Suzuki Motorcycles Australia has addressed its decision to withdraw factory involvement with Team Suzuki Ecstar in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) from 2020.
Suzuki has since released a statement regarding the decision to step away from the ASBK paddock with a factory presence, indicating a change in marketing strategy will see it focus on a broader range of motorcycle sectors.
“The racing program was created just days after the world launch of the all-new GSX-R1000 in February 2017 at Phillip Island to reinforce Suzuki’s philosophy of ‘Own the Racetrack’,” part of the statement read. “A challenge was set to win the Australian Superbike Championship.”
“Fast-track [to] 2020, Suzuki Australia will look at new marketing programs that reach our customers. Australia and global western markets show two key growth segments for Suzuki’s large capacity road motorcycles being naked bikes and adventure bikes, thus Suzuki Motor Corporation is producing exciting new models such as the KATANA and V-Strom 1050.”
Team Suzuki Ecstar debuted in 2017 as a single bike program with Josh Waters aboard the then-new GSX-R1000, going on to clinch his third-career championship that season. Last year saw the team expand to two riders with Waters joined by Mark Chiodo, before this year it was Maxwell, Waters and satellite rider Alex Phillis who formed the squad.
Waters and Maxwell initially signed two-year deals with Suzuki at the beginning of this season, however, the pair will now be seeking new seats to remain in the championship for 2020.
A head-knock from a heat race crash is what denied Kyle Webster of starting in the SX2 main events at the 2019 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland, as Racesafe declared him unfit to continue.
It looked to be a promising night for the Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing rider, who qualified second fastest and led majority of his heat race before crashing heavily in a rhythm section.
He remounted and finished the outing in sixth, however a medical evaluation post-race deemed the impact too severe to continue racing.
“Qualifying in the afternoon was really good and I posted second fastest time, just 0.02 seconds behind Chris Blose,” said Webster.
“The heat race was going great and I was leading, but then I came up short on one of the jumps in a rhythm section and I hit my head hard enough that Racesafe said I had to sit out the rest of the night.”
It’s been a tough month for Webster, who was forced to miss round two of the Australian Supercross Championship in Port Adelaide after suffering partially collapsed lungs in a training crash.
It was an emotional send-off for Repsol Honda’s Jorge Lorenzo at Valencia’s final round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship yesterday, the Spaniard completing his last race in the sport with a P13 result.
After 297 grand prix starts, Lorenzo’s marked the end of his legendary MotoGP career with his best finish since returning from injury.
The five-time world champion completes his career 68 wins, 152 podiums and 69 poles, and bows out with some the most impressive stats to his name in grand prix history.
“Today was a special day,” Lorenzo reflected. “On the grid I had a very different feeling to all my other races and certainly in the opening laps I was more cautious than other races because the conditions were very difficult and I wanted to finish my last race.
“I focused mostly on myself in the race and I am pleased to end with some points certainly. It is great to help the Repsol Honda Team win the Team Championship after an unbelievable season from Marc. I want to say thank you to all of Honda as they have treated me with the utmost respect and professionalism. I wish them all the best for the future.”
It’s still unclear who will take up Lorenzo’s vacant seat at Repsol Honda in 2020, with Moto2 world champion Alex Marquez tipped as the favourite, while Johann Zarco and Cal Crutchlow have been linked to the role.
Brett Metcalfe has described racing against the likes of Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) at the Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland as nostalgic, his breakthrough podium finish alongside the American import ‘taking him back’ to his time in AMA Supercross.
The Penrite Honda Racing challenger was impressive all night long, leading a portion of main event one before going onto record a 2-5-3 scorecard for third overall.
The podium, which marks Metcalfe’s first of the series, comes as a timely boost for the South Australian after experiencing a pair of admittedly challenging appearances at Port Adelaide and Wollongong.
“It was good – the first round of this series went good for me, then I had a big crash at Adelaide which took the wind out of my sails,” Metcalfe explained. “It’s nice that the body is feeling better, I’m feeling good and having some good rides. It was fun.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the States – that first race I was leading, and Jason [Anderson] came by me, and just to get a smell of that race gas – oh man, it took me back to the AMA days. I’m like ‘yeah this is good, riding with one of the best guys in the world right now – this is awesome’.
“I was having a good time – I struggled a bit in the whoops and lost a couple of spots there. Luke [Clout] is riding great this year and the competition’s deep here, especially with the injection of Jason, Joey [Savatgy] and Chad [Reed]. It’s just good vibes riding at the front.”
Metcalfe sits fourth in the championship standings, eight points shy of third’s Dan Reardon (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy).
Pramac Racing contender records fifth podium of the season in Spain.
Image: Supplied.
Australian Jack Miller has declared his podium result at Valencia’s MotoGP World Championship finale as his ‘best race to date’.
The Pramac Racing ace, who started on the front row in P3, charged to a thrilling third in the 27-lap encounter for his fifth appearance on the rostrum this year.
“I think I made up for last week in Malaysia when I faded to the back,” said Miller post-race. “I think this is my best race to date – [I was] consistent and stayed there. I was chasing Fabio, I had a few mistakes in the centre part of the race, and then I started coming back towards him.
“I felt like I got a second wind there for a bit as I had more grip on the tyres. It was an amazing race by both those two- flawless – all of us just out there hammering along. It was a long but fun race, they go quickly when you’re constantly chasing someone. It was awesome.”
It’s been an incredible 2019 season for Miller, earning his first podium in three years, making five for the year and six in his career following the final round in Spain yesterday.
“A perfect end to a perfect season with the victory! I put a little extra pressure on myself with the gold helmet, so I needed to be extra smart! We did exactly what we wanted to do and won the Team Championship, taking the Triple Crown in this amazing season. Always the Riders Championship is the first objective, but I was happy to help win the Team Championship, not just for them but also for Jorge who has been a great champion, a hard rival and a great teammate. It will be difficult to improve on this year because we rode in a perfect way.”
Marc Marquez – Image AJRN
Fabio Quartararo – P2
“I knew yesterday that Marc was going to be really strong, but if we couldn’t win then I would have been happy with second – and being the first Yamaha is a nice bonus too. We weren’t so far from the victory, so I can be very proud of the result. It’s an amazing end to the season. In 2018, a lot of people told me that I didn’t deserve a seat in MotoGP and that I wasn’t ready for it – but I think now with seven podiums and six pole positions I can show them they were wrong! I’m so happy with the entire year and it’s something the whole team should be proud of.”
Fabio Quartararo – Image AJRN
Jack Miller – P3
“To finish on the podium today is an amazing way to wrap up my MotoGP season! We had 5 Podiums this year which is more than I’ve ever had in one season, but today in Valencia would have to be one of the best podiums yet, it was a fast and furious race the entire way! This weekend really caps off what I’ve been pushing so hard to accomplish this year, from the first session to the last putting in the work with the Pramac Racing boys and today we really showed how important that is with this result. Another memorable weekend and year, I can’t thank everyone enough for all the support!”
Jack Miller with mum Sonya – Image AJRN
Andrea Dovizioso – P4
“All in all I’m happy with our speed in the race: our pace was very constant and in the end the gap to Marquez wasn’t very big. I tried to catch Miller for third but he was riding very well and was quicker than me in several places, so he deserved the podium. I’m satisfied with the way we finished the season because both at Sepang and here at Valencia we were fast. We have confirmed a solid second place, unfortunately with a very big gap from Marquez in the standings, but also with a large gap over the third-placed rider, despite two zeros at Barcelona and Silverstone that were not our fault”.
Andrea Dovizioso – Image AJRN
Alex Rins – P5
“For sure, this year has been really good, I was fighting for 3rd in the championship. I tried hard today to take back 3rd in the standings, and I was able to beat Viñales who was my nearest rival for that. I was battling with Dovizioso right up to finish line, but it was very difficult to pass him. Let’s keep working and prepare for the new season!”
Alex Rins – Image AJRN
Maverick Viñales – P6
“Actually, my main objective was to try to be third in the championship. We did it today, we forgot a bit about being on the podium or winning. My objective was to finish the race well. It was a difficult race, I struggled a lot with the rear grip, which happens sometimes for us and today again, so we have to check that. Today I was very concentrated on finishing close to Rins and trying to get the maximum points. I’m very pleased to be the first Yamaha and to be inside the top 3 again. I can’t wait to test the new bike. We face this new test season with a lot of motivation, a lot of enthusiasm, and that is the most important. We have very important tests coming up here and in Jerez, and I feel great on the bike. So, we need to create a good atmosphere again and keep challenging, because I think with Yamaha we can do a really good job this winter and prepare for next year.”
Maverick Vinales – Image AJRN
Joan Mir – P7
“This race was a bit frustrating for me, because I couldn’t find the same feeling as I had during the practices. It was a shame, but I was still able to fight well, and I was close to the Top 5 and close to riders who have won races this year. I thought I had something more to offer in this race, but I’m happy regardless. This rookie year has been really nice, and I’m looking forward to next year already. I’m very excited for the test next week too.”
Joan Mir – Image AJRN
Valentino Rossi – P8
“More than with the weather we struggled with the grip. This has happened to us before, earlier this year. I didn’t have enough rear grip and after some laps I had to slow down because my tyre lost a lot of performance. In the second half of the season we suffered a lot from this and at the end we were not able to fix it. Today was more or less the same, so we have to work from next Tuesday to start the new season well. We have two important tests here in Valencia and in Jerez before the end of the year. We hope we’ll have good weather and we’ll try to improve. We’ll have some new stuff from Yamaha, and also in the team we’ll have a new Crew Chief. These tests will also be important for us to understand how to work, and we’ll try to return stronger next year.”
Valentino Rossi – Image AJRN
Aleix Espargaro – P9
“After a weekend with a lot of crashes, I was very cautious in the race. Finishing this long season well was important and I am pleased that I managed to do that. The track conditions were very treacherous today too. I saw other riders ahead of me crash as soon as they tried to increase the pace. Overall, finishing in the top ten is a good result for me and for the guys on the team who have worked hard all season.”
Aleix Espargaro – Image AJRN
Pol Espargaro – P10
“It was not a race like we wanted today. We were missing a lot of grip, traction and turning. We have been faster this year than 2017 in the qualifying, even with my ‘highside’ we were faster on one lap and that’s fantastic because we have gained a lot in stopping but we are struggling a lot on the grip side. The year has finished and we took 100 points in the championship, which is not bad, 11th position and it was not a bad season but we need to improve for 2020. We did three good years but next year it should be better, it must be better. We need to fight for that top six-seven in the championship constantly and be more consistent.”
Pol Espargaro – Image AJRN
Tito Rabat – P11
“It was a good race in general, we got some points as we finished 11th so I am happy and eager to start working for the 2020 season”.
Tito Rabat
Mika Kallio – P12
“Yesterday I said I needed to collect some points and we managed to do it but there was some help from other guys crashing in front of me so I’m still not that satisfied with 12th position. I could not feel the grip from the tyres today. I want to say thanks to KTM for letting me ride these six races. It was a nice journey but not as successful as I wanted it to be. Anyway I enjoyed it and we got some points today. The atmosphere was there all the time and that was nice.”
Mika Kallio – Image AJRN
Jorge Lorenzo – P13
“Today was a special day. On the grid I had a very different feeling to all my other races and certainly in the opening laps I was more cautious than other races because the conditions were very difficult and I wanted to finish my last race. I focused mostly on myself in the race and I am pleased to end with some points certainly. It is great to help the Repsol Honda Team win the Teams Championship after an unbelievable season from Marc. I want to say thank you to all of Honda as they have treated me with the utmost respect and professionalism. I wish them all the best for the future.”
Jorge Lorenzo – Image AJRN
Karel Abraham – P14
“It’s good to get these 2 points after suffering some technical problems specially in the first corner, that made my lose a lot of time in the beginning. I lost positions and I had to push to arrive to the top riders. From there on, I made a lonely race, I gave my best but Lorenzo was too far in front and Syahrin was too far behind so it was a difficult race to manage but at least I got two points”.
Karel Abraham – Image AJRN
Hafizh Syahrin – P15
“2019 is done, I’m really, really sorry to my team, especially my crew, because they were pushing so hard, but for me it was very difficult to find the rhythm to be consistent compared to my first year in MotoGP. I can only say I’m sorry, I tried my best! This race was very slow for me. One point is better than nothing in the end, but we were hoping for a lot better race pace. Anyway, thank you to everybody to support me and believe in me and also especially Hervé for giving me this opportunity for two years. I will try to come back stronger, so this is part of my journey now. Hervé built up my experience and my confidence. I just wish all the best to the team! I will miss this family! Thank you very much also to KTM for trusting in me, I’m sorry, that I couldn’t show my best this season.”
Hafizh Syahrin – Image AJRN
Andrea Iannone – DNF
“I am rather happy with the race today. In spite of starting from very far back, I was able to recover a lot of positions and engage in a fun battle with my teammate for the top ten. Compared to yesterday and Friday, we were able to find a good pace, although the front tyre temperature dropped quickly when I was leading the group. In the direction change between turn 9 and 10, I pushed a bit harder to defend my position and I crashed. It’s a pity about the final result, but we had a good race all the way down to the last lap.”
Andrea Iannone – Image AJRN
Franco Morbidelli – DNF
“The crash is a pity because I was feeling fast in the race and I was rapidly catching the guys in front of me. Sometimes without someone in front of you to help with the wind, your front tyre temperature can get very cold. I knew it was happening and I had two choices; to stop pushing and drop back, or to push and hope it warmed up again – and unfortunately I reached turn four and crashed like I had just left the pits. I was aiming for the podium as I was hunting down the guys in front, and the positive from the weekend is that we were feeling capable of being in the top three.”
Franco Morbidelli – Image AJRN
Cal Crutchlow – DNF
“I feel ok. It was disappointing to crash here in the race in the last round in Valencia. Ironically, I felt quite good in the race, but I braked a bit late going into turn one and went into a dirty part of the track. I nearly saved the bike, but didn’t quite manage to and so now we’ll see what tomorrow brings. I’m looking forward to the test, I don’t know what the full testing schedule is yet, but we’ll be trying to improve the bike for next year”.
Cal Crutchlow – Image AJRN
Johann Zarco – DNF
“I’m ok, I think the injury could have been worse. It was a difficult race. I knew it was going to be a long race, so I thought that with a used tyre maybe I would have the right pace. Thankfully I was around the tenth position which was good. After overtaking Pol Espargaro I tried to get a better pace, I saw (Danilo) Petrucci crash and I don’t know if I lost a bit of focus because a little bit later I also crashed in the corner. I was sliding and thinking it was a shame I’d lost the race, and I didn’t check on the bike and then the bike of (Iker) Lecuona totally took me away. I had big pain on the left ankle and I was scared, but now it’s not so bad as there are no broken bones. We’ll have to do some more tests tomorrow, but it’s ok I think. It’s a shame to finish the season in that way.”
Johann Zarco – Image AJRN
Danilo Petrucci – DNF
“That was really a pity, because it was an important race for the team. Unfortunately, at the start the launch control failed to engage so I lost a lot of positions right away. I was making up places over the next few laps, and my pace was really good, but unfortunately after passing Rossi I crashed without understanding the reason why. I feel bad about ending the championship in this way, but in any case it is still the best season in my career in MotoGP: I know I must still improve in a number of different areas but now I can’t wait for the new season to start”.
Danilo Petrucci – Image AJRN
Michele Pirro – DNF
“For sure it wasn’t a positive Sunday for us: my race was ruined right from the start when I didn’t feel well. Already on the sighting lap I had a drop in my blood pressure and when I started the race I felt sick, so I decided to return to the pits and pull in. I’m disappointed because my target was to finish in the top 10 and I felt I could have achieved it and maybe do even better. Unfortunately, that’s the way things went, we’ll try again next year”.
Michele Pirro – Image AJRN
Iker Lecuona – DNF
“I feel sorry for the team because I crashed. I didn’t want to finish this weekend like this, as it was amazing! First, it was my first race in MotoGP and second because I was fast all the weekend with the team, that helped me a lot, so thanks for all the good work! I crashed, honestly, I don’t know what happened, because I didn’t brake later or changed the line, but first Petrucci crashed in this corner, then Zarco on the same place and behind it was me. I don’t know what happened, but I’m happy to stay here. I’m just sorry for the team for it! Now we continue working for next year!”
Iker Lecuona – Image AJRN
Team Managers
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“It was a very challenging race day for us here in Valencia. Maverick and Valentino made the most of a tough GP. It’s difficult to understand why we had a problem with rear tyre grip with both riders, because this didn’t occur in the other cold sessions, including the Warm Up. It‘s a shame, because we had really hoped to end the season on a high note and today‘s results aren‘t very exciting. That said, the effort our riders put in was not in vain: Maverick and the team maintained their third place in the championship rankings. We should also give credit to Fabio, because his second place today helped Yamaha earn second place in the championship standings, the result of a Yamaha-family effort. It‘s quite the achievement, especially considering that Petronas SRT is a new team, Fabio a rookie rider, and Franky new to Yamaha. Despite facing difficulties this season, we have kept our work mentality and fighting spirit high. However, we would have liked to end the season closer to the front in this race, so we can‘t afford to linger during the crucial Valencia Test that starts this Tuesday.”
Valentino Rossi and Cal Crutchlow – Image AJRN
Wilco Zeelenberg – Petronas SRT Team Manager
“It’s been an incredible season, with seven podiums, Rookie of the Year, Independent Team and Rider – all the items on our wishlist. I’m very proud to say what we’ve achieved, not only with Fabio and Franco but with the entire team. If you look over the year, there were no human error mistakes at a single race and for a rookie team, that’s incredible. We’re over the moon to finish the season with second place in Valencia. Our focus is already on testing, and 2020 will be very interesting!”
Fabio Quartararo – Image AJRN
Razlan Razali – Petronas SRT Team Principal
“What a weekend it was in Valencia! Unfortunately, it was a disappointing result in Moto3 as we struggled for pace all weekend and both John and Ayumu had tough races. John ended his season fifth in the rider standings and we’re fifth as a team which is the best we’ve achieved in Moto3. Our sights were a little higher, but we have a very strong basis for John and Khairul Idham Pawi for next year. We bid Ayumu a fond farewell, and look forward to seeing him in a new uniform next season. Adam gained more experience in Moto2 and continues to climb a steep learning curve. The last seven races have been invaluable to him and perfect preparation for CEV next year. Beyond that, we’d love to be able to welcome Adam back for a ride in the future. We’re really excited to test with Jake Dixon and Xavi Vierge for the first time later this week. We’re looking forward to some very strong performances from them next season. In MotoGP we’re yet to get the elusive win, but taking second again is a very good result all things considered! It was an unfortunate end to the race for Franco after showing so well throughout the year, but we believe that he can have a very strong season in 2020. We’ve come out of our rookie season with best Independent Team, top Independent Rider, Rookie of the Year and a fantastic fourth in the overall team standings. We also helped Yamaha to take second in the constructors’ award, which is great. 2020 will be a challenging year again, and the target will be to be on the podium every weekend. We all know what we need to do and we’re looking forward to the new challenge starting on Tuesday at the test.”
Joan Mir – Image AJRN
Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager
“This last race wasn’t bad, and both riders finished in good positions, with Alex fighting for the Top 3 at times. It’s a pity we couldn’t end the season with another podium, but I want to thank both the riders, and the entire team, for all the great results we’ve had together this year. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we have a test, and we’ll be trying the latest version of the engine and we will mostly concentrate on that.”
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager
“We’re pleased about our results today. Alex was up with the top group and very close to the podium, but it was difficult to get into the Top 3 and he gave the maximum, still managing 5th. It’s another important and strong finish for us. Joan made a lot of progress this year, and that is very exciting for 2020. We’re looking forward to continuing this advancement with him..”
Iker Lecuona – Image AJRN
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“It has been a long season but with some highlights for us. Pol’s result of 10th was our tenth top ten finish of the year and eleventh in the championship is good, very good actually, and the first time we managed to get three digits for points. Pol made a great season and the team did a good job all year, even if it was a difficult race today and hard conditions. It is tough to make Q2 and we did it fourteen times: this is an indicator that our package becomes more and more competitive and we are playing more and more in the top ten. We have to say thanks to Mika; he managed to get into the points and did these last six races for us. On the Tech3 side Iker did a great job through all the sessions and not crashing in difficult conditions. He made his first race experience and did good lap-times. It will be an experience he can take into the winter and he will be focussed for next year. Hafizh is leaving so thanks for all his effort he did this year. We wish him all the best in the Moto2 and Brad comes the other way and we’re excited to start our project with him. From Tuesday the new season starts and we are looking forward to it already.”
Iker Lecuona – Image AJRN
Hervé Poncharal – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager
“Just one word: what a shame! What a shame, because Iker did a more than perfect weekend until he went on that part of the track, that was greasy or with some oil, where these guys crashed without any warning. I don’t know what to say. It was the end of a perfect weekend, the lap times were unbelievable. He could have almost ended up in the top 10, but anyway, you need to finish a race before talking about results. But what he showed today and the whole weekend is, that Iker is a great talent, he is for sure going to be a very, very strong MotoGP rider in the near future. The good news is, that he’s got a lot of laps under his belt now before we start the proper 2020 testing on Tuesday here in Valencia. Let’s look at what’s going to happen soon. We are now in 2020, it was not an easy year, but I think the journey was interesting together with KTM. One year ago, there was the first touch of the bike and I think we made a lot of progress, which people sometimes don’t really see and realize. We missed Miguel this weekend, although we were happy to have him physically with us. We wish to have him back as soon as possible back with us. I want to say a big thank you to Hafizh Syahrin. It was not an easy season for him, but he was always full of joy, he was a very positive and constructive rider. I wish him the best of luck for 2020! There is also something, that I would like to mention before we finish; apparently from Tuesday we will have Dani Pedrosa on Miguel’s side, because Miguel is not fit to ride and this is something that is going to be very, very interesting and it’s a great honor to have a legend like Dani working with us. I believe we will do a great job and hopefully enjoy a fruitful collaboration. So, thanks to the whole team, thanks to Red Bull, thanks to KTM, thanks to Elf, thanks to Hafizh, Miguel and of course Iker! Try to celebrate and enjoy tonight before we start 2020!”
Iker Lecuona – Image AJRN
Piero Taramasso – Michelin
“That has drawn 2019 to a close and what an extraordinary weekend to finish with. The temperatures were so cold here this weekend, the tyres had to work very hard to generate enough heat to give the riders the grip they needed and they did this extremely well. We saw all rear compounds used in today’s race and although only the front medium was used, all three were still a raceable option, so we produced a range to meet the demands of this difficult circuit and the demanding winter conditions we experienced, even though we had to choose the allocation as far back as March! I want to thank all the Michelin team for the hard-work and dedication this season, we have had a very successful season with many new records set – including two today – and are already looking forward to 2020. We now begin preparations for 2020 with a two-day test here at Valencia, before moving to Jerez next week. We still have a lot to evaluate before we make a final decision on the new rear construction for next season, so hopefully we will have some good weather so we can get some valuable data collected. We will also be starting to assess a new construction for the front which we hope to introduce in 2021.Congratulations to Matteo Ferrari on becoming the inaugural MotoE World Cup Winner, the races have proved very popular and provided exciting racing. It is an honour for Michelin to be involved in the field of sustainable energy racing and we are extremely pleased with the performance the Michelin Slick MotoE have given the riders this year.Today also saw the last race for Jorge Lorenzo, he provided us with some very high points during his time using Michelin tyres, On behalf of everyone at Michelin, I would like to thank him for his input and dedication and wish him all best in his retirement.”
Sunday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana bid farewell to 2019 with another three awesome races to close out the season, and in the evening the FIM Awards ceremony brought the curtain down on the year – with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) taking centre stage.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta (L) with the premier class top three and FIM President Jorge Viegas
Marquez more than most was in the spotlight as he received his MotoGP World Champion trophy after another season of record-breaking and an eighth world title.
Marc Marquez
The 2019 Awards were hosted by Gavin Emmett and Marina Lorenzo, with Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and FIM President Jorge Viegas in attendance to present the range of awards throughout the evening to all the winners this season.
Maverick Vinales
Youngest ever eight-time World Champion Marquez took top billing as he received his record-breaking MotoGP trophy, along with his brother, Moto2 World Champion Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), and Moto3 World Champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) after their incredible seasons.
The three Champions on their three winning machines
The top three in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup inaugural year were also honoured, with Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE), joined by runner Up Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) and Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing).
MotoE
The top Independent Team rider title went to Fabio Quartararo (Petonas Yamaha SRT) after another stunning podium for the rookie earlier in the day, and this year’s MotoGP Rookie of the Year award was also presented to the Frenchman.
In Moto2, MB Conveyors Speed Up’s Fabio Di Giannantonio was crowned Rookie of the Year, with Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) taking that honour in Moto3.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta: Moto3 Champion
The BMW M Award for best qualifier in the MotoGP class went to Marquez for the seventh year in a row, the Repsol Honda Team picked up the MotoGP Team world title trophy, and Honda took the MotoGP Constructor Title in the premier class. Kalex came out on top in Moto2, and Honda in Moto3.
The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner Carlos Tatay, Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion Sho Nishumura, and British Talent Cup Champion Scott Ogden were also applauded for their seasons, as were the top three in the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship: Champion Jeremy Alcoba, Tatay once again and impressive rookie Xavier Artigas – fresh from a first ever Grand Prix podium earlier in the day after a stunning Moto3 race.
Daniel Sanders says capturing outright victory at the 2019 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Portugal has ticked off the biggest goal in his career.
The Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team rider, who assisted Team Australia to second in the World Trophy standings, dominated the week-long event, remaining on top of the outright and E3 classification for the full six days.
“[I’m] so over the moon, this is the biggest goal I’ve wanted to tick off in my career,” Sanders commented. “All the best riders in the world were there and I came out on top! So many people to thank who have helped made this happen.
“It has been a hectic week here at the ISDE and we gave it our all as a team. Although we didn’t reclaim the World Trophy, we can be proud of second place and there’s always next year to come out swinging. I am so happy to claim the individual outright ISDE championship, it’s been a big year for me and I’m now looking forward to some off-season downtime before a big 2020.”
It’s been an incredible year for Sanders, the popular Victorian claiming the E3 and unofficial outright titles in the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC), and now being crowned ISDE outright champion.
American Rockstar Husqvarna factory racer Jason Anderson kicked his 2020 pre-season into overdrive with a convincing win at the opening SX-Open event of 2019. The event was also the fourth round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship.
Jason Anderson
Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium hosted a wild night of racing across both classes. The Triple Challenge format along with the ‘joker lane’ providing some great action on track and some extraordinary results.
Jason Anderson
With riders only able to take the Joker lane once, over the three-race final format, a lane that cut a good five-seconds off the total lap time, strategy proved crucial when it came down to the final results for the night.
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson in the SX1 class and Raceline Motorsports KTM’s Joshua Osby in SX2 showing they had both the speed and the strategy to lift the number one plates in New Zealand.
SX1 Qualifying
Penrite Honda Factory Racing’s Justin Brayton, the SX1 championship leader by three points heading into round four, fired the first shots in his championship battle with CDR Yamaha’s Luke Clout and Daniel Reardon, topping timed qualifying with the fastest lap time of 47.541 seconds on a full-sized and technical supercross track.
Justin Brayton
Reardon who vowed coming into this round that he would be more intense and lay it on the line for the title stayed good to his word, qualifying second fasters, with Anderson back in third and Clout 4th fastest.
Luke Clout
Josh Hill ensured the Monster Energy CDR Yamaha was again well represented up the front, posting the 5th fastest time ahead of fellow American Joey Savatgy who was in just his second outing for the JGR Suzuki racing team.
Joey Savatgy
Chad Reed was suffering the effects of two broken ribs and qualified down in 13th position aboard his Penrite Honda backed CRF450R.
Chad Reed
When the top six riders rolled back on track for Superpole, Anderson showed his true class, dropping the fastest lap down to 47.005 seconds, edging out Brayton who was able to drop his fastest lap time by over two-tenths of a second, but was not able to match the speed of Anderson.
Jason Anderson
The CDR Yamaha trio of Clout, Reardon and Hill, claimed positions 3rd to 5th, with Savatgy not improving his position from regular qualifying finishing Superpole in 6th.
SX1 HEAT 1
With only 18 riders lining up in the SX1 class for the night, the Heat races were all about gate pick with every rider guaranteed a spot in the night’s main event.
Luke Clout
In the opening heat, it was SB Motorsports Suzuki Ecstar’s Jayden Rykers who picked up the Knobby Underwear holeshot but was quickly swallowed up by Clout as the Australian set the tone for his night early.
Reardon settled himself into second position, while Rockstar Honda backed Jackson Richardson who has suffered crashes at the opening three rounds of the championship looked to turn his series around running in third position just ahead of Penrite Honda Factory racing’s Brett Metcalfe and Savatgy.
Brett Metcalfe
While Reardon tried everything to steal the lead away from his team-mate, Clout held firm, holding on to win the opening SX1 heat narrowly from Reardon, with Savatgy working his way past both Richardson then Metcalfe to finish 3rd.
SX1 HEAT 2
Once again proving the Suzuki RM-Z450 is no slouch, Cody Dyce on a borrowed stock bike pulled the holeshot for the SB Motorsports ECSTAR Suzuki race team, with Hill hot on his tail.
Cody Dyce
By the end of the opening lap, Hill moved his way into first position ahead of Anderson and Brayton, while Dyce clung on to 4th spot as he looked to repeat his success from round three the weekend before.
After leading the opening four laps, Hill succumbed to the pressure of Anderson, who went on to take the heat win, ahead of Hill and Brayton.
Josh Hill
Empire Kawasaki’s Lawson bopping made sure the head was not entirely an American affair, finishing 4th just ahead of Raceline Motorsports KTM’s American import Henry Miller.
Lawson Bopping
Chad Reed suffered a DNF after a small crash early in the race re-aggravated the pain he was suffering from broken ribs sustained while racing in Paris last weekend.
SX1 FINAL ONE
Metcalfe had been solid in the early sessions throughout the day but stepped up his game when the gates dropped on the first final, rocketing to the holeshot and leading the opening two laps from Anderson.
SX1
On lap three Anderson made the decisive move to the lead while the likes of Brayton and Clout who had a mid -ack starts and Savatgy who went down in the first lap worked hard to put themselves back into contention.
Yamalube Yamaha’s Richie Evans was the first rider to use the Sky City joker lane, using the advantage on lap five to elevate himself up to third position, before being shuffled back a few spots through the pack.
Up front Anderson held on for a comfortable win, while Metcalfe was able just to hold out his Honda team-mate Brayton for second with Clout making a late-race pass on his team-mate Reardon to finish in what would prove to be a vital 4th place.
Hill rounded out the top six, with none of the top six riders electing to use the Joker lane in the opening final.
SX1 FINAL TWO
Final 2 of the SX1 proved to be the highlight of the night as riders used speed and strategy, utilising the Joker lane to thrill the crowd in a race that went all the way down to the wire.
Miller was the first rider to lead the race, racing to the holeshot and leading out of the opening turn but was quickly relegated through the field with Hill moving to the front closely followed by Clout and Brayton on the opening lap.
Miller
Clout then worked his way by Hill to claim the lead, with Brayton holding down third, Metcalfe in 4th and Anderson back in 5th.
The very next lap Hill played his Joker card for the evening, opening up a considerable lead over the field and looked as though he could easily run away for the win, leading the next three laps.
Miller
Anderson who moved his way up to fourth position had different ideas, however, using his Joker to full effect and leapfrogging from 4th to 1st in one swoop claiming the lead with just a few laps remaining, while Clout moved his way back into second position, passing Hill for the second time in the race.
With just two laps remaining Clout pulled the trigger on a move that would play a part in not only the nights round result but also the overall championship standings, with the Yamaha rider launching through the Joker land and emerging with a narrow lead over a fast-charging Anderson.
Luke Clout
Despite Anderson closing up to his rear wheel, Clout held on to take the Victory, with Hill crossing the line in third just ahead of Brayton in 4th and Metcalfe in 5th. Joey Savatgy had his best final result of the night finishing 6th before going on to DNF in the last race of the night.
In a small blow for his own title hopes, Reardon finished back in 7th, just ahead of holeshot winner Miller in 8th.
SX1 FINAL THREE
The Joker lane once again played a huge role in the final race of the night after Metcalfe grabbed the holeshot and led 99 per cent of the opening lap before being passed over the finish line by Anderson.
Brett Metcalfe
Leading after the opening lap Anderson looked as though he could run away for an easy win; however, Brayton, Reardon, Bopping all had other ideas as all three riders played their joker card on lap two, relegating Anderson back to 4th.
Brayton now leading made a mistake that led to a small crash and another big turning point in this year’s championship as he picked his bike up and got going again in 6th position, just behind main championship rival Clout.
The following lap Metcalfe used the Sky City Joker land to move himself back up to second position behind Reardon but was soon passed by Anderson, who was utilising a big jump section through one of the Rhythm sections to take big chunks of time out of his opposition.
Jason Anderson
With three laps remaining Anderson re-claimed the race lead, taking both the final race win of the night and the round win. Reardon crossed the line in second position followed by Metcalfe, Clout, Brayton and Bopping in 6th.
Jason Anderson
SX1 Summary
After all was said and done it was Anderson who proved to be too quick, taking two wins and a second-place finish to round the night out on the top step of the podium.
Jason Anderson
“I’m stoked to grab the win here in Auckland; the racing was super intense tonight. It’s always a blast to come over here and race in front of these fans – I’ll look to keep the ball rolling come Melbourne,” commented Anderson.
Jason Anderson
Luke Clout with his 4-1-4 results done just enough to edge out Metcalfe by a single point for the round and with Brayton finishing back in 4th, Clout now takes over the lead in the championship standings by a single point over Brayton heading into the final round at Marvel Stadium on Saturday the 30th of November.
Luke Clout
Reardon maintains third in the championship and is still in championship contention sitting nine points behind Clout.
“I said to my brother this week; I’m back. There’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes that people haven’t seen, and for a while there I didn’t really even want to ride a dirt bike. I’ve got that passion back, and my eyes are back on the United States,” commented Clout.
Marc Marquez claimed victory number 12 of the season at Valencia’s MotoGP finale, making Repsol Honda Team Champions to add to his rider title and the constructors’ championship – the triple crown.
Teammate Jorge Lorenzo also scored points in his final MotoGP rider, with the five-time world champion bidding an emotional farewell to the sport. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), meanwhile, signed off with another impressive podium in second, and he pipped Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) to the title of top Independent Team rider as the Aussie followed him home in third.
Miller launched his Pramac Racing machine into the holeshot, with Marquez getting a sluggish getaway from the middle of the front row to drop down to P6, having run slightly wide at turn one. Polesitter Quartararo then grabbed the lead from Miller as the Australian ran wide at turn two, with the Frenchman quickly creating a small gap to his rivals.
Heading into turn one on lap two, Marquez was into P3 past the fast-starting duo of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), however, and it wouldn’t take the 2019 Champion long to pick off Miller as he locked his radar onto Quartararo.
The Rookie of the Year’s lead was 0.7s over Marquez, with the latter racing to an eight-tenths advantage over Miller. Marquez was creeping up to the back of the leading M1 slowly but surely, and on Lap 8 a surprise, late but super fine move at turn 11 saw the number 93 lead.
Suddenly third place Miller – with Dovizioso and Rins in tow – had closed the gap to less than half a second, the top five covered by 1.7s. However, Marquez was in the groove and the eight-time Champion had pulled to over half a second clear of Quartararo, with the gap hovering between 0.6s and 0.8s for a number of laps after.
Miller wasn’t letting Quartararo have P2 all his own way either, that margin was remaining at a second – enough to keep the number 20 on his toes. Everyone held firm before a tenth here and a tenth there saw Marquez stretch his advantage to one and a half seconds with six laps remaining, with Miller cutting the gap to Quartararo down by four tenths.
It was 0.6s, but was there a late twist for P2 inbound? Not quite, Miller didn’t have enough speed to catch the back of the M1 by the time the chequered flag was waved, with Marquez taking another 25-point haul to land Repsol Honda team the 2019 triple crown, Quartararo taking another podium and beating Miller to top Independent Team rider.
Dovizioso and Ducati’s aims of picking up the Teams title didn’t materialise in Valencia, but P4 was a solid result for the Italian who was comfortably best of the rest in 2019. Rins capped off a fine season by claiming P5 at his home Grand Prix, however it wasn’t enough to grab P3 in the championship from sixth place finisher Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – the Malaysian GP winner having a quiet final round of the season before jumping onto the 2020 Yamaha on Tuesday.
Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in seventh was a great way to round off a very solid rookie MotoGP campaign, the Spaniard ending 2019 with five consecutive top 10s after an impressive comeback from his testing crash at Brno. Valentino Rossi’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) P8 sees the nine-time world champion end the season P7 in the overall standings, with Aleix coming out on top in the battle of the Espargaro brothers – P9 for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), P10 for Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). That makes it all factories in the top 10.
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) all crashed at turn six, on lap 14, in separate incidents, although Lecuona was close behind Zarco and the Frenchman got flipped by the KTM. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also crashed – all riders ok.
On his final ever MotoGP ride, five-time world champion and future MotoGP Legend Jorge Lorenzo finished P13. It was an emotional day for the Spaniard who arrived back into pitlane to rapturous applause, with the Valencia fans paying their full respects to one of the sport’s greatest ever riders on his cool-down lap.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) leaves the intermediate class on a high after taking his fifth win of the year, and third in a row. The South African played his cards to perfection to out-duel his main rival for second overall, Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP), with the Swiss rider forced to settle for second on the day and third in the standings.
Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) completed the podium on true home turf, the Valencian taking his eighth podium of the year. Australian Remy Gardner (SAG Racing) was 15th.
Rookie Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) took a stunning maiden Moto3 victory on home turf, returning to a top step he knows well from the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship thanks to a last corner pass on Andrea Migno (Mugen Race).
A breakaway group of seven riders battled for victory after an initial red-flagged lightweight class race as wildcard Xavier Artigas claimed a phenomenal debut rostrum on board his Leopard Impala Junior Team machine.
After an incredible first season in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, we have our inaugural Cup winner: Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE). After taking P5 in race two at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, the Italian lifted the crown with an 11-point advantage over Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing), bringing an impressive season to a close with two wins out of six.
In the race on the day, Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) came out on top after a duel with the very same Smith, with Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) completing the podium.
