead of Darryn Binder, John McPhee, Kazuki Masaki in his first points finish of the season and Alonso Lopez.
Next up it’s Le Mans and another chance to reset for some and turn the screw for others – with Canet now ahead of the pack but the likes of SIC 58Squadra Corse arriving on a roll. Don’t miss the French GP on the 19th May.
2019 Moto3 – Round Four Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Niccolò Antonelli
Honda
39’30.327
2
Tatsuki Suzuki
Honda
0.242
3
Celestino Vietti
KTM
0.305
4
Aron Canet
KTM
0.472
5
Albert Arenas
KTM
0.563
6
Kaito Toba
Honda
1.133
7
Jakub Kornfeil
KTM
1.187
8
Lorenzo Dalla Porta
Honda
1.291
9
Ai Ogura
Honda
1.43
10
Andrea Migno
KTM
1.441
11
Darryn Binder
KTM
6.836
12
John Mcphee
Honda
6.851
13
Kazuki Masaki
KTM
7.104
14
Alonso Lopez
Honda
7.113
15
Ayumu Sasaki
Honda
7.119
16
Dennis Foggia
KTM
8.968
17
Tony Arbolino
Honda
10.252
18
Can Oncu
KTM
15.474
19
Stefano Nepa
KTM
30.984
20
Vicente Perez
KTM
31.035
21
Riccardo Rossi
Honda
38.862
22
Meikon Kawakami
KTM
47.894
23
Marcos Ramirez
Honda
+1’14.849
Not Classified
/
Makar Yurchenko
KTM
1 Lap
/
Sergio Garcia
Honda
4 Laps
/
Raul Fernandez
KTM
4 Laps
/
Romano Fenati
Honda
4 Laps
/
Tom Booth-Amos
KTM
4 Laps
/
Gabriel Rodrigo
Honda
8 Laps
/
Filip Salac
KTM
12 Laps
/
Jaume Masia
KTM
20 Laps
2019 Moto3 – Round Four Moto3 Championship Points Standings
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.
MotoGP lands in Latin America this weekend for round two at Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo. Andrea Dovizioso leads the field into South America ahead of Marc Marquez and Cal Crutchlow. Suzuki’s Alex Rins and Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi fill out the top five in the standings after round one.
Jack Miller in Argentina in 2018
It’s more than simply a change of scenery too, with the 4,806m circuit a severe test of riders, machinery and especially tyres. Its abrasive surface, mixed with high temperatures, and increased loads that are created throughout the five left and nine right-hand turns, plus its long straight in excess of one kilometre, means the Michelin rubber faces one of its most stringent tests of the whole season.
MotoGP Round 2 Preview – Argentina – Termas de Rio Hondo
The surface at Termas underwent changes last year, due to the resurfacing of most of the layout, but many of the sessions in 2018 were interrupted by wet weather, meaning riders never had the chance to fully exploit the range of tyres at last year’s event, so tyre provider Michelin will be hoping for improved conditions to give it the chance to demonstrate its ability at a track where it hasn’t had a fully dry event since its return to MotoGP in 2016. The track is also generally very dirty for the earlier sessions, and times drop markedly during the weekend as the surface cleans up.
With heat partnered by humidity, the floodlights of Losail are a distant memory and the record books see a switch around, for Termas de Rio Hondo traditionally has one man setting the pace: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). But pace, history shows, is not always the winning ingredient.
Marc Marquez has a strong history in Argentina, when he finishes
From 2014 to 2017, Marquez started from pole in Argentina, and in both 2014 and 2016 the reigning Champion took the win. But in 2015 the number 93 clashed with Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and also crashed in 2017, both he and then team-mate Dani Pedrosa both slid out of contention – Marquez from the lead.
Marquez and Rossi spat exploded after Argentina clash last year – Image by AJRN
Last season amped up the drama even further as Marquez’ race went from disaster on the grid to failing to score after three penalties and another clash with Rossi – this one seeing the ‘Doctor’ hit the deck.
Cal Crutchlow will also be one to watch, having made a strong start to the season
It’s not just Marquez who has shown good pace at Termas de Rio Hondo for Honda, however. The aforementioned Pedrosa took some top results and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) took two podiums even before his stunning win in the chaos of the 2018 event.
That bodes well for both him and new arrival at Repsol Honda Jorge Lorenzo, himself a podium finisher at the track previously, as the number 99 battles to improve upon a tough season opener in Qatar after a huge highside left him bruised for race day. That’s without remembering the five-time World Champion remains in recovery from a broken scaphoid.
Jorge Lorenzo joins Honda in 2019 and was just in the points in 13th in Round 1
After said Qatar race day, Yamaha will also be looking to improve upon Round 1 but their record in Argentina makes for good reading. Rossi won that 2015 event, who could forget, and teammate Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) took victory in Argentina in 2017 as part of a triple threat of wins to begin the season. Yamaha will be hoping for more of that and less of the struggles they encountered last year.
Valentino Rossi took the win in Argentina back in 2015 as pictured
With Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and team-mate Fabio Quartararo also on 2019 machines it’s a big push, and in Qatar certainly the two Independent Team riders kept them more than honest at times. Quartararo, forced into a pitlane start after stalling on the grid, was the fastest man on track for much of the Qatar GP – the rookie has most definitely arrived, and impressed.
Franco Morbidelli
Meanwhile at Ducati, it was 25-points to begin the year in style for Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati Team) as the Italian once again outwitted Marquez at a final corner. Last season it was a similar story in Round 1, but then it was two more difficult weekends for the Borgo Panigale factory rider. Will that remain true in 2019 and see ‘DesmoDovi’ racing for damage limitation before we head into the meat of the season in Europe? Or was Qatar not quite the whole picture?
Andrea Dovizioso claimed the win at Qatar
New teammate Danilo Petrucci will be hoping it wasn’t but for different reasons as the Italian was left disappointed in sixth, so a push to reassert some of his preseason pace can be expected too.
Likewise Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), who had seat trouble that took him out of the Qatar season opener, and was P4 from pole in Argentina last year, and his new rookie teammate Francesco Bagnaia, whose pace from the Sepang test went a bit AWOL in the season opener. Argentina has been a tough venue at times for ‘Pecco’, but MotoGP is a different ball game.
Jack Miller will be looking to bring home the points after a Round 1 crash
Despite the longer track records of others, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) could actually prove the biggest threat to Honda in Argentina though. Fast in testing, fast at Losail and only just off the podium, it was a good start to the season – and Termas de Rio Hondo is where the Suzuki rider took his first ever premier class podium.
On a streak of top six finishes in the last eight races, do not count out Rins as the former Championship contender in the smaller classes continues coming of age in MotoGP – and some speed from rookie teammate Joan Mir can likely be expected too. Mir shone in his first premier class race and he’s won at the venue before in Moto3, from 16th on the grid no less.
Alex Rins
The cast of riders fighting within that top ten doesn’t stop there. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) will be gunning to tame Termas and take a few more points than his tenth place in Qatar, new teammate Andrea Iannone was nearly on the podium there previously although on a different bike, and Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has rostrum form.
Zarco took a point on his KTM debut at Losail, but he’ll be pushing to get more on a par with teammate Pol Espargaro as he gains more experience.
Johann Zarco in Qatar
Espargaro was P11 last year in Argentina and started this season with a P12 in Qatar, but the gap to the front was smaller again. So what can he do? And can rookie Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) keep the KTM veteran honest as he threatened to do in an impressive season opener?
After the closest ever top 15 in Qatar, tune in for the Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina at Termas de Rio Hondo on the 31st of March as MotoGP tango to the beat of a different drum and history saddles up to be made once again.
Qatar marked the closest top 15 riders in history, but wasn’t without its dramas, with Andrea Dovizioso claiming the overall win for Mission Winnow Ducati, closely followed by Marc Marquez and Cal Crutchlow. Just missing the podium was Alex Rins and Valentino Rossi.
Andrea Dovizioso
Andrea Dovizioso
“I’m super happy about this win, especially because after the tests I wouldn’t have expected to be so fast. We stayed focused and we made progress in each session. Our strategy in the race was simply to preserve the tyre, and this made the difference, but it wasn’t easy because I led for most of the race and I couldn’t really study my opponents. Marquez gave it everything he could, as usual, and pushed me to the limit. We made the most of our strengths, that is, acceleration and top speed, but we still need to improve our corner speed. This year there are plenty of quick riders and it’ll be crucial not to lose too many points on less favorable tracks. We need to keep our feet on the ground and continue working in this direction.”
Andrea Dovizioso & Team at Qatar
One point of note was protests concerning aerodynamic devices on the rear swing arm of Ducati machinery ridden by Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller, however based on guidelines and regulations currently in force, the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel rejected these protests.
It was Dovizioso who got the holeshot from pole, he and Jack Miller grabbing P1 and P2 into Turn 1 as Marquez held position just behind. Polesitter Maverick Viñales didn’t get the start he would have been aiming for as he dropped to sixth on Lap 1, with Takaaki Nakagami and teammate Crutchlow catapulting through to the top five.
Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
The race then began to settle into a rhythm, with a train of riders at the front led by Dovizioso keeping a steady pace at the front. Rins was the man on the move on Lap 4 as the Spaniard made more progress after a sharp start from P10 on the grid, the Suzuki man coming through to take the lead by Lap 5 before the Spaniard duelled Dovizioso for the pleasure. It remained a lead group of nine following each other line astern, however, with no one breaking rank just yet.
On Lap 12 the number 04 was back at the front, and the pace then turned up a notch as he and Marquez started to create a gap back to third place Danilo Petrucci, who’d made his way through the group. The pace then slowed again, however, as Dovizioso went from a 1:55.3 to a 1:56.1 to bring the top eight back to within just over a second…
Alex Rins – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
With seven laps to go, the top eight were covered 1.2 seconds and that’s when Rossi really started to make up ground, picking off his teammate first and then Joan Mir to go up to P6. With three laps to go the fight for the win became a five-way scrap, with Petrucci, Viñales and Mir fading off the pacesetters.
Reigning World Champion Marquez had got the better of Dovizioso on the penultimate lap, but the Ducati struck back down the straight. Crutchlow held P3, Rins P4 and Rossi P5, menacing behind and waiting for the fireworks to begin in the lead. Pushing hard, Marquez had a slight moment with the front at Turn 3, before making a lunge up the inside of Dovi at Turn 10. He couldn’t keep it though as the Desmosedici was able to cut back up the inside on the exit, setting up another classic grandstand finish.
Marc Marquez – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
It looked like a carbon copy of 12 months ago at the final corner, but it was the same edge-of-the-seat heart-in-your-mouth moment as Marquez dove through on the inside, sitting up Dovi but running wide as he couldn’t quite get it stopped in time. From there it was another classic point and shoot contest to the line as both gunned it on the exit, but Dovizioso couldn’t be caught and made it out ahead.
It was closer than before though, with an infinitesimal 0.023 separating the two as the flag waved. Behind, Crutchlow kept his cool to take a remarkable podium on his first race back since his huge Australian GP crash, with Rins a valiant P4 and Rossi again proving you should never count ‘The Doctor’ out. P5 from P14 on the grid was another impressive race day showing from the nine-time World Champion.
Cal Crutchlow – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
Petrucci would have to settle for P6 on his maiden factory Ducati ride, 2.320 behind his teammate in the end, with polesitter Viñales crossing the line 0.161 back from ‘Petrux’, in P7.
Mir produced a fantastic rookie ride to finish just over five seconds off the race win in P8, with the Spaniard beating ninth place Nakagami and tenth place Aleix Espargaro – and just 9.636 covering the top 10 in Qatar.
Franco Morbidelli was just 0.011 behind Espargaro in P11 on his debut ride for Yamaha, with Pol Espargaro, Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Iannone and Johann Zarco completing the point scoring positions.
So who was the ride of the day? Far from the podium in the end and not scoring any points on his debut, an argument could be made for Fabio Quartararo regardless. The rookie was forced into a pitlane start after issues on the grid ahead of the Warm Up lap, and set about unleashing some almighty pace and nerves of steel for a first ever premier class appearance.
Fabio Quartararo – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
Fastest laps flowed from the Frenchman and he was soon into point-scoring contention…although sadly, it wouldn’t last. Too much too early in a bid to catch the group ahead saw Quartararo fade back to P16 by the flag – but only eight tenths off Zarco. Fellow debutant Miguel Oliveira also impressed and, for some time, was top KTM, before fading slightly, a fate that also befell Mir further forward as they all aim to gain more full-length race experience.
Final rookie Francesco Bagnaia suffered a DNF, with more to come from him in Argentina for sure, and his more veteran teammate Jack Miller also suffered some bad luck. The Australian fell victim to some problem with his machine that saw him drop from podium contention to suddenly outside the top ten, then retiring before the end of the race.
Jack Miller – Despite a strong start technical issues ended Millers run – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
That’s all she wrote from Qatar but what a story it was. Records broken and history made, five riders in six tenths makes for an awesome opener…even before looking at the winning margin of 0.023. But then, past the stats, it’s much more than a numbers game and always has been.
MotoGP Podium 1) Andrea Dovizioso, 2) Marc Marquez +0.023, 3) Cal Crutchlow +0.320 – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
Qatar MotoGP Race Results
Pos
Rider
Nation
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Andrea Dovizioso
ITA
Ducati
42’36.902
2
Marc Marquez
SPA
Honda
+0.023
3
Cal Crutchlow
GBR
Honda
+0.320
4
Alex Rins
SPA
Suzuki
+0.457
5
Valentino Rossi
ITA
Yamaha
+0.600
6
Danilo Petrucci
ITA
Ducati
+2.320
7
Maverick Viñales
SPA
Yamaha
+2.481
8
Joan Mir
SPA
Suzuki
+5.088
9
Takaaki Nakagami
JPN
Honda
+7.406
10
Aleix Espargaro
SPA
Aprilia
+9.636
11
Franco Morbidelli
ITA
Yamaha
+9.647
12
Pol Espargaro
SPA
KTM
+12.774
13
Jorge Lorenzo
SPA
Honda
+14.307
14
Andrea Iannone
ITA
Aprilia
+14.349
15
Johann Zarco
FRA
KTM
+15.093
16
Fabio Quartararo
FRA
Yamaha
+15.905
17
Miguel Oliveira
POR
KTM
+16.377
18
Karel Abraham
CZE
Ducati
+22.972
19
Tito Rabat
SPA
Ducati
+23.039
20
Hafizh Syahrin
MAL
KTM
+43.242
Not Classified
/
Bradley Smith
GBR
Aprilia
2 Laps
/
Jack Miller
AUS
Ducati
10 Laps
/
Francesco Bagnaia
ITA
Ducati
13 Laps
MotoGP Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Bike
Nation
Points
1
Andrea Dovizioso
Ducati
ITA
25
2
Marc Marquez
Honda
SPA
20
3
Cal Crutchlow
Honda
GBR
16
4
Alex Rins
Suzuki
SPA
13
5
Valentino Rossi
Yamaha
ITA
11
6
Danilo Petrucci
Ducati
ITA
10
7
Maverick Viñales
Yamaha
SPA
9
8
Joan Mir
Suzuki
SPA
8
9
Takaaki Nakagami
Honda
JPN
7
10
Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia
SPA
6
11
Franco Morbidelli
Yamaha
ITA
5
12
Pol Espargaro
KTM
SPA
4
13
Jorge Lorenzo
Honda
SPA
3
14
Andrea Iannone
Aprilia
ITA
2
15
Johann Zarco
KTM
FRA
1
16
Fabio Quartararo
Yamaha
FRA
0
17
Miguel Oliveira
KTM
POR
0
18
Karel Abraham
Ducati
CZE
0
19
Tito Rabat
Ducati
SPA
0
20
Hafizh Syahrin
KTM
MAL
0
21
Bradley Smith
Aprilia
GBR
0
22
Jack Miller
Ducati
AUS
0
23
Francesco Bagnaia
Ducati
ITA
0
Moto2
Flexbox HP 40’s Lorenzo Baldassarri had to fight off huge last lap pressure from the returning Tom Lüthi to take Moto2 victory at the VisitQatar Grand Prix, with the duel going down to the line. The Italian led from Lap 2 but had to withstand some serious pressure in the final sector of the last lap to hold off a swarming Lüthi, eventually taking the chequered flag just 0.026 clear of the Swiss rider. Dynavolt Intact GP’s Marcel Schrötter completed the podium from pole.
Lorenzo Baldassarri Moto2 – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
As the lights went out it was Xavi Vierge who took the holeshot from the middle of the front row of the grid, but a big crash behind drew focus early on Lap 1. Debutant Nicolo Bulega, Iker Lecuona and Jorge Navarro all crashed, before Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Marco Bezzechi then fell out of contention on his debut ride.
Back at the front, Baldassarri had blasted his way past Vierge on Lap Two before slowly but surely beginning to build up an advantage over the chasing pack. Despite taking the holeshot, Vierge then started to slip backwards, dropping from second to fifth inside four corners. Schrötter, Remy Gardner and Vierge’s EG 0,0 Marc VDS teammate Alex Marquez all made their way past.
Lüthi then got in on the act, fighting his way through to fifth place before setting back-to-back lap records around the Losail International Circuit to close in on Marquez and then get past him. The Kalex rider then sliced into third place past Australian Gardner with six laps to go, soon after setting up a grandstand finish by catching and passing teammate Schrötter with four laps on the clock.
Remy Gardner – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
The former MotoGP rider had 0.821 to pull in to catch Baldassarri at the front and with just a lap left, he had managed to cut that advantage down to nothing and was all over the rear of the Italian’s Kalex. Baldassarri was able to hold off off Lüthi’s charge for three quarters of the lap but the Swiss rider looked the favourite going into the final sector, applying huge pressure. It wasn’t enough, however, as Baldassarri’s defensive riding was enough to keep him at bay despite the fact the pair exited the final corner side-by-side – with Baldassarri holding on by just 0.026 to take the win.
Gardner initially stole third place from Schrötter on the final lap, but the German slipstreamed his way past the Australian to take the final step on the rostrum by two thousandths and complete a Dynovolt Intact GP double podium finish. Flexbox HP 40’s Augusto Fernandez came from row four of the grid to take fifth place, hugely impressive as he ended the race narrowly ahead of Sam Lowes.
Marquez eventually had to settle for seventh but was over two seconds clear of Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini in a lonely eighth place. Italtrans Racing Team’s Enea Bastianini was one of the rides of the day to take ninth on his Moto2 debut, fighting off Vierge, who eventually slipped down to tenth. Fabio Di Giannantonio took P11 as second rookie, ahead of a tougher race for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brad Binder.
A nail-biting start to a new era in Moto2 saw Baldassarri collect a commemorative first Triumph-powered race win trophy alongside his VisitQatar Grand Prix race winner prize. With a plethora of riders showing their potential this weekend, it’s anyone’s guess who’ll collect 25 points in Argentina.
Kaito Toba became the first Japanese winner in Moto3 and the first in the lightweight class since Tomoyoshi Koyama took victory in the 125cc race at the 2007 Catalan GP after a stunning ride at the VisitQatar Grand Prix.
Kaito Toba Moto3 – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
He’s also the first Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion to become a Grand Prix winner after duelling it out in style to the line against Lorenzo Dalla Porta, the man who just lost out, and polesitter Aron Canet, who completed the podium.
Toba started third on the grid but it was Canet who got the initial good launch to lead into Turn 1, with Toba slotting into P2 ahead of second on the grid Dalla Porta. There was drama on the opening lap further back though, with Jaume Masia, Tom Booth-Amos, Ayumu Sasaki and Makar Yurchenko crashing out of contention at Turn 6.
There was no drama further up, however, with Canet, Dalla Porta, Albert Arenas and Tony Arbolino getting an initial break in the lead before a front group of the top 19 started to form; just two seconds covering them in true Moto3 style.
Aaron Canet – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
The lead swapped and changed between several riders, with Toba forcing his way to the front on Lap 6. A 19-rider fight then became 16, Turn 6 the location again as another multiple rider crash occurred – this time it was Dennis Foggia, Kazuki Masaki and Tatsuki Suzuki who crashed out.
Niccolo Antonelli then had a turn at leading the freight train with 10 to go, before Romano Fenati took the baton off his compatriot to lead for the first time in Qatar. Nine laps remained.
The lead was changing lap by lap and any one of the top 15 were still in with a shout at the win. Then, with four laps to go, a major talking point of the race happened. Fenati seemed to misunderstand a track limits warning that appeared on his dashboard and the Italian then dived into the new ‘Long Lap Penalty’ area on the outside of Turn 6 to drop him from fourth to 12th. He wasn’t out of it though as the top 13 were covered by less than two seconds with just three laps to go.
By the final lap it was Toba who led once again and it soon became a three-way fight for the win between him, Canet and Dalla Porta. Coming into Turn 16, the Italian had the advantage but Toba timed the slipstream to perfection to just beat him to the chequered flag, taking the number 27 of childhood hero Casey Stoner back onto the top step. Dalla Porta was forced to settle for P2, with Canet coming home third.
Marcos Ramirez took P4, with Celestino Vietti crossing the line in fifth to get his rookie Moto3 season off to a great start as the top debutant. Arenas, a contender for the win throughout, beat reigning Junior Moto3 World Champion and teammate Raul Fernandez to the line by 0.028, making it 6th and 7th respectively for the duo.
2016 Qatar GP winner Antonelli was just 0.004 off Fernandez in P8, with Fenati salvaging P9 after looking odds on for at least a podium on his return. Jakub Kornfeil rounded out the top ten, less than a second from the win.
History made in Qatar, it’s next stop Argentina for the field – with Toba the first Championship leader of the season.
Moto3 Podium 1) Kaito Toba, 2) Lorenzo Dalla +0.053, 3) Aron Canet +0.174 – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1
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
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
What Went Down Last Weekend?
Brook and Koppe win North Brisbane Cup
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 1 – Krakow, Poland
French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables
Wade Young wins Roof of Africa
Faggotter ready for Dakar 2019
2019 WESS calendar announced
2019 AFT calendar announced
2019 GNCC calendar announced
2019 Sunshine State Series calendar announced
2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
Tanti joins Crawford at Serco
WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD
Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season
Stefan Everts in hospital
Brook and Koppe Win North Brisbane Cup
MotoGP racer Jack Miller added some extra prestige into the annual North Brisbane Cup last Saturday afternoon and evening but it was the talented pairing of Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win after winning both feature races.
Damien Koppe and Jarrod Brook who took the overall win
Some of our best speedway, dirt track, road race and enduro riders were on hand but the real pace setters were Damien Koppe, Jarred Brook, Max Whale, Jake Allen, Kayden Downing and Jack Miller – in fact, Miller has lost none of his dirt track speed after going down in turn one of the Pro Open teams event, before remounting and carving back to third place in time for the changeover to fellow Townsville terror Kayden Downing.
Despite the relatively tight confines of Mick Doohan Raceway – for a long track slider designed for a mile track – speedway pro Josh Grajczonek proved himself competitive throughout the event.
North Brisbane Cup Results
Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:21.380
Max Whale, Jake Allen 1.791
Jack Miller, Kayden Downing 13.700
Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 25.592
Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 26.068
Briony Hendrickson, Andy McLeisch 1 lap
Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps
1Ryan Douglas, Joshua Grajczonek 3 laps
Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 11 laps
Jack Miller made an appearance at the North Brisbane Cup
Damien Koppe, Jarrod Brook 9:22.703
Max Whale, Jake Allen 6.763
Bailey Spencer, Ben Montgomery 1 lap
Harrison Maxwell, Nick Hallas 1 lap
Lachlan Stanford, Fraser Higlett 1 lap
Benjamin Mclaughlin, Adam Bevan 1 lap
Andrew McLiesh, Grace Hudson 1 lap
Jay Southwell, Max Losch 2 laps
Brooke Goulding, Blake Goulding 2 laps
Daniel Perdikis, Trevor Velt 2 laps DNF Jack Miller, Kayden Downing Lap 19
FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Round 1 – Krakow, Poland
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak has won the opening round of the 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship held in Krakow, Poland while Cody Webb and Colton Haaker rounded out the podium
Krakow SuperEnduro 2019 Round 1 – Image by Future7Media
On a dry and fast track at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Blazusiak delighted his home fans by taking the overall win at round one of the championship. It wasn’t plain sailing for the six-time champion however as an early fall in the third and final heat left him playing catch-up to the riders ahead.
With his KTM 350 EXC-F blasting off the line, Blazusiak secured the holeshot in heat one. The Polish rider was never challenged for the remainder of the race and after riding eight smooth and consistent laps crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of teammate Webb. Putting in a similar performance in the reverse-grid heat two, Taddy fought his way through the pack early on to win by over five seconds from the second-placed finisher Haaker.
Aiming to take the hat-trick, Taddy fell early in the third heat and was placed dead-last at the beginning of the opening lap. Charging hard, he got his head down and proceeded to pick off the riders ahead of him, ultimately battling his way through to fourth at the line – enough to claim the overall event win and with it the championship lead heading into round two in Germany.
“The whole event has been amazing. Race one went perfectly, I was able to get out in front and set my own pace to take the win. Race two was pretty much the same, I had quite a lot of pressure from the guys behind and made a couple of mistakes, but I was able to put in some fast lap times and break the challenge. In the last moto, I got a pretty good start but I got tangled up with some other riders over the first jumps and went down. I picked myself and the bike up and saw I was in last place so I took a couple of seconds to make sure everything was ok and set off again. I was pushing hard and able to overtake the guys in front quite well. I did make a mistake in one rut and washed the front again, luckily I didn’t lose too much time and was happy enough to take fourth. Championship-wise, I’m a little disappointed to lose a few points but I think we’ll all have challenging races over the season. To be leading going into round two feels great.”
The 2019 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round two in Riesa, Germany on January 5, 2019.
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French Beach Race Series – Round 4 – Ronde des Sables
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Nathan Watson has secured his second consecutive victory in the Championnat de France des Sables. Putting in a strong performance throughout the two-hour 30-minute beach race, Watson initially crossed the finish line in second, but was later awarded the overall win.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
After his confidence-boosting victory at last weekend’s round three, Nathan Watson headed to round four with hopes of making it two wins in a row and after starting strongly, he battled with teammate Camille Chapeliere for the lead during the first half of the race before taking control.
Camille Chapeliere – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
However, despite pulling a sizeable advantage, Watson was unable to maintain his lead as the race conditions changed. With organisers cutting the event short due to an incoming tide, the Brit slipped back to second place at just the wrong moment in the race. Unable to regroup in time, Watson shadowed provisional winner Milko Potisek across the finish line for what he thought was a runner-up result. Later confirmed as the winner, Watson claimed his second consecutive beach race win.
Nathan Watson
“I’m disappointed to have physically just missed out on that race win but naturally pleased to be awarded the overall win. The race to the chequered flag itself was close and I was right behind him crossing the finish line. I had a good race and was leading with about a one-minute advantage. Then suddenly he came past me and I was shocked because I didn’t realise he was catching me so quick. I must have been riding too relaxed in traffic. He passed me on the last lap and I tried to regroup, but it was too late. With two tough rounds back-to-back and my victory at Red Bull Knock Out, I’ll take a bit of time to recover over the Christmas break and then work hard to prepare for the next round.”
Nathan Watson – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Claiming the holeshot on his KTM 450 SX-F, Watson’s teammate Camille Chapeliere put in a series of blisteringly fast laps to hold firm at the front of the results and maintain the race lead during the first hour of racing. With lapped traffic hampering his vision, the Frenchman was forced to pit earlier than scheduled for a fresh pair of goggles. Despite his strong pace during the latter half of the race, Chapeliere was unable to catch the leaders and had to settle for third overall, but was later awarded second.
Camille Chapeliere
“After last weekend’s disappointment I was determined to return strong here. I worked a lot to be ready and I wanted to show my speed on the track. My first hour was good. I took the holeshot and lead for quite a while. I had a little issue with my goggles and was unable to hold that position as I needed to pit early for a fresh set. But overall it’s been a good race and now I will continue to work and be ready for the next round as we build towards Enduropale le Touquet.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Yentel Martens delivered a strong ride at round four of the French Beach Race series in Ronde des Sables, Hossegor-Capbreton to claim a confidence-boosting fourth-place result.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Yentel Martens
“Today was a positive step forward for me. After some bad luck last weekend and then picking up a small foot injury I was nervous about how things would go. Unfortunately, my start wasn’t the best and I was outside the top 20, so had a bit of work to do there. But my speed was good and I was able to make up the positions quite quickly. I caught up to Jeffrey Dewulf near the end but crashed and lost some time to him that I wasn’t able to recover. However, I’m happy with the progress. I know my speed is good enough to win now and as a team we are all working hard to make it happen.”
The Championnat de France des Sables continues with round five in Grayan on January 13, 2019.
Yentel Martens – 2018 French Beach Races Round 4 Hossegor – Image by Pascal Haudiquert
Results – French Beach Race Series, Round 4
Nathan Watson, KTM, 25 laps 2:23:11.880
Camille Chapeliere, KTM, 2:26:59.150 +3:47.270
Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 2:28:59.550 +5:47.670
Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 2:23:59.550 +1 lap
Daymond Martens, Honda, 2:24:01.590 +1 lap
Championship Standings (After Round 4)
Jeffrey Dewulf, KTM, 500 points
Milko Potisek, Yamaha, 500 pts
Nathan Watson, KTM, 435 pts
Maxime Sot, Yamaha, 397 pts
Yentel Martens, Husqvarna, 390 pts
Wade Young Wins Roof of Africa
Wade Young has topped off an incredible 2018 hard enduro racing season by winning the infamous Motul Roof of Africa in a total time of 14-hours and 47-minutes, a clear 23-minutes ahead of the second placed rider, Travis Teasdale.
It has been widely reported that the 2018 version of the Roof of Africa was one if the toughest with legendary racer and former Roof winner Alfie Cox reporting, “It was tough. It was not a walk in the park and people had to dig deep. Some blokes were on the bike for ten to eleven hours a day. But that is what the Roof of Africa is all about.”
Wade Young wins the 2018 Roof Of Africa – Image by www.trompievanderberg.co.za / www.zcmc.co.za
While the mountains of Lesotho proved unforgiving, Wade Young made short work of the competition with a 40-minute lead after a strenuous 8-hours and 28-minutes on the bike after the first day of racing. Young played it safe on day-two, relinquishing some of his lead but ensuring his fourth Roof of Africa title.
The Sherco Factory rider claimed a number of high-profile hard enduro events in 2018 with victory in the Sea to Sky, Romaniacs, Megawatt and Australia’s own Wildwood Rock Extreme.
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Faggotter Ready for Dakar 2019
Yamalube Yamaha Rally team riders Adrien Van Beveren, Xavier de Soultrait and Aussie Rodney Faggotter will be aboard the newest edition of the WR450F Rally works machine as they take on the 41st Dakar which will be for the first time contested exclusively in Peru.
Rod Faggotter
Playing a crucial role for the Yamalube Yamaha Rally team during the last two Dakar Rallies, Rodney Faggotter remains with the squad going into the 2019 edition of the event after an extremely consistent run that saw him finish 16th overall and the highest placed Yamaha rider at the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Rodney Faggotter
“I’m looking forward to the 2019 Dakar. I’ve been racing some Bajas and training hard back home in Australia these last few months. I feel strong physically and also mentally. In the beginning of December, we’ve spent a full week testing and training with the team in Morocco and that was a good morale booster for me. We have a great spirit within the team and I want to be there for my teammates if they need me. I want to have a good clean run and do my own race. This Dakar might seem shorter, but we all know it’s still going to be a long and demanding race. If it all goes well, I’m confident I can improve my overall result from last year and fight for a spot inside the top-10.”
Rodney Faggotter – Dakar 2018
Race Schedule – Dakar Rally 2019
Stage 1 | Jan 7 | Lima to Pisco | SS: 84km | Total: 331km
Stage 2 | Jan 8 | Pisco to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 342km | Total: 554km
Stage 3 | Jan 9 | San Juan de Marcona to Arequipa | SS: 331km | Total: 779km
Stage 4 | Jan 10 | Arequipa to Moquegua | SS: 352km | Total: 511km
Stage 5 | Jan 11 | Moquegua to Arequipa | SS: 345km | Total: 776km
Rest Day | Jan 12 | Arequipa
Stage 6 | Jan 13 | Arequipa to San Juan de Marcona | SS: 317km | Total: 839km
Stage 7 | Jan 14 | San Juan de Marcona, return| SS: 323km | Total: 387km
Stage 8 | Jan 15 | San Juan de Marcona to Pisco | SS: 361km | Total: 576km
Stage 9 | Jan 16 | Pisco to Pisco | SS: 313km | Total: 410km
Stage 10 | Jan 17 | Pisco to Lima | SS: 112km | Total: 358km
2019 WESS Calendar Announced
The World Enduro Super Series will be an eight-round championship for the 2019 season with two additional Classic Enduro events scheduled for the coming season, combined with established Hard Enduro favourites, plus the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country.
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
The Extreme XL Lagares will once again open the season in Portugal, on May 10-12 before moving to France and the Classic Enduro at the Trèfle Lozérien AMV, then the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble, Red Bull Romaniacs, Hawkstone Park Cross-Country in the United Kingdom, the Solsona Enduro in Spain et and finally GetzenRodeo in Germany on November 2-3.
Winfried Kerschhaggl – WESS Series Manager
“Further broadening the mix of events in the championship, while sharpening the focus on true Enduro competitions has been our goal. Traditional Enduro is always close to our hearts, fuelling our passion for racing, and for that reason it has led to the addition of two Classic Enduro events being added to the calendar. Combined with some of our much-loved events from 2018, plus the welcomed addition of the GetzenRodeo, we are very much looking forward to the start of the new series and the battle to find the 2019 Ultimate Enduro Champion.”
WESS 2018 – Round 8 Red Bull Knock Out – Image by Future7Media
World Enduro Super Series – 2019 Schedule
Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
Round 4: Classic Enduro (Italy) TBA
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 4
Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
Round 7: Solsona Enduro (Spain) October 5-6
Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2-3
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2019 AFT Calendar Announced
American Flat Track has finalized its 2019 schedule and prepares to launch ticket sales in time for the holidays.
The 2019 running of the New York Short Track at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, NY has been moved back one week to July 13, 2019. Race fans can plan on an entire weekend of excitement, as AFT Events will once again throw a pre-race kickoff party with food, live music, entertainment and rider meet & greet session.
American Flat Track 2019 calendar announced
AFT’s season finale returns to the Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment at the famed MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ for a second running of the Meadowlands Mile. The race is set for September 28, 2019 – one week earlier than its 2018 date. This venue provided showstopping race action in 2018 and has already become one of the most highly-anticipated events of the upcoming season.
Cameron Gray, COO of AFT Events
“Now that we have finalized our 2019 schedule, we can hit the ground running. We’ve got new venues, freshly-built and redesigned racetracks and are planning some major improvements to overall fan experience for the coming season. AFT fans can look forward to the most exciting season of American Flat Track to date.”
AFT returns in 2019
American Flat Track will kick off its 2019 season with its bar-banging Daytona TT in appropriate fashion – during the wild Bike Week festivities in Daytona Beach. The 2019 Daytona TT happens Thursday, March 14 once again under the lights of the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Tickets will be available soon at https://www.americanflattrack.com.
2019 American Flat Track Schedule
March 14: Daytona TT – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
March 23: Atlanta Short Track – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
April 20: Texas Half-Mile – Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
April 27: Wild Horse TT – Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ
May 11: Perris Half-Mile – Perris Auto Speedway, Perris, CA
May 18: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
May 26: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
(AFT Singles Springfield TT same weekend)
June 1: Red Mile – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
June 15: Laconia Short Track – New Hampshire Motor Sp., Loudon, New Hampshire
June 29: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
July 13: New York Short Track – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
August 4: Buffalo Chip TT – Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
August 6: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
August 17: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
September 1: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
(AFT Singles Springfield Short Track same weekend)
September 7: Williams Grove Half-Mile – Williams Grove Sp., Mechanicsburg, PA
September 21: Minnesota Mile – Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
September 28: Meadowlands Mile – Meadowlands R & E, East Rutherford, NJ
2019 GNCC Calendar Announced
Racer Productions, producer of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, is pleased to announce the 2019 series schedule.
New for the 2019 season will be the expanded Micro (50cc) Racing program, while the eMTB racing will take place at eight rounds including an eMTB only race held on July 27 at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
2019 GNCC calendar announced – Image by Ken Hill
Jeff Russell – GNCC Trail Boss
“We’re excited to get the 2019 season rolling. With a great schedule of events on some of the best off-road courses the country has to offer, the upcoming season is shaping up to be one of the best yet. We have several facilities to consider for the fall TBA event. A lot of factors go into finding a venue to host a GNCC event and we hope to have an announcement on that round as soon as possible.”
The 2019 schedule welcomes back many of its most seasoned venues, including Camp Coker Bullet in Society Hill, South Carolina; X-Factor in Peru, Indiana; The John Penton in Millfield, Ohio; Tomahawk in Alpine, New York; West Virginia’s popular Snowshoe GNCC in Snowshoe, West Virginia; and the Ironman GNCC in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
The Queensland Motocross subcommittee is pleased to announce details of a freshly revamped 2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series, with four exciting venue additions from last year’s Airoh series.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
Since its inception as a B & C Grade series more than 25 years ago, the ‘Sunny States’ have made a consistent contribution to the development of Queensland’s racing stocks, and established a tradition as a proving ground for up-and-coming riders.
Averaging around 330 riders per round, the series contributes significantly to the ‘dirt bike economy’ that fuels small towns in South-East Queensland, while offering competitors the best prizemoney of any comparable series.
Next year’s incarnation will see a mix of trusted and true venues and exciting new locations, with the respected Suncoast Junior Motorcycle Club both raising and lowering the curtain on the series, boasting two rounds at its iconic Coolum track.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
In between though, riders will take a thrill ride of fresh racing challenges to grow their skills, re-visiting old favourites like a recently-updated Roma, Mundubbera, Kilcoy and Goondiwindi.
New series coordinator Rachelle Houterman is anything but a new face on the scene, and in taking over the reins from Jason Watson, will look to maintain what’s great about the series, but improve what she can.
She’ll again assume the role of Race Secretary for the series and will steer the ship overall with help from the Motocross Subcommittee, as well as the promoting clubs and series officials.
Rachelle Houterman – Race Secretary
“It’ll be a busy year for me and my helpers, but we have a lot of experience with all aspects of the series and we’re looking to continue to grow Queensland’s premier motocross series as well as trying to increase the payback to the clubs and open up more contingencies for juniors. Some riders may not have previously experienced a few of these tracks, but are sure to be in for a great time at venues that older riders still speak very highly of. Roma has had some exciting new changes as well, so there’ll be lots of opportunity for riders to learn new tracks and gain new skills. Kilcoy has also been missing from the series lately, but the Kilcoy Motorcycle Club has gained a huge following in recent years, so we’re happy to return this track to the calendar.”
The Motocross Subcommittee wishes to thank Jason Watson for all of his hard work over the past two years and wishes him all the best for his new endeavours. Jason remains a valued member of the MX Subcommittee.
2019 Sunshine State Motocross Series calendar announced
The series sponsor is expected to be announced very soon, and a host of sponsorship opportunities now exist with the Sunshine State MX Series. Please contact Rachelle direct on 0409 174 273 or email [email protected].
2019 Sunshine State Series Venues and Dates
Coolum 16/17 February
Roma 23/24 March
Mundubbera 6/7 April
Kilcoy 11/12 May
Goondiwindi 1/ 2 June
Coolum 15/16 June
Further information, Rachelle Houterman, Series Coordinator. Ph: 3281 2255 E: [email protected]
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2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
The 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship kicks off bright and early on January 3rd 2019 at Gillman Speedway, South Australia, and the seeded and qualifying line-up is locked and loaded!
For the first time in three years, the Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship will run a Qualifier the day before Round 1, where 16 selected riders will battle it out for the remaining eight spots in the Championship.
2019 Australian Speedway Senior Solo draw announced
Gillman Speedway will play host to the first round of the Championship, setting the bar higher than the South Australian Summer temperature! Round 1 will commence with the Qualifier on Wednesday night, January 2nd, where each rider will vie for their spot in the available eight places remaining on Thursday night.
With no brakes, gears or fear, Thursday 3rd January is anticipated to be an absolute scorcher, as tensions continue to run high after a tough Qualifier the day prior. Speedway Commission Chair, Ivan Golding, reflected on the draw of seeded and qualifying riders for the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship.
Ivan Golding – Speedway Commission Chair
“This has been one of the strongest qualifiers we have experienced in quite some time! Yesterday’s draw was extremely tough, making our job even harder than in previous years. The depth of nominations received for the 2019 Championship are some of the best we have received, which has made the draw super tough. The quality of riders to pick from was very impressive, and we are no doubt locked in for a thrilling 2019 Championship!”
The field includes eight seeded riders, including the 2018 reigning Champion, Rohan Tungate, alongside the likes of Max Fricke, Chris Holder, Jack Holder and Jaimon Lidsey.
The full list of seeded riders in the 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship are as follows:
The 16 riders selected for the Qualifier on January 2nd are as follows
At the close of Round 1, riders will move North to Mildura, Victoria for Round 2 on 5th January, followed by Round 3 on 7th January at Undera, Victoria. The penultimate round will be held on 9th January at Albury Wodonga, Victoria, with a close to the Championship at Kurri-Kurri, New South Wales on 12th January.
Tanti joins Crawford at Serco
Serco Yamaha will again be a force to be reckoned with next season after enlisting Nathan Crawford and Aaron Tanti to steer their YZ250F’s in the 2019 MX Nationals and Australian Supercross Championships.
Nathan Crawford
“I hate being off the bike and not riding and its driving me crazy but my motivation is as good as it’s ever been and I’m excited to be locked in with Serco and the opportunity to race the YZ250F again. I haven’t even ridden the 2019 bike, but it looks and sounds amazing and I know Serco Yamaha will give me the best bike in the class. I’m able to bare weight on my leg and start physio this week with a view to start riding again by late January. That still leaves me enough time to get myself bike fit and ready to go for the MX Nationals and I’m already looking forward to racing again.”
Nathan Crawford
Aaron Tanti
“Up until last year, I was juggling work with racing but for 2018 I was able to get myself in a position where I could ride and train full time and it instantly showed improvement in my results. The reward of the hard work and sacrifice came when Gavin approached me about racing for Serco in 2019. Now to have the support and structure of the Serco Yamaha team behind me and entering the new year feeling fit and refreshed, I am confident 2019 will be my best season yet as I feel there is still a lot of room for improvement in my riding and racing.
Aaron Tanti joins Crawford at Serco in 2019
“I spent a day on the bike earlier this week and I’m impressed with everything about it. We just ran through some basic things like bar bends to get me comfortable, stiffened up the fork a little and I was good to go. The Yamaha YZ250F feels awesome and that is just the production bike, I can’t wait to ride the full- blown race bike Serco will build for me. I’m proud to have achieved this ride with Serco Yamaha but I know the real work is about to come. But I will give it my all and aim to win as many races and championships as I can.”
Aaron Tanti
Round one of the MX Nationals takes place at Appin, west of Sydney on March 17.
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WBR Yamaha sign Purvis and Kukas for MXD
WBR Yamaha team will be out to match their 2018 success that saw them claim the top two spots in the MXD class at the MX Nationals, with Max Purvis and Jack Kukas lining up for 2019.
Max Purvis
“I have done two seasons in Australia now and I feel comfortable racing here now as I know the riders and how the events work. But, it’s also the first time I have had major support over here and its cool to be a part of the WBR Yamaha. I had to race against them in 2018 and I know how well prepared and organised they were so it’s exciting to now be on the same side as them. I won plenty of rounds last year, but I just wasn’t consistent enough in the rounds that I didn’t win so that’s an area I need to address this year. Championships are won on your bad days, so I need to find a way grind out a good result when things aren’t going my way and be consistent across all 10 rounds. I love racing in Australia and the MX Nationals is a great series. Doing the NZ Nationals, the MX Nationals and the Australian Supercross Championship will be a huge year for me, but I can’t wait to get started.”
Maximus Purvis with WBR Yamaha in 2019
Jack Kukas
“It’s awesome to be back here in Australia and on the WBR Yamaha team for the 2019 season. I have been a Yamaha rider all my life to so get the opportunity to ride for the official Yamaha MXD team is a bit of a dream come true. I have already spent a week down with the team in Echuca just getting settled on the bike and meeting everyone. Travis and Nathan are awesome to deal with and are so helpful in getting me comfortable on and off the bike. I can’t thank them enough for giving me this chance and I hope to repay them with some good results. The 2019 YZ250F is such a good bike and we have a great group of sponsors on board for next year so I’m going to give it my all and try and get another championship for Yamaha and the WBR team.”
Jack Kukas to 2019 WBR Yamaha team
The first time both riders will be on track together will be the opening round of the MX Nationals at Appin, west of Sydney, on March 17.
Argentina to kick-off 2019 MXGP season
Youthstream has revealed that the first round of the 2019 MXGP and MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship season will take place at the Patagonia-Argentina circuit of Neuquen on Sunday the 10th of March with bikes racing for the first time of the new season in Qualifying on Saturday.
MXGP 2019 kicks off in Argentina
MXGP’s return to Patagonia Argentina’s beautiful Neuquen circuit is exciting for the riders, fans, and industry members as amazing GPs have taken place at the venue since first hosting the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2015. Serving as the second round of 2017 and then the opening round of 2018 the previous years have resulted in stunning racing amongst the hillsides lined by thousands of South American motocross fans.
David Luongo – Vice President of Youthstream
“It is great news to be back in Argentina for the opening Grand Prix of the season. The circuit of Neuquen is for most of the riders, the most beautiful track of the championship and its location in the middle of Patagonia is breathtaking. We really want to thank David Eli from Mas Eventos along with the local and national authorities making this Grand Prix possible, we are sure that it will be a great success and will bring a lot of attention and exposure Argentina.”
Stefan Everts in hospital
Ten times World Champion Stefan Everts was hospitalized last week and remains at the University Hospital of Leuven in Belgium in an induced coma.
Stefan Everts
Everts participated in a charity event three weeks ago in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo to raise funds for the construction of schools in the area and contracted malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite.
During his legendary career, Everts won the record numbers of 101 Motocross Grands Prix and ten FIM world titles. After his career, he worked at KTM and then ran the Suzuki World MXGP team before Suzuki suspended its support for the FIM Motocross World Championships last year.
The moto world holds its combined breath waiting for Stefan to pull through and our hearts go out to the family.
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A cold morning in southern Spain meant the track action didn’t get going until 11:30am local time (GMT +1), but conditions soon improved in the afternoon as the premier class riders continued their crucial 2019 preparations under sunny skies in Jerez.
By the half way mark it was Repsol Honda Team’s Jorge Lorenzo heading the pack, but times would tumble further – and Petrucci would emerge fastest.
Jorge Lorenzo
At Ducati, Petrucci completed 53 laps on Wednesday to be the only rider to dip below the 1:38 bracket. Both he and Dovizioso had a 2018 spec and 2019 spec bike to compare on the opening day in Jerez, but according to Team Manager Davide Tardozzi, both riders soon switched to the 2019 Desmosedici.
Danilo Petrucci – P1
“I’m very pleased with the way things went today, because it’s always good to finish the day in first place, but in particular I really like the feeling with the used tyre. I always felt good on the bike, like at Valencia, and for me this was important because we changed almost nothing in the set-up and in any case we always went well. Today we didn’t focus on lap times, but instead worked a lot on our pace and also tried some new components that gave us very useful information. Overall I’m really happy with the way we are working together as a team.”
Danilo Petrucci
Dovizioso crashed at turn five on his final run which put a premature end to his day after getting 53 laps in as he and Ducati concentrated on electronics, chassis and the engine. In the evening Andrea went for a check-up with the Clinica Mobile doctors, who diagnosed him with a bruised left thumb, but the Italian rider should be able to go out on track again tomorrow.
Andrea Dovizioso – P2
“Today we were able to do several tests and we were very quick, even on used tyres, and so I’m pleased about that. Unfortunately at the end of the session I crashed at turn 5 while I was improving my time and I hurt my left thumb. Luckily nothing seems to be broken and if the pain is bearable tomorrow I’ll continue with our work load because we still need confirmation on some of the new components.”
Andrea Dovizioso
The test also saw the presence of Álvaro Bautista, who on Monday and Tuesday had made his debut with the factory Panigale V4R of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team with whom he will compete in the 2019 Superbike World Championship. In this two-day MotoGP test, Álvaro is standing in for Michele Pirro on the Ducati Test Team’s Desmosedici GP, because this afternoon the Italian underwent surgery on his right shoulder, which he injured in a crash during practice at Mugello. Bautista did a total of 64 laps, the best of which was 1’38.830, and he finished the day in ninth place.
Alvaro Bautista and Andrea Dovizioso
Álvaro Bautista – P9
“I’m very pleased to be able to help Ducati to develop the new bike and collect some important information, but it was also nice to get back on a MotoGP bike once again. It’s been two months since I raced the GP18 at Phillip Island, but today I felt good on the bike, even with the gearbox that created a few problems for me in Australia.We managed to test everything we had planned and I believe it was a positive day from all points of view. Tomorrow we’ll continue to try some new parts in view of the next season.”
Álvaro Bautista
Just ahead of Bautisa was Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) in P8, the Australian on a part-2018 and part-2019 Desmosedici for the time being as he worked on the geometry.
Jack Miller
Jack Miller – P8
“It was a good day for us. We have been on track a lot and lap after lap I feel more and more comfortable on the bike. The chrono is not bad even if I have to do better in the fourth sector where I think I have left at least three tenths of a second. Tomorrow we will also work on this”.
Jack Miller
Miller’s rookie teammate Francesco Bagnaia (Alma Pramac Racing) had another good day on track and was 14th fastest on Day 1. The reigning Moto2 Champion has the 2018 Ducati available to him and he completed another 51 laps, finishing 1.189 off Petrucci. Bagnaia described Jerez as a “more difficult” track than Valencia to rider a premier class machine, but he also confirmed he’s progressing in the right way.
Pecco Bagnaia
Pecco Bagnaia – P14
“This track is more demanding than Valencia and you need to control the bike a lot. I’m pleased with the progress made on the setup but I still have some difficulties in braking: I have to be able to use the rear brake more like Dovi does. We did a lot of laps with used tyres and the pace is good”.
Pecco Bagnaia
For Honda, Takaaki Nakagami was the leading name on Day 1, continuing his impressive start to the 2019 preseason. The Japanese rider completed 66 laps on board a 2018 RC213V, the same bike teammate Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was using last season. The number 30 rider said the improvement in the engine between the 2017 Honda and the 2018 Honda is quite big, and he was also able to set consistent lap times on the used tyre. Overall, Nakagami was delighted with his progress so far.
Takaaki Nakagami – P3
“I’m really happy with today’s first day of testing, and in particular with my feeling on board the bike. The lap time was really consistent both with new and old tyres. We focused on trying to improve rear grip, and Öhlins gave me a different shock and some other new items to test which were quite positive for me, because I had a really good feeling with the machine. Still we have to try to make myself more consistent in my riding with the used tyre. Tomorrow we have a few small things to try, but I am happy with the progress we have made on this first day.”
Reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) wasn’t far off, though. The second fastest Honda after the first day of action, the Spaniard ended Wednesday P5 on the timesheets. According to Team Manager Alberto Puig, the bikes were the same as they had in Valencia as the Japanese factory continue to mix parts in order to find the best combination to take to Japan. Marquez ended the day 0.549 from the top after completing a half-century of laps, while also sporting a new aero package on the front of his Honda.
Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez – P5
“We started with this season’s bike before swapping to the new one. We did that in order to try and better understand a few things, because the feeling is different. Tomorrow we’ll concentrate more on the new version. Today we mainly worked on the bike’s base setup and tried some new details. Our race pace was good. I already feel comfortable on the bike, and tomorrow we’ll work to further adjust the setup and geometry, besides continuing to try new particulars. I think the base is good and that we’re going on the correct direction.”
Marc Marquez
New teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who led in the morning for a time, was seventh fastest on his third day riding a Honda. The Spaniard set a quickest time of 1:38.749 to finish 0.781 off Petrucci after getting another 56 laps under his belt. Lorenzo is still not 100% fit, adding to the challenge of adaptation from the Ducati.
At Yamaha, work continued on the engine. Maverick Viñales (Yamaha Factory Racing) was a threat at the top throughout the day and put in 58 laps before the end of play – with the number 12 finishing up just over four tenths off the top in P4. He said they were working on race pace, but also said they’re not yet sure about one of the two different spec engines they’re testing – with more work to do on Thursday. Viñales was joined in the pit box by new crew chief Esteban García for the first time today.
Maverick Viñales
Maverick Viñales – P4
“We tried the same engine as we used in Valencia, to try to understand which way we should go. This track is even more difficult for us than Valencia, there it‘s easier to make a good lap time, so I‘m quite happy that today we were so consistent with many laps on the tyre. The track was a bit slippery for our bike today, but the M1 was working well, so I think the decision is more or less made, but we still have to check. I prefer riding with more engine brake, because for my riding style it helps a lot. I‘m quite curious to see what happens tomorrow when we start modifying the set-up a little. Let‘s see if we can be more competitive. I think we can still improve the electronics and the base set-up a lot, because the bike works a bit different now and it permits me to enter the corner faster, so we need to change the setting, because I can ride more naturally now. It was a good first day with Esteban. It was good to reconnect, he‘s a really calm person, so we work well together. We were on top for a while today, so I‘m happy.”
Maverick Viñales
Teammate Valentino Rossi was a later presence pitting out, but the number 46 put in 50 laps on Wednesday once out on track. He ended the day just over a second off Viñales, in P17, but didn’t put in new tyres. He also suffered a technical problem that brought one run to a halt, with Rossi pulling off track after hearing a problem in his M1.
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi – P17
“At the end my position in the timesheets is really bad, also because we had some problems with the new tyres, so I didn‘t do a time-attack. My pace is a little bit better, but I have to check the data more thoroughly. We continued to test the engine, we made some comparisons. The direction to go in and the decision is quite clear. I started riding on new tyres, but at one point I heard a strange noise, so I stopped. I sincerely don‘t know what happened yet.”
Valentino Rossi
Petronas Yamaha SRT, meanwhile, had another solid day. Franco Morbidelli was sixth overall after 70 laps and a best of 1:38.659, and rookie teammate Fabio Quartararo ended the day in sixteenth. The Frenchman’s best was a 1:39.414 as he continues settling into the premier class.
Franco Morbidelli – P6
“I am very happy with today. We have backed up the good feeling from Valencia at a different circuit, which is not as suited to the characteristics of our bike as other tracks. It has been a good day in terms of our speed, we have to improve our consistency but the feeling on new tyres was good. We have to work out what else we can improve and I also have to keep learning but it’s a case of ‘so fast, so good’. Today we basically focused on working with the electronics at this circuit, especially on our first runs. We also tried some set-up changes but nothing really new compared to last week.”
Franco Morbidelli
Fabio Quartararo – P16
“Today we took another step forward in terms of corner speed, in comparison with Valencia, which is important. Now we need to analyse corner by corner where we are losing the most time – some in the exit, some in the entry – and see from the data what we can work on. The important thing is that we are improving and especially here at one of the most difficult circuits on the calendar, where I have not ridden a MotoGP bike before. I am really happy with today and I hope we can continue improving tomorrow. We have saved some new tyres with the second day’s work in mind.”
Fabio Quartararo
Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was another entering a new era who impressed – and he was the fastest rookie. He led the way for Suzuki in Jerez to finish the day tenth on the timesheets, although, the 2017 Moto3 World Champion suffered his first MotoGP crash after going down at Turn 7 just after 13:00 local time. The Spaniard was ok and headed back out later in the day to improve – a hot 1:38.956 his best time, putting him under a second from the top.
Joan Mir – P10
“The important thing is that I’m feeling good. I have some bumps and bruises but nothing worse, despite it being a hard crash. After the crash I was able to get my good feeling back straight away and recover my lap times, and I continued to put in laps until the end of the day. I set a time in the 1:38 bracket and I’m very satisfied with that for the first day. I also worked a bit on the electronics and a few new parts. We’re happy with what we’ve achieved today and how it’s all been going, and we hope tomorrow will also be good.”
Joan Mir
His teammate Alex Rins, alongside test rider Sylvain Guintoli, had a lot of new parts to try on Wednesday. The new engine and the chassis has been the main focus for the Hamamatsu factory, with the new engine more powerful than last season’s. According to Team Manager Davide Brivio, Rins was on an aluminium chassis, while Guintoli was testing a carbon-based chassis – with Brivio also confirming the plan is to build an aluminium chassis that has the same stiffness as the carbon one.
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager
“Today was a good day, despite Joan’s crash. Fortunately he was OK and able to test again in the afternoon. He set some very good lap times and he tried a few different parts, he did a good job after the crash. Alex had a tricky day with a lot of hard work on testing; back-to-back comparisons with chassis in order to get as much information as possible. So we feel good about today and everything is on schedule. We’re looking forward to working again tomorrow.”
Alex Rins
Rins ended the day P13 on the timesheets after completing 87 laps – the most of any rider – while Guintoli was P22.
Alex Rins – P13
“I tried the 2019 chassis today and I’m quite happy. The new chassis has some positives and some negatives at the moment, but we’ve only just started to test it so there’s plenty of time to make more comparisons and improvements. I also had the new engine to try, the one I already had in Valencia last week. I feel that the new spec. engine has more power than the old one. We’ve improved it since Valencia, because there it felt a bit aggressive, but now the power delivery has been made smoother thanks to the electronics. So now I feel really good with this engine, but we’ll continue working on it to get the perfect feeling. We got a lot done today and we’re happy.”
Alex Rins
At Aprilia, the test got off to a tough start as Aleix Espargaro missed Day 1 through illness – although he’s hoping to ride on Thursday – but new signing Andrea Iannone put the Noale factory in P11 overall with a 1:39.008. He was only able to complete 24 laps, however, then sitting out the rest of the session after a crash. Test rider and new arrival Bradley Smith, meanwhile, did 69 laps. He was working with Aleix Espargaro’s bikes, with a new spec engine focused on power delivery and torque, and each Aprilia rider had two chassis to compare. CIV Superbike superstar Matteo Baiocco was also on track for the Noale factory, and he did 49 laps.
Bradley Smith – P18
“This type of test with Aleix’s material was planned, but his physical problem sped up the timeline. It was important for me to test all the material available to Aprilia in order to complete the programme and provide the technicians with the best possible indications. Compared to Valencia, some big steps forward were made. I feel much more at ease with the RS-GP. Today I compared to different types of engine and tomorrow morning I’ll continue with Aleix’s bike before going back in the afternoon to work with the test team.”
Bradley Smith
Finally, for KTM, it was all hands on deck as the Austrian factory look forward after a more difficult 2018 – Valencia notwithstanding – and they had six bikes in the garage. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider was the lead Orange machine on Day 1 in Jerez too, in P15 with a best of 1:39.241 after 58 laps. New teammate Johann Zarco was in P19, but the focus? Development and definitely not the timesheets. KTM are working on a huge list – seamless gearbox, chassis parts, aerodynamic parts, a slightly different engine…and they’re using the new IMU.
Their two Independent Team riders at Red Bull KTM Tech 3, meanwhile, were working on the best bike from 2018 – although they’re expected to receive an update in Sepang. Hafizh Syahrin did 51 laps with a best of 1:40.630 and rookie Miguel Oliveira put in 61 laps, ending the day around a second off his more experienced teammate.
Hafizh Syahrin – P21
“The first day here is already over and I have the feeling that we are going in the right way together with my crew to set up the new bike. We start to understand it step by step, the character and how to ride it. We did quite a good amount of laps and began to find out how the suspension works, what we can change about it and how we can use it. We believe that we could have improved the lap time if we would have changed the tyres again, but we saved them because I wanted to do a long run in order to simulate a race. Even by the end, my lap times were quite good. So, I’m very happy and I hope we can make another step forward tomorrow, trying to get closer to the top.”
Hafizh Syahrin
Miguel Oliveira – P23
“Today we rode here in Jerez de la Frontera for the first time. We made some good progress in the course of the day. We didn’t do huge steps, but went one small one by another. We were able to understand the bike better and better, found some things that are missing, which also refers to the riding side. Now we focus on improving tomorrow.”
Miguel Oliveira
Testing continues on Thursday.
Jerez MotoGP Test- November 2018 Day One Times
PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1:37.968
DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1:38.185 / 0.217
