Amazon Prime are set to debut a stunning retrospective of MotoGP season 2021 with never seen before behind the scenes footage akin to what we have already seen them do with their highly successful ‘Drive To Survive’ series that has covered recent season of Formula One.
The new docuseries about the FIM MotoGP World Championship, MotoGP Unlimited, will launch exclusively on Prime Video on the 14th of March.
The series comprises eight 50-minute episodes and follows a number of premier class stars, including riders and team managers.
On Wednesday, the first of two premieres took place as the Cine Capitol in Madrid played host for an exclusive screening of two episodes.
MotoGP riders Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) were in attendance for the occasion, joined at the event by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.
Riders Martin, Viñales, Mir, Miller and Marc Marquez attended the premiere
After some interview opportunities for the media present – and the prerequisite walk down the red carpet for the stars of the series, both on camera and off – the attendees settled in to watch two episodes of the ground-breaking new series.
MotoGP Unlimited is true to its name, allowing fans to see behind the scenes like never before, including exclusive footage of the riders’ day-to-day lives.
Jack Miller was part of premiere event
For the first time, viewers will get an intimate, unique, and exclusive look at the challenges faced by riders and teams during the season, both on and off the track, and understand what it takes to form part of one of the most prestigious competitions in motorsport.
Tonight will see the Elysées Biarritz in Paris host the second premiere, with more familiar faces from the MotoGP grid set to attend the event and enjoy two more episodes of the MotoGP Unlimited – including reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo.
Suzuki GSX-RR
The only downside we can see so far from the preview is that we get subjected to exactly the same British voices we get sick of throughout the regular MotoGP coverage… Be nice to have had some more new voices in that mix…
Santi Hernandez and Ramon Aurin, Race Engineers to Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro respectively, sat down to cover a variety of topics ahead of the first race of the 2022 season. The pair chatted about everything from rider feedback to their opinions of each other and even which side of the garage gets an extra ten minutes in the hotel.
Q: Do your riders listen to you? What’s the balance between suggesting ideas and listening to feedback?
Ramon Aurin – “Sometimes they listen to us, but I don’t know how much they catch from our advice. Normally all the riders want to follow your suggestions that you give them. But sometimes when they are on track and the situation changes, they don’t follow this advice. This is my situation; I don’t know about you Santi.”
Santi Hernandez – “Yeah, like always we try to advise them the best after checking everything with all the staff of the team. Of course, the opinion from the rider is very important too because it is not only us who have the truth. Sometimes you must listen more to the rider’s comments because the problem is coming more from what he’s feeling. Maybe in flag-to flag-situations you have to listen more to the rider because this is what he can feel and make the difference. In another side or situation, the rider listens more to the staff because we have all the data, more information and maybe he listens more. But at the end we are deciding all together, not the rider, not the technical staff. For me it’s between.”
Q: How does Marquez’s team help Espargaro’s team?
Ramon Aurin – “We know Marc, we know he is a champion. Then he has known this bike for eight or nine years. Normally when he says an opinion in one item it is right. We try to follow, and sometimes copy, the suggestion and the action that they do. Even if our rider, Pol, says ‘I don’t feel better,’ we try it for him and see if it’s really the same for him because he (Marc) is the reference anyway in Honda and in MotoGP.”
Q: How does Espargaro’s team help Marquez’s team?
Santi Hernandez – “For me the other side of the garage is always a help to us, especially in the last two years where we weren’t 100% all the time. Even for Ramon, it is not easy every year changing the rider. When you know the rider, you change and then you start from the beginning and again one more year you start from the beginning. I hope this year his job will be easier because he knows Pol for one year, he knows the rider’s style and many things, and of course it will help us. All HRC riders are trying to help because is very important all this information.”
Q: Ramon Aurin on: Marc Marquez
Ramon Aurin – “Marc is a big, big worker. One guy that never gives up and this is good as a rider and as a person. It’s very important to have one guy like this in the team.”
Q: Santi Hernandez on: Pol Espargaro
Santi Hernandez – “He is a rider that likes to improve all the time. He is a worker; I mean he is never giving up. It’s brave. It’s good to have in HRC that kind of rider. I hope this year with the new bike he can get better results, it can be important for all our team.”
Q: Ramon Aurin on: Santi
Santi Hernandez – “Don’t describe me when I was in Showa. Haha!”
Ramon Aurin [Laughing] – “He is a good guy. He is a nice person and easy to work with. This is important in this job that you have a very, very tight relationship. Also, another thing that’s very good is the honesty with his opinion and actions which are always for the team, for Honda, for HRC and for the Repsol Honda Team it is important to have honesty inside. Even if you have rivalry between two riders, at the end you want to have the best bike possible in the paddock because it makes the difference for riders. On this Santi is very, very good.”
Santi Hernandez – “Thank you.”
Q: Santi Hernandez on: Ramon
“Yeah. I mean I’ve known Ramon for a long time. Not only in HRC, I was working in Showa, and already we were working together. I know Ramon and for me, he is one of the reference guys in the paddock. Not only from now with his position, even in other positions he did in the teams. He has a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge for many things. For me it’s important to work with Ramon and also it is important in HRC to have Ramon. Maybe the results weren’t showing his potential, but this for me is not the problem. The difference is the knowledge and the experience and his job is great in the team, this is why he is working such a long time in HRC. That’s the answer. When you are in one place from a long time ago, it’s looks like you’re doing your job well. This is the answer.”
Q: Ramon Aurin on: Approaching 2022
“This season is a little bit different from the last ones. I have the same rider, normally it should be a little bit easier to understand his comments and his request. We want to see if the bike improves the weak points from last year and try to get the maximum this season.”
Q: Santi Hernandez on: 12 years with Marc
“Of course, if you have same rider during many years everything is coming easier between us because everybody knows all of us and our job. But at the end, as always, we say it’s difficult because everybody makes improvements, we have some weak points. We would like the new bike to help our weak points we had in the past. Try to do our best and try to be on the top like we want to be.”
Q: Ramon Aurin on: Pol’s adaption
“When you jump from one bike to another, when the concept of the bike is so different, at the beginning it’s little bit difficult to ride in the lap time. But lap by lap and after some long runs they understand they need to change the riding style because the bike requests this different way to ride. The way that they need to enter in the corner is a little bit different, the way that need to brake, use the rear and front brake should be a little bit different than before.”
Q: Santi Hernandez on: Marc’s requests for 2022
“Especially stability on entry, more grip and more power for the straight. This is what we want. What we want, normally all riders want more power on the straight, more stability on the brakes and more grip on the exit. This is what we request, but at the end this is where we are struggling more, especially on the straight, where you can gain lap time for free if you have a more powerful engine, it will be easier for the riders.”
Santi Hernandez and Ramon Aurin
Q: Ramon Aurin on: The new RC213V
“Last year we had some problems, especially with the rear side. From the moment the prototype came, we saw this improved and basically from Pol’s side he needed more stability in the rear, more rear grip and it looks like this bike goes in this direction. For Pol it’s very good, I think for everybody, when you have rear grip it’s better. For sure they make some bad points, for that we need to improve, and this is what the test is for – to improve these small points. The engine looks like it will be a little bit better.”
Q: Santi Hernandez on: The new RC213V
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t test so much earlier. The only time we tried the new bike, the proto-bike, was in Misano and unfortunately we couldn’t try in Jerez. We accept it’s a different bike, the concept it’s completely different: engine, the bike itself, aerodynamics. Many things are quite different to what we had in the past and we would like to try the proto-bike in Sepang. We hope it’s better and we improve the areas there we are struggling. Of course, after the Jerez test we saw the potential of the new bike and of course it will not be like the perfect bike but it’s quite interesting to start the season and see where we are. We won’t have the perfect bike, but we believe we can be there.”
Q: Ramon Aurin on: Targets
“For everybody in MotoGP I think the target is to get the title. For us, we need to go, see where we are and to be always with top riders and fighting for the championship. After some races we will see where reality is and where we will go. The target is higher, after it depends on the situation, we need to except one or another.”
Q: Santi Hernandez on: Targets
“When you are coming from the last two years where you have not been ready to fight for the title, I would like to say we want to do the best that we can. But honestly speaking, when you are working with a rider like Marc, for me the goal is to win the title. After we’ll see how the season is, how every race is, and then after that we will see where our real goal is. But if you are asking me now, what is my goal, it’s to win the 2022 title with Marc.”
Q: What would you ask Santi?
Ramon Aurin – “I want to ask Santi after his experience with a super successful rider, where you have always had good results and good podiums, how do you manage when results are not what you expected?”
Santi Hernandez – “Wow. Unfortunately, last two years were not the best for us and it was different. With Marc in 2019 our worst result was second. It was a big difference in situation but for me the most important is to believe in what you are doing, like the rider. I mean, of course the rider wants to win. Of course, the rider wants always to do the best, but even for you, you don’t need to think like you are doing something bad. Of course, many times you have doubts in yourself, but in my case, I try to believe every time in what I do and try to do like I always do. The difference after is the result but the most important is to believe in what you are doing and enjoy the moment. This is the most important.”
Q: What would you ask Ramon?
Santi Hernandez – “I would like to ask to Ramon if this year you will be more flexible in the morning time to leave the hotel and give your mechanics 10 minutes extra to sleep.”
Ramon Aurin – [Laughing] “I mean, maybe to the mechanics yes, but not for me. I am so nervous, I’m afraid to arrive late in the paddock. Normally I am a little bit too early. But this is the character of my side.”
Prime Video today announced that the new docuseries about the MotoGP World Championship, MotoGP Unlimited, will launch exclusively on Prime Video in France, Italy, Spain, and more than 170 countries and territories worldwide – including the UK and U.S. on March 14. Produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO in collaboration with Dorna, the series’ eight, 50-minute episodes will follow a number of MotoGP’s premier-class stars, including riders and team managers from the world’s top teams.
9. Bagnaia has seen the number at the front of his bike change multiple times throughout his career. A lifelong fan of Noriyuki Haga, he raced with 41 at the front of his fairing in the beginning. By the time he reached the World Championship, he had to change again, choosing to honour Troy Bayliss, another of his childhood idols, by picking 21. Graduating to Moto2™ in 2017, he doubled down and switched to 42 before claiming 63 in the premier class in 2019.
Marc Saurina, Senior Director of Global Commercial Partnerships at Dorna Sports: “We are delighted to begin this new journey with QuintEvents, who have an incredible record of excellence and expertise. It’s a pleasure to announce our new project, MotoGP Premier, which will revolutionise what we offer fans at each Grand Prix, with the widest range of opportunities and experiences yet. We’re excited to get going and begin to welcome fans via MotoGP Premier!”
Seeing the MotoGP™ Legend on track is an exciting prospect, and we’ll certainly be keeping a keen eye on his progress over the season. Rossi may no longer be part of the MotoGP™ grid anymore, but his legacy most definitely lives on. Two premier class riders don the VR46 moniker, with four more in Moto2™, and many more who have come through the Italian’s academy.
The pre-season Official MotoGP Test at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit saw the FIM MotoGP World Championship return to Indonesia for the first time in 25 years. The three days of track time were invaluable for the riders, teams and organisation, allowing all parties to gain experience at the new circuit before the inaugural Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.
A lot of the area around the track is still a construction zone. And of course with the monsoonal rains experienced in the area, delays could be expected
The three-day test has also given the organisation and governing body the opportunity to ensure the venue complies with MotoGP standards and assess any improvements necessary ahead of the track’s debut on the FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar.
The feedback from riders and teams regarding the layout of the track and its safety standards, including the extensive runoff areas of both tarmac and gravel, has been overwhelmingly positive.
During the test, two areas of improvement were identified, which are the cleanliness of the track surface and the excess of aggregate affecting parts of the circuit.
Mandalika Circuit
The FIM, which oversees track homologation, has been in communication with the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) regarding these necessary improvements, which are to be implemented a minimum of seven days before the inaugural Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.
Circuit owner ITDC has agreed with the FIM’s assessment and requests, demonstrating their high level of support and commitment to the sport. All parties have reacted quickly and work towards these improvements is already underway, including the resurfacing of part of the track.
Andrea Dovizioso at Mandalika
The circuit will be resurfaced from the section before Turn 17 until after Turn 5. The venue will also prepare for the Grand Prix by employing world leading technology to ensure the entirety of the surface meets MotoGP standards.
The FIM and Dorna would like to thank the ITDC for their incredible support and prompt reaction. All parties have assured their Indonesian fans, and all those around the world, that the 2022 Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia will take place on the planned date, and that MotoGP is very much looking forward to returning to Lombok.
Teams, numbers and circuits are among the novelties as the opening round of the season looms large
Each new season brings its share of novelties in the paddock, and this year is no exception. 2022 is set to be the biggest ever in MotoGP™ history, with 21 dates pencilled into the Championship calendar.
The next 12 months will offer a familiar sense of excitement on track, while there are plenty of fresh ideas coming too. Two of those dates see the MotoGP™ circus go to new destinations; Finland and Indonesia welcome the elite level of the sport to their shores.
Into the unknown
Riders have already had the chance to get to know Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, having carried out three days of testing there just last weekend. Located in the south of Lombok, the track is composed of 11 right-handers and six left, combining for a total of 17 on the 4.3km stretch of tarmac. We return there for Round 2 of the Championship from March 20th.
WATCH: The best action from an unforgettable Mandalika Test 13/02/2022
After three incredible days in Indonesia, we cannot wait to return for Round 2 of the Championship in March
Moving from a sunny island destination to an Arctic climate, Finland’s KymiRIng will host Round 12 in July at the third time of asking. The pandemic delayed the visit to the circuit 110km north of Helsinki. It will be MotoGP™’s most northerly event and the 4.5 km long track consists of 21 corners, eight left and 13 right.
In MotoGP™, 2022 welcomes the arrival of some new structures. WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team replaces Petronas Yamaha SRT as the Iwata factory’s satellite outfit. Razlan Razali continues in his role as Team Principal with Wilco Zeelenberg as Team Manager.
Gresini and Aprilia have parted ways. The Noale factory will now compete as Aprilia Racing, while Gresini Racing MotoGP™ move to Ducati machinery and become a satellite team for the Borgo Panigale factory. The Bologna bullets have managed to put eight bikes onto the grid this year, with Mooney VR46 Racing also added to their ranks ahead of the new season.
Moto2™ & Moto3™
A quick word also about the other categories. In Moto2™, all the teams listed in the 2022 entry list were already present in 2021, with one small change: the Aspar team riders will no longer ride bikes with Boscocuro chassis but GASGAS. In Moto3™, on the other hand, there is a larger reshuffling of the deck. MT Helmets – MSI, MTA, Visiontrack Racing are proof of this. Pruestel GP has also decided to put its trust in CFMOTO.
New faces… and new colours
Five riders have just been promoted to MotoGP™, including Moto2™ World Champion Remy Gardner and his 2021 title rival and teammate Raul Fernandez. Both riders will don the Tech3 KTM colours in their rookie season. There is also Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), who will remain within their current teams but move to Ducati machinery. Last but not least is Darryn Binder, who became just the second-ever rider, after Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), to move directly from Moto3™ to MotoGP™. The South African joins WithU Yamaha RNF.
Rookie review: MotoGP™’s five newbies reflect on Mandalika 13/02/2022
It’s been a baptism of fire for the premier class’ latest recruits but they feel better for the experience as they hone in on the Qatar GP
Just two premier class riders see a change of seats and leathers, with Enea Bastianini rejoining the Gresini family with Luca Marini riding under the VR46 moniker.
In Moto2™, there are ten fresh faces. In addition to Moto3™ World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Gabriel Rodrigo (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Filip Salac (Gresini Racing Moto2), Niccolò Antonelli (VR46 Racing Team) and Jeremy Alcoba (LiquiMoly Intact GP) have all graduated from the lightweight class. Sean Dylan Kelly (American Racing), Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team), Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2), Keminth Kubo (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team), Zonta Van den Goorbergh (RW Racing GP) will also compete in the intermediate class this season, having come from a mix of AMA Supersport, WorldSSP, MotoE™ and FIM CEV Repsol.
Six others have changed seats over the offseason. They are Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40), Arón Canet (Flexbox HP40), Marcos Ramírez (MV Agusta Forward Team), Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team), who have also moved to another manufacturer, Tony Arbolino (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Augusto Fernández (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Not to mention Romano Fenati (SpeedUp Racing), who returns to the Moto2™ ranks, as he did in 2018.
In Moto3™, 10 rookies are looking to make a name for themselves on the world stage. The majority of them have come through the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup or the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ Championship. Included in this list are Brazilian Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), Matteo Bertelle (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Scott Ogden (Visiontrack Racing Team), David Muñoz (BOE SKX), Ivan Ortola (Team MTA), Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia), Joel Kelso (CIP – Green Power), Joshua Whatley (Visiontrack Racing Team), Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), the 2021 Asia Talent Cup Champion, and Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo), the winner of the FIM Junior Moto3™ World Championship.
Others have sought a fresh challenge like Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing Team), Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing), Adrian Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Xavier Artigas (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP), Riccardo Rossi (SIC5 – Squadra Corse), Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing Team), Stefano Nepa (Team MTA) and Carlos Tatay (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP).
Ana Carrasco also returns to the fold with BOE SKX, leaving behind WorldSSP 300 a World Champion.
New numbers
Finally, a new year means some new numbers. Fabio Di Giannantonio has traded in his usual 21, already claimed by Franco Morbidelli, for 49.
In Moto2™ and Moto3™ we will also see new numbers. Niccolò Antonelli, Pedro Acosta and Ana Carrasco were in similar situations to Di Giannantonio with their preferred numbers already taken. They’ve chosen 28, 51 and 22 respectively, while Aron Canet will wear 40 at the front of his bike from now on.
There’s no shortage of novelties ahead of 2022. It’s going to be bigger and better than ever, and you won’t want to miss a single second of all the fun. The Qatar GP is first up on March 6th and we cannot wait!
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Moto2™: Flexbox HP40 (Aron Canet/ Jorge Navarro), Speed Up Racing (Romano Fenati/Fermín Aldeguer), RW Racing GP (Barry Baltus / Zonta Van den Goorbergh), American Racing (Cameron Beaubier/Sean Dylan Kelly), Idemitsu Honda Team Asia (Ai Ogura/ Somkiat Chantra), GASGAS Aspar Team (Albert Arenas/Jake Dixon), Mooney VR46 Racing Team (Celestino Vietti/Niccolo Antonelli), Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team (Keminth Kubo/Manuel Gonzalez), Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Gabriel Rodrigo/Bo Bendsneyder), Gresini Racing Moto2™ (Alessandro Zaccone/Filip Salac), Red Bull KTM Ajo (Pedro Acosta/Augusto Fernandez), Italtrans Racing Team (Lorenzo Dalla Porta/Joe Roberts).
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