Tag Archives: Valentino Rossi

MotoGP readying to rock Rio | Argentina awaits

Round Two – Argentina – Termas de Rio Hondo


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
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 Preview Argentina Rnd
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
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 explodes after Argentina clash - Image by AJRN
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
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Lorenzo
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
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.

MotoGP Sepang Test Day Franco Morbidelli
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?

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Dovizioso
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.

MotoGP Rnd Qatar Qualifying Miller
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.

MotoGP Test Qatar Day alex rins
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.

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Zarco
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.

MotoGP 2019 Standings following Round 1

  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

MotoGP weekend schedule
Times in AEDT

Source: MCNews.com.au

MotoGP 2019 Season Preview

Sponsored post  (Photo by Rotatingmass, License)

February-April time is the traditional start to a number of racing series around the world, as the winter weather beginning to fade and race tracks becoming usable again. With this in mind, the 2019 MotoGP Season has just begun, with the first race of the season in Qatar. The season will run through to mid-November, with the final race being run in the Spanish city of Valencia on 17th November. These 9 months will see the riders and their teams travel to 16 different countries, over 19 races to battle it out for the MotoGP championship titles.

The 2019 MotoGP season will span all continents (except Antarctica), travelling as far south as Australia, as far west as Argentina, as far east as Japan and as far north as the Netherlands. The championship will also return to Thailand after the inaugural race in the country won “GP of the Year” in 2018.

Rider Lineup

With such a strong line up amongst the 22 MotoGP riders this year, it will be a closely-fought battle for the title. For those looking to wager on the outcome of these exciting 2019 races, Oddschecker provides a list of the main bookmakers with a number of bonus bets offers for new players. As always, the winter break has seen a number of rider changes, with promotions from the junior championships and existing riders moving between teams.

Jorge Lorenzo vs Marc Marquez

MotoGP 2019 Season Preview
Photo by Rotatingmass, License

The retirement of Spanish rider Daniel Pedrosa at the end of the 2018 season left a space at Repsol Honda; he will be replaced by 3-time MotoGP champion, and fellow Spaniard, Jorge Lorenzo. Although he only has 3 titles to his name, Lorenzo has also finished the season in second place on a further three occasions. With 47 wins to his name from 189 starts, he wins 25% of his races on average, so expect him to pick up a solid number of victories this year. Joining Repsol Honda, Lorenzo joins fellow Spanish rider Marc Marquez: between the two of them they have won 8 of the last 10 MotoGP world championships.

At just 26, Marc Marquez is one of the most successful motorbike racers in the world. He has won 5 world championships at the top MotoGP level, winning all but one titles between 2013 and 2018. The only year he didn’t win, 2015, he was beaten by his new teammate. Marquez has 44 wins from 109 starts, meaning he’s won around 40% of all his races. Based on the dominances that these two riders have shown in the last decade, expect sparks to fly as they battle it out to prove who is number 1.

Valentino Rossi

At 40 years of age, Rossi is one of the oldest riders on the grid. He holds 7 MotoGP titles, with only fellow Italian Giacomo Agostini holding 1 more title than him. Rossi is also the only rider in history to win at least one championship in four different classes (125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP). Since his dominant years in the 2000s, Rossi hasn’t won a title for a decade, although he did come second in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Whilst he certainly isn’t favourite to take the title this year, only a fool would count out Rossi this early on.

MotoE

2019 is set to be the inaugural season of the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. It is a new class of motorbike racing that uses motorcycles that are powered only by electric motors, making it the two wheeled equivalent to the FIA’s Formula E championship for single seater car racing. However, unlike Formula E, MotoE will follow the main MotoGP championship for five rounds in Europe, holding support races on the same weekend like Moto2 and Moto3. Unfortunately, a fire broke out at the Jerez race track in Spain during a test session, with all 18 bikes destroyed in the fire. Whilst MotoE has confirmed the championship will still begin in 2019, it has not yet announced a revised calendar as it is expected replacement bikes will not be ready in time for its planned first race on 5th May.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Wear a helmet just like Valentino Rossi

You can now wear an AGV helmet with exactly the same specifications as the one that nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi wore on the track in last year’s championship.

AGV Australia spokesman Don Nicholls of distributor Link International says the Valentino Rossi Replica Pista GP R Soleluna 2018 helmet has the same shell, visors, personalised liner, etc as Vale’s race helmet.

“The only difference is that his personal sponsors are removed from the graphics,” Don says.

“Out of interest , he wears a size MS Pista GP R.”Valentino Rossi Replica Pista GP R Soleluna 2018 helmet wear

Italian made

What’s more, this helmet is not another Chinese-made product.

The design, research and development of the helmet was carried out by AGV technicians at their headquarters in Molvena and it is made at AGV’s facility in Campodoro.

All Pista GP R helmets cost $1999 which is $300 more than the matte black model.Valentino Rossi Replica Pista GP R Soleluna 2018 helmet wear

Valentino Rossi and Aldo Drudi, the most famous graphic designer of the MotoGP, created a 1970s-inspired design for the 2018 season with linear shapes and large colour blocks.

The design is deliberately clean and simple, emphasising the Doctor’s famous sun and moon graphics.

Its paint scheme has been updated with a matte finish, also featured on the new Spoiler, and the carbon shell is visible on the chin guard.

Safety wear

Many racers in MotoGP and other world and national racing championships wear the AGV Pista GP R.

The shell shape is designed to maximise aerodynamic performance with the latest wind-tunnel-tested rear spoiler.

Developed under AGV’s “Extreme Standards” protocol, Pista GP R features a 100% carbon shell layered with a five-density EPS shell.

The lightweight structure exceeds the regulatory safety requirements and scores a five-star rating from the independent British certifying body, Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme (SHARP).

It includes MotoGP-derived innovations such as a removable hydration system with internal channels and a drinking valve inside the chin area.

There is an elastic tube at the back of the helmet which draws water from a hydration kit which you can wear as a backpack, or integrated into the aerodynamic hump in many modern racing leathers.

While most helmets only come in three sell sizes, this has four dedicated shell sizes and four internal EPS sizes to create a compact structure that minimises volume around the rider’s head.

It weighs just 1350g in the smallest shell size.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Dovizioso claims opening 2019 MotoGP win at Qatar

2019 MotoGP – Qatar Round 1

Andrea Dovizioso claims Qatar victory

Jack Miller a DNF – Remy Gardner P4 in Moto2


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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Dovi
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.”

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Dovizioso
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Marquez
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…

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Rins
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Marquez
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Crutchlow
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Fabio Quartararo
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Jack Miller
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 Qatar Rnd MotoGP Podium
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Lorenzo Baldassarri
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.

Qatar Test Moto Remy Gardner
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Moto Podium
Moto2 Podium 1) Baldassarri, 2) Luthi +0.026, 3) Schrotter +2.123 – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1

Qatar Moto2 Race Results

Pos Rider Nation Bike Time/Gap
1 Lorenzo Baldassarri ITA Kalex 39’56.109
2 Thomas Luthi SWI Kalex +0.026
3 Marcel Schrotter GER Kalex +2.123
4 Remy Gardner AUS Kalex +2.125
5 Augusto Fernandez SPA Kalex +2.305
6 Sam Lowes GBR Kalex +3.334
7 Alex Marquez SPA Kalex +5.018
8 Luca Marini ITA Kalex +7.336
9 Enea Bastianini ITA Kalex +12.949
10 Xavi Vierge SPA Kalex +13.865
11 Fabio Di Giannantonio ITA Speed Up +15.525
12 Brad Binder RSA KTM +16.591
13 Andrea Locatelli ITA Kalex +18.667
14 Jesko Raffin SWI NTS +18.916
15 Jorge Martin SPA KTM +22.771
16 Bo Bendsneyder NED NTS +22.822
17 Khairul Idham Pawi MAL Kalex +23.978
18 Dominique Aegerter SWI MV Agusta +26.904
19 Simone Corsi ITA Kalex +27.030
20 Stefano Manzi ITA MV Agusta +40.274
21 Lukas Tulovic GER KTM +43.003
22 Joe Roberts USA KTM +44.212
23 Philipp Oettl GER KTM +47.657
24 Dimas Ekky Pratama INA Kalex +57.596
25 Xavi Cardelus AND KTM +1’18.749
26 Marco Bezzecchi ITA KTM +1’35.817
Not Classified
/ Tetsuta Nagashima JPN Kalex 18 Laps
/ Jake Dixon GBR KTM 18 Laps
/ Somkiat Chantra THA Kalex 19 Laps
Not Finished 1st Lap
/ Jorge Navarro SPA Speed Up 0 Lap
/ Nicolo Bulega ITA Kalex 0 Lap
/ Iker Lecuona SPA KTM 0 Lap

Moto2 Championship Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Lorenzo Baldassarri Kalex ITA 25
2 Thomas Luthi Kalex SWI 20
3 Marcel Schrotter Kalex GER 16
4 Remy Gardner Kalex AUS 13
5 Augusto Fernandez Kalex SPA 11
6 Sam Lowes Kalex GBR 10
7 Alex Marquez Kalex SPA 9
8 Luca Marini Kalex ITA 8
9 Enea Bastianini Kalex ITA 7
10 Xavi Vierge Kalex SPA 6
11 Fabio Di Giannantonio Speed Up ITA 5
12 Brad Binder KTM RSA 4
13 Andrea Locatelli Kalex ITA 3
14 Jesko Raffin NTS SWI 2
15 Jorge Martin KTM SPA 1
16 Bo Bendsneyder NTS NED 0
17 Khairul Idham Pawi Kalex MAL 0
18 Dominique Aegerter MV Agusta SWI 0
19 Simone Corsi Kalex ITA 0
20 Stefano Manzi MV Agusta ITA 0
21 Lukas Tulovic KTM GER 0
22 Joe Roberts KTM USA 0
23 Philipp Oettl KTM GER 0
24 Dimas Ekky Pratama Kalex INA 0
25 Xavi Cardelus KTM AND 0
26 Marco Bezzecchi KTM ITA 0
27 Tetsuta Nagashima / JPN 0
28 Jake Dixon / GBR 0
29 Somkiat Chantra / THA 0
30 Jorge Navarro / SPA 0
31 Nicolo Bulega / ITA 0
32 Iker Lecuona / SPA 0

Moto3

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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Kaito Toba
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Moto Aron Canet
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.

MotoGP Qatar Rnd Moto Podium
Moto3 Podium 1) Kaito Toba, 2) Lorenzo Dalla +0.053, 3) Aron Canet +0.174 – Qatar MotoGP 2019 – Round 1

Qatar Moto3 Race Results

Pos Rider Nation Bike Time/Gap
1 Kaito Toba JPN Honda 38’08.887
2 Lorenzo Dalla Porta ITA Honda +0.053
3 Aron Canet SPA KTM +0.174
4 Marcos Ramirez SPA Honda +0.505
5 Celestino Vietti ITA KTM +0.584
6 Albert Arenas SPA KTM +0.818
7 Raul Fernandez SPA KTM +0.846
8 Niccolò Antonelli ITA Honda +0.850
9 Romano Fenati ITA Honda +0.890
10 Jakub Kornfeil CZE KTM +0.903
11 Ai Ogura JPN Honda +0.956
12 Alonso Lopez SPA Honda +1.755
13 John Mcphee GBR Honda +1.849
14 Andrea Migno ITA KTM +3.450
15 Gabriel Rodrigo ARG Honda +3.514
16 Tony Arbolino ITA Honda +4.201
17 Vicente Perez SPA KTM +4.267
18 Can Oncu TUR KTM +26.272
19 Kazuki Masaki JPN KTM +31.779
20 Ryusei Yamanaka JPN Honda +31.820
21 Filip Salac CZE KTM +31.943
22 Riccardo Rossi ITA Honda +31.979
23 Makar Yurchenko KAZ KTM +1’23.259
24 Tom Booth-Amos GBR KTM 3 Laps
Not Classified
/ Tatsuki Suzuki JPN Honda 14 Laps
/ Dennis Foggia ITA KTM 14 Laps
/ Darryn Binder RSA KTM 17 Laps
Not Finished 1st Lap
/ Ayumu Sasaki JPN Honda 0 Lap
/ Jaume Masia SPA KTM 0 Lap

Moto3 Championship Standings

Pos Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Kaito Toba Honda JPN 25
2 Lorenzo Dalla Porta Honda ITA 20
3 Aron Canet KTM SPA 16
4 Marcos Ramirez Honda SPA 13
5 Celestino Vietti KTM ITA 11
6 Albert Arenas KTM SPA 10
7 Raul Fernandez KTM SPA 9
8 Niccolò Antonelli Honda ITA 8
9 Romano Fenati Honda ITA 7
10 Jakub Kornfeil KTM CZE 6
11 Ai Ogura Honda JPN 5
12 Alonso Lopez Honda SPA 4
13 John Mcphee Honda GBR 3
14 Andrea Migno KTM ITA 2
15 Gabriel Rodrigo Honda ARG 1
16 Tony Arbolino Honda ITA 0
17 Vicente Perez KTM SPA 0
18 Can Oncu KTM TUR 0
19 Kazuki Masaki KTM JPN 0
20 Ryusei Yamanaka Honda JPN 0
21 Filip Salac KTM CZE 0
22 Riccardo Rossi Honda ITA 0
23 Makar Yurchenko KTM KAZ 0
24 Tom Booth-Amos KTM GBR 0
25 Tatsuki Suzuki / JPN 0
26 Dennis Foggia / ITA 0
27 Darryn Binder / RSA 0
28 Ayumu Sasaki / JPN 0
29 Jaume Masia / SPA 0

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorbike Racing Legends Past and Present

Who are the greatest rider legends of all time, and do you agree?

Motorcycle Hall of Fame: Top Riders of All Time

What criteria can be used to judge the greatest motorcycle racers of all time? The number of titles won is a start, but there are many more aspects to what makes a truly great rider. Style, skill, attitude and charisma are all part of what contributes to a riding legend. Motorcycle racing is one of the most exciting and high-octane sports to bet on, and luckily these days there are plenty of online odds offered on races.

Any list is subjective and open to debate, but here’s our breakdown of three of the most legendary and memorable riders, all of whom have more than earned their place in the motorcycle hall of fame.

1. Giacomo AgostiniGiacomo Agostini Ago AGV tribute helmet

Agostini – known as Ago – is a legend of motorcycle racing, having had a career ranging from rider firebrand to Formula 1, and a successful stint as a team manager. The Italian legend won his first title at the age of 21, and his career accelerated from there. Agostini was noted for winning no less than seven successive Isle of Man TT titles, and the same number of Ulster Grand Prix races, during a time that non-British riders were a huge rarity in these competitions. Ago remains unbeaten to this day.

Agostini went on to win prestigious races such as the Daytona 200 and 350cc World Championship, winning his final world championship in 1975. He later had a short career in Formula 1 and then a longer stretch as a team manager. His dominance on the circuit, coupled with his good looks and charm, have cemented his place as one of the greatest of all time.

2. Mike Hailwood

Mike Hailwood
Mike Hailwood

A contemporary and competitor of Ago, Mike the Bike will be remembered not only as one of the greatest riders of all time, but as a selfless hero. Hailwood won countless trophies, including no less than twelve Isle of Man TTs, but it is an event during his subsequent Formula 1 career that won him the George Medal for bravery. In 1973, after colliding with Clay Regazzoni, Hailwood ran back to pull his fellow driver from his burning car. Hailwood was tragically killed in a road traffic accident, along with one of his children, in 1981.

3. Valentino RossiValentino Rossi and Ducati get video games fans

Ago and Hailwood may be heroes of the past, but Rossi is still startlingly relevant, even at the age of forty. Loved just as much for his quirky and outgoing character as his stunning racing record, ‘The Doctor’ continues to entertain and enthral motorcycle racing fans across the globe.

As sports betting increases in popularity, many of us who play mobile casino games are branching out into placing wagers on our favourite sporting events. Online odds on Rossi and other bikers are available from some of the biggest and most reputable sportsbooks in the business. Rossi has a history of adversarial showdowns, most recently with Marc Marquez. Resources like https://mobile-casino.ca/odds can keep it interesting when sizing up the online odds.

Of course, there are (and have been) plenty more riding greats in the world of motorcycle racing. Kenny Roberts, representing the USA, and the great Australian Mick Doohan could easily have made it on to this list, amongst many others.

Ago and Mike the Bike both went into Formula 1 in their later years, and that seems to be a popular transition for many riders. Until fairly recently, fans who want to put money on racing outcomes would have to wait for their motorcycle heroes to make the jump. These days, anyone who is up to date with the best casino games odds can also find online odds for motorcycle races.

Rossi’s next season begins this month in Qatar, as the start of the 2019 MotoGP season. His Yamaha team mate is Maverick Viñales, who won best rookie award in the MotoGP class in 2015.

(Sponsored post)

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Qatar MotoGP Test Yamaha 1-2 | French teenager stars

2019 MotoGP
Qatar Test – Final Wrap


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.

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Maverick Vinales
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Maverick Vinales
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Rossi
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Quartararo
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Franco Morbidelli
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Marc Marquez
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Lorenzo
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Nakagami
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Crutchlow G
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Pol Espargaro
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Miguel Oliveira
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Zarco
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Hazifh Syahrin
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Petrucci
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Andrea Dovizioso
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Jack Miller AX
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Bagnaia
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day alex rins
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day joan mir
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Iannone
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

  1. VIÑALES, Maverick – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1:54.208
  2. QUARTARARO, Fabio – Petronas Yamaha SRT +0.233
  3. MARQUEZ, Marc – Repsol Honda Team +0.405
  4. ROSSI, Valentino – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +0.443
  5. LORENZO, Jorge – Repsol Honda Team +0.445
  6. MORBIDELLI, Franco – Petronas Yamaha SRT +0.452
  7. ESPARGARO, Pol – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.562
  8. NAKAGAMI, Takaaki – LCR Honda IDEMITSU +0.581
  9. PETRUCCI, Danilo – Mission Winnow Ducati +0.610
  10. MILLER, Jack – Alma Pramac Racing +0.643
  11. RINS, Alex – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR +0.644
  12. MIR, Joan – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR +0.789
  13. BAGNAIA, Francesco – Alma Pramac Racing +0.866
  14. RABAT, Tito – Reale Avintia Racing +1.021
  15. DOVIZIOSO, Andrea – Mission Winnow Ducati +1.025
  16. IANNONE, Andrea – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +1.135
  17. CRUTCHLOW, Cal – LCR Honda CASTROL +1.482
  18. OLIVEIRA, Miguel – Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +1.565
  19. ESPARGARO, Aleix – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +1.606
  20. SMITH, Bradley – Aprilia Factory Racing +1.864 0.258
  21. ABRAHAM, Karel – Reale Avintia Racing +1.913
  22. ZARCO, Johann – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.954
  23. SYAHRIN, Hafizh – Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +2.163

MotoGP Qatar Test 2019
Combined Classification

  1. Maverick VIÑALES Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1:54.208
  2. Fabio QUARTARARO Petronas Yamaha SRT 1:54.441 0.233
  3. Alex RINS Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1:54.593 0.385
  4. Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1:54.613 0.405
  5. Valentino ROSSI Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 1:54.651 0.443
  6. Jorge LORENZO Repsol Honda Team 1:54.653 0.445
  7. Franco MORBIDELLI Petronas Yamaha SRT 1:54.660 0.452
  8. Pol ESPARGARO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:54.770 0.562
  9. Takaaki NAKAGAMI LCR Honda IDEMITSU 1:54.789 0.581
  10. Danilo PETRUCCI Mission Winnow Ducati 1:54.818 0.610
  11. Jack MILLER Alma Pramac Racing 1:54.851 0.643
  12. Joan MIR Team SUZUKI ECSTAR 1:54.997 0.789
  13. Francesco BAGNAIA Alma Pramac Racing 1:55.074 0.866
  14. Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1:55.173 0.965
  15. Andrea DOVIZIOSO Mission Winnow Ducati 1:55.205 0.997
  16. Tito RABAT Reale Avintia Racing 1:55.229 1.021
  17. Cal CRUTCHLOW LCR Honda CASTROL 1:55.247 1.039
  18. Andrea IANNONE Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1:55.343 1.135
  19. Johann ZARCO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:55.716 1.508
  20. Miguel OLIVEIRA Red Bull KTM Tech 3 1:55.773 1.565
  21. Karel ABRAHAM Reale Avintia Racing 1:55.951 1.743
  22. Bradley SMITH Aprilia Factory Racing 1:56.072 1.864
  23. Hafizh SYAHRIN Red Bull KTM Tech 3 1:56.371 2.163

Source: MCNews.com.au

Alex Rins tops day two in Qatar from Vinales and Quartararo

2019 MotoGP
Qatar Test – Day Two


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.

MotoGP Test Qatar Day alex rins
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Suzuki Rins
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.”

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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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day joan mir
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Maverick Vinales
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Valentino Rossi
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Fabio Quartararo
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Franco Morbidelli
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.”

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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.”

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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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Jack Miller AX
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”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Pecco Bagnaia AX
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.”

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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.”

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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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Nakagami
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.”

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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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Aleix Espargaro
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Iannone
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Pol Espargaro
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Johann Zarco
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Miguel Oliveira
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.”

MotoGP Test Qatar Day Hazifh Syahrin
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

  1. RINS Alex – SPA – Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’54.593
  2. VINALES Maverick – SPA – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +0.057
  3. QUARTARARO Fabio – FRA – Petronas Yamaha SRT +0.315
  4. PETRUCCI Danilo – ITA – Mission Winnow Ducati +0.360
  5. MARQUEZ Marc – SPA – Repsol Honda Team +0.411
  6. ESPARGARO Aleix – SPA – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +0.580
  7. NAKAGAMI Takaaki – JPN – LCR Honda +0.582
  8. DOVIZIOSO Andrea – ITA – Mission Winnow Ducati +0.612
  9. CRUTCHLOW Cal – GBR – LCR Honda +0.654
  10. ESPARGARO Pol – SPA – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.662
  11. MIR Joan – SPA – Team Suzuki Ecstar +0.687
  12. MILLER Jack – AUS – Alma Pramac Racing +0.787
  13. MORBIDELLI Franco – ITA – Petronas Yamaha SRT +0.963
  14. ROSSI Valentino – ITA – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +1.011
  15. RABAT Tito – SPA – Reale Avintia Racing +1.068
  16. BAGNAIA Francesco – ITA – Alma Pramac Racing +1.087
  17. IANNONE Andrea – ITA – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +1.105
  18. ZARCO Johann – FRA – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.123
  19. LORENZO Jorge – SPA – Repsol Honda Team +1.149
  20. ABRAHAM Karel – CZE – Reale Avintia Racing +1.358
  21. OLIVEIRA Miguel – POR – Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +1.681
  22. SMITH Bradley – GBR – Aprilia Racing Test Team +2.273
  23. SYAHRIN Hafizh – MAL – Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +2.390

Source: MCNews.com.au

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP unveil 2019 livery

Rossi & Vinales introduce 2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP


The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team has revealed their 2019 colour scheme in Jakarta, Indonesia, with a theme of ‘Beast Mode On’ celebrating a new title sponsorship deal between Yamaha and Monster Energy, with the Sepang test to kick off shortly.

MotoGP Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team

Yamaha‘s newly named Factory Racing MotoGP team proudly presented its brand-new livery, that reflects Yamaha‘s long-term global alliance with the team‘s new title sponsor, Monster Energy Company.

The multiple year title sponsor agreement was signed last summer and Monster Energy sponsors multiple Yamaha teams (the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP team since 2013) and riders (including Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales) in various racing classes.

MotoGP Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team presentation

Monster Energy and Yamaha‘s mutual passion for racing was evident when the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team announced that they will be turning their “Beast Mode On” for the 2019 MotoGP World Championship challenge.

Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales soon joined the talk show. They made it clear that they can‘t wait to get back into action at the official 2019 IRTA MotoGP preseason test held in Sepang, Malaysia, in two days‘ time.

MotoGP Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Valentino Rossi – 2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team

Valentino is famously Yamaha‘s most successful rider. This will be his 14th season with the manufacturer since he first joined the factory team in 2004, and there is no sign of him slowing down. The nine-time World Champion is as eager as ever to score GP victories, as he enters a seventh consecutive year with Yamaha since his return in 2013.

Valentino Rossi

“The team presentation is always an event that I enjoy. It is the first time that we can show off our full package for the new season and, most importantly, this event signals that the start of the preseason is close! I‘ve taken a bit of time to relax and train these last couple of months, but, like the fans, I‘ve mostly been looking forward to starting the new season. The upcoming test in Sepang is very important, because it‘s the first opportunity for the team to get together to try everything Yamaha has been working on over the winter. Our performance improved towards the end of last season, but we want and need to make some more big steps, so we need to get to work. I‘m happy that Monster Energy is joining our team in a new role this year. They have been Yamaha‘s and my sponsor for a long time, so we know each other well and we share the same passion for racing, which is important. I‘m sincerely looking forward to the new season and to riding again, I want to get back aboard my M1! I feel as good and determined as ever, nothing changed in that area, and I believe that, with some hard work, we can improve upon last year and be back on top.”

MotoGP Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Valentino Rossi – 2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team

Maverick joined the Factory Yamaha crew in 2017 after gaining two years of experience in the premier class and was quick to make a name for himself. He ultimately took third place in the rider standings in his first season with Yamaha.

Though the 2018 season proved to be tough, the Spaniard kept his motivation high and won the race at Phillip Island. He finished the season in fourth place overall, just five points behind his teammate in third position.

MotoGP Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Maverick Vinales – 2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
Maverick Vinales

“We are here in Jakarta to start the new season. This year‘s team presentation was very special, because there are many changes compared to last year. The most noticeable of course are the new team colours and the bike livery. As soon as I saw it, I couldn‘t help but feel excited to start the new season. It will be a completely fresh start for all of us: new title sponsor, new team colours, and for me a new rider number. It all came together very nicely, so now all we have to do is get the preseason underway! The winter months were a good opportunity to prepare for 2019 season. I had some time to relax and reflect, but a good part was spent training, so I‘m ready to start riding my M1 again. We ended last year‘s season stronger than we started, so it will be important to keep that momentum going as we prepare for the first race in Qatar in April. Our first chance to see where we stand is at the Sepang Test in a few days‘ time. I‘m looking forward to it, because I have high expectations for this year. My motivation hasn‘t changed, and I plan on going all out this season – ’Beast Mode On‘!”

MotoGP Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Maverick Vinales – 2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team

Valentino and Maverick were given the honour of presenting the new livery and they proudly presented the 2019 Yamaha YZR-M1. Its colour scheme has completely changed, with the team‘s M1 sporting a ’Monster Energy black‘-to-’Yamaha Factory Racing blue‘ gradient, including subtle blue stripes.

Besides the prominent Monster Energy branding, the team is also pleased to announce that throughout the 2019 racing season the bike will continue to feature the slogans of Yamaha Indonesia Motor Manufacturing, Yamaha Motor Vietnam Co., Ltd., Yamaha Motor Philippines, Inc., and Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

MotoGP Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director

“First of all, I would like to apologise for not being able to attend the team launch event today. I would have liked to be there as it is a significant milestone – the team start a new journey with Monster Energy. With the very important Sepang Test starting in just two days, I chose to be in Sepang working with Sumi-san and the YMC staff, as well as our team staff – several of which are new for 2019 – to be best prepared for the start of the new season. Like I said, we‘re starting afresh and there is always a sense of excitement that comes with new beginnings. I‘m sure the entire crew, as well as the riders, can‘t wait to get back into action. We already laid the foundation for the 2019 preparation during the tests in Valencia and Jerez at the end of last year. The upcoming week will be very important, because we will use the test in Sepang to confirm the choices we made. It will be a crucial first stepping stone to success in 2019.”

MotoGP Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
Lin Jarvis – Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director

“This year the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP team‘s package is different from previous years, so it seemed only fitting to hold a special launch event to mark this fresh start. The team travelled to Indonesia this time. The country‘s market is very important for the Yamaha Motor Group, and the fans‘ and local media‘s great passion for MotoGP further adds to its appeal. Its central location in Asia and close vicinity to the first official test, held in Malaysia the day after tomorrow, made it a perfect location for the Team Launch. Yamaha and Monster Energy have been collaborating for many years. We are proud to have them as an official sponsor of the Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team since 2013, and now we will be working even closer together as we step up the global alliance between the two brands and they take on the title sponsor role. Monster Energy is known for giving its audience the full experience of whatever makes them passionate, which is also what we strive after at Yamaha. During the upcoming season we aim to leave a strong impression throughout the entire MotoGP season, and we very much look forward to sharing this next chapter with race fans, giving them a thoroughly enjoyable season. We‘ve revealed our new team logo and livery today. The new design, especially the black-toblue gradient on the bike, visualises the partnership between Monster Energy and Yamaha. Now the work really begins with the upcoming preseason test in Sepang. The entire team, the riders, and I‘m sure the fans are impatient to see some MotoGP action again.”


2019 MotoGP Calendar

  • March 10 – Qatar* Losail International Circuit (*Night Race)
  • March 31 – República Argentina Termas de Río Hondo
  • April 14 – Americas Circuit of the Americas
  • May 5 – Spain Circuito de Jerez
  • May 19 – France Le Mans
  • June 2 – Italy Autodromo del Mugello
  • June 16 – Catalunya Barcelona – Catalunya
  • June 30 – Netherlands TT Circuit Assen
  • July 7 – Germany Sachsenring
  • August 4 – Czech Republic Automotodrom Brno
  • August 11 – Austria Red Bull Ring – Spielberg
  • August 25 – Great Britain Silverstone Circuit
  • September 15 – San Marino Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
  • September 22 – Aragón MotorLand Aragón
  • October 6 – Thailand Chang International Circuit
  • October 20 – Japan Twin Ring Motegi
  • October 27 – Australia Phillip Island
  • November 3 – Malaysia Sepang International Circuit
  • November 17 – Comunitat Valenciana Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo

Source: MCNews.com.au

Riders & Team Managers reflect on Australian GP

Australian MotoGP 2018

Yamaha resurgent as Vinales from Iannone, Dovi wins

Riders and Team managers talk the Phillip Island GP


Maverick Vinales – P1

“This is the best feeling ever, honestly! We‘ve been in the dark all year, and suddenly we came into the light! I couldn‘t show my potential in the previous races, but today I could. Being first in Australia is always amazing! It‘s the best track ever, and I like to be at the front there. To win here and break this long none winning period of Yamaha is unbelievable! I was riding on the bike like I was in FP4. I got a really good feeling from the bike, so I knew I could maintain 1‘29s. That‘s what I did for most of the middle of the race. I tried to escape as far as I could, because I knew my tyre wasn‘t going to last until the end. I knew opening that gap would be difficult, I had some moments with some riders, and some shaking on the bike – I was struggling, but I still made it through anyway. It was amazing! I have to say ‘thank you’ to the team, because this weekend they worked for the win. We will try to be the best and we‘ll try to work in a good way. We don‘t want to lose the concentration, because we don‘t know what will happen in Malaysia, but for sure the level of motivation will be high after this weekend.”

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales
Andrea Iannone – P2

“I’m really happy, especially as we were at the top almost all weekend long, and this gives us a lot of positivity. We worked together on improving my feeling with the bike and it meant I was able to finish really close to the top. I felt able to win but it was a hard fight with the others and I was losing ground with them. When I managed to overtake them and keep them behind I realised I couldn’t catch Viñales, so I just tried to defend and manage the tyres. At the end I pushed at 100% to make sure I could get 2nd place.”

MotoGP Australia Iannone Dovi Bautista Rins Rossi Miller
Andrea Iannone
Andrea Dovizioso – P3

“I’m really satisfied with the way the race went. Even though we knew we had good speed, managing to get a podium here is another thing. I’m pleased I got myself immediately into an ideal position in the race, because if you start from the third row here at Phillip Island anything can happen, as we saw. Instead with a bit of luck I immediately managed to make up some positions and after a few laps I was first: I never expected that! Then I had a chance to manage the tyres and reach the end of the race in a good state, even though we were all in trouble a bit. I’m very pleased with the work we’ve done here: Phillip Island was a fundamental test to understand our level of competitiveness and now we know we have made a good step forward over last year.”

MotoGP Australia Dovizioso UC
Andrea Dovizioso
Álvaro Bautista – P4

“At the end of a difficult weekend in which I crashed three times, this fourth place is a great reward for me. To come into a new team and step onto a new bike at a circuit like this was for sure not going to be easy, but I think we’ve worked well together, making steps forward in every session. I started the race really focussed and relaxed because I had no real targets to aim for, except for enjoying riding the Desmosedici GP18. After quite a complicated start, I was able to soon catch up with the leading group and fight for the front positions. In the last few laps I made a few small mistakes and lost contact with Dovizioso and Iannone, but in any case I’m very happy with my overall result, especially for the team and for Ducati, whom I would like to thank once again for the trust they have shown in me.”

MotoGP Australia Bautista UC
Álvaro Bautista
Alex Rins – P5

“It was an interesting race and I was able to learn a lot. During the first part, when I was inside the group, I was feeling good but then when I got the contact from Maverick I lost a lot of ground and it cost me a lot because the group got away, but this is racing. I also lost further time trying to overtake Miller. But we want to focus on the positive points, and there were many, for instance the way I was able to battle with Rossi and defend my 5th place. We’re going to Malaysia with good feelings and we are prepared, so we hope for another nice result there.”

MotoGP Australia QP Vinales Rossi Rins Dovi
Alex Rins chases down Vinales and Rossi
Valentino Rossi – P6

“Unfortunately from the first lap I already started to slide a bit too much on acceleration. I lost some grip compared to yesterday and this morning. It’s a shame because for sure we wanted to try to do better. I tried to ride smoothly and manage the tyres, but unfortunately after 15 laps I was in trouble, because when exiting left corners I had too much spin. We need to understand why this happened and then try to improve, but having Maverick win a race is good news for the team and Yamaha, because it gives great motivation.”

MotoGP Australia Rossi
Valentino Rossi
Jack Miller – P7

“If I have to be honest I was expecting a little more but I am still happy with this result and being the first Independent rider. I got off to a good start even though I honestly didn’t think I would be in the lead so early. In the middle of the race I tried to save my tyres but in the end I didn’t have any room to attack the podium group.”

MotoGP Australia QP Jack Miller
Jack Miller
Franco Morbidelli – P8

“I am very happy with this result, my personal best result in MotoGP. We did a god job to exported the situation with riders going out of the race. Our tyre choice was the right one and I had good pace especially from half-race and I was able to get into the tope ten. I want to thank my crew for a great job this weekend to sort out the set-up of the bike for the race.”

MotoGP Rnd Thailand Morbidelli GP AN
Franco Morbidelli
Aleix Espargaro’ – P9

“On the straight, I was in the slipstream of a lot of riders and at a certain point, a piece of Marc’s bike struck my left hand. I began to feel pain, but fortunately in MotoGP we only use the clutch for the start, so I was able to finish the race. We’ll assess the situation in view of Malaysia. After a less-than-easy weekend, in warm up we made a big step forward and in the race I was able to ride very incisively. This is demonstrated by the fact that we lapped faster than in qualifying, but unfortunately on the final laps, the soft rear tyre began to suffer and I was unable to hold onto eighth place. In any case, the result is good, considering the hard work done this weekend with two different bikes.”

MotoGP Aragon Espargaro Aleix GP AN
Aleix Espargaro – AJRN Image
Bradley Smith – P10

“We did a good job. We saw Phillip Island as an important weekend for KTM because we knew the bike would work quite well here. The team did a fantastically because the main aim of the weekend was to try and set up the bike as best as we could to look after the rear tyre. It meant we had to sacrifice qualification a little bit yesterday but it paid off today. I had a great first lap to come from sixteenth to eighth and then tried to hold the position for as long as possible. Unfortunately towards the end I just didn’t have anything left for Morbidelli or Aleix. Sepang now and it is a difficult track but I think we have some good confidence and the bike has a good setting and it working well for me. I’m optimistic we can keep the same level and take some good points.”

MotoGP Australia Bradley Smith
Bradley Smith
Karel Abraham – P11

“We have to be happy with this race, we have doubled our points score for the season in just round. I am happy to have had the chance to ride the Ducati GP17, I could see how much potential the bike has but you also have to consider that it is difficult for any rider or chief mechanic to find the perfect set-up for a new bike in just one weekend. In any case we have done a good job and you could see that at the start of the race, when I felt really good. After that the bike started to slide and pump, I changed the mapping and it helped for a couple of laps but then it started again. I didn’t want to use the last two maps because they are for emergency use and we still had a lot of laps to go. The riders behind me were closing in and I wanted to push harder but I couldn’t get any more out of the bike. In the end, luckily, I managed to stay ahead of them.”

MotoGP Australia Abraham
Karel Abraham
Danilo Petrucci – P12

“It’s really a shame. I felt like I had a great feeling right from the warm-up. I went on track very focused and made my best start in my career. Unfortunately at turn two I had a problem with the clutch. I am really sorry but these are the races: once it is the rider who makes a mistake, another time it is the bike that betrays you. We’ll try again in Sepang.”

MotoGP TBG Rnd Phillip Island Petrucci ALI
Danilo Petrucci
Scott Redding – P13

“I am happy with the way the race went. To be honest, I didn’t expect it. Even in warm up, I didn’t have any particularly good feeling. Apparently, staying in the slipstream of the other riders helped me warm up the front tyre better. Maybe in terms of pace I could have done a bit better too, but when I found myself leading the group, I began to have some difficulties. In any case, I battled, overtaking Nakagami on the final lap and bringing home important points. A few crashes helped, but we did a good job anyway turning a complicated situation around.”

MotoGP Silverstone Redding GP AN
Scott Redding
Takaaki Nakagami – P14

“It was a difficult weekend. The weather conditions were a little bit better than yesterday, they were less windy and the track temperature was getting higher and higher. We decided to go with a soft compound on the rear and I think that was the correct choice, but I really struggled in the last ten laps. The lap times were quite strong and I couldn’t find the race pace I wanted. In the end I got into the points which is very good, but I was expecting a better result here so now we have to think about the next one in Sepang and try to be more consistent over the weekend.”

MotoGP Australia Takaaki Nakagami AX
Takaaki Nakagami
Xavier Simeon – P15

“I have a lot of problems with the clutch and once again, my start was horrible. I was last again, but this time at least I was able to recover some positions on the first lap. The bike was very good and I had the pace to fight between eleventh and fifteenth position. Ten laps from the end though, the left flank of the rear tyre was destroyed and I had to slow down. Therefore I’m a little bit disappointed. The weekend has been very good and I always felt strong, but we depend too much on tyre wear. Apart from this, I’m super happy about achieving my first MotoGP point and I want to thank my team because they helped me a lot since I got on this bike. In Malaysia we have to improve the start and work more with the tyres for the race. I hope to have fun again like here and score more points.”

MotoGP Aragon Simeon GP AN
Xavier Simeon
Tom Luthi – P16

“I had a good rhythm for the first ten laps and could stay with the group I was in so I’m little disappointed for this result. But then I lost a lot of edge grip and could not keep corner speed in the fast left-hand corners and I was struggling with understeer and that’s where I lost too much time. I’m disappointed to be 16th again and just miss some championship points.”

MotoGP Misano Luthi GP AN
Tom Luthi
Jordi Torres – P17

“The race has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. This morning in the warm-up I felt pretty strong and we had a very promising pace. But it was more windy in the race and tyres maybe did not reach the right working temperature on the first laps because twice I was close to a crash when I tried to push. This affected my confidence and I wasn’t riding comfortably throughout the race. I know what I have to do to go fast, but I lacked the confidence to do it. At least I’m gaining experience in every race and I hope things will go better in Malaysia. Sepang is a very long circuit and I’ll have to learn many things in a short time, because the other riders have done lot of kilometres over there. The heat will also be a new challenge for me. I hope to my level of fitness is high enough.”

MotoGP Rnd Thailand Torres GP AN
Jordi Torres
Mike Jones – P18

“I just wanted to give my best and finish the race, and we achieved our objective. I am very happy and grateful to the Ángel Nieto Team for the opportunity to race in MotoGP in front of the Australian fans. It has been an incredible experience, the power of the bike is crazy and the braking force is unreal. It has been a physically demanding weekend because this is such a different bike to anything I have ridden before.”

MotoGP Australia Mike Jones
Mike Jones
Marc Marquez – DNF

“At first I didn’t understand exactly what had happened, but I was angry because I felt the contact from the rear. I couldn’t continue the race because my seat was broken and moving around. It was impossible to ride. When I arrived in the garage and saw the video, I understood. It was just a race incident because at that point of the track, we arrive really fast, over 300 km/h. I was behind Jack Miller when I braked even a bit later than usual, and then I felt the impact. Zarco had taken the slipstreams from the two of us. You may think he could have considered that, but for me it’s just a race incident and I already spoke with him. What I can say is that today I feel really lucky, and the most important thing for me is that both me and Johann are okay. Today I was really focused, and the race was going as expected. I led for a couple of laps, and then I decided to stay in the group and wait a bit. I had the pace and I felt I was able to fight for the win. It’s unlucky that we got a zero here at Phillip Island, but if next year I can win the title in Japan again and have another DNF here, I’ll sign up for that! Now let’s focus on the next race.”

MotoGP Australia Marquez Damage
Damage to Marc Marquez’s Honda
Dani Pedrosa – DNF

“It has been a difficult weekend. We never had a good feeling over the three days, and unfortunately I crashed out of the race. I wasn’t in a good position, and then I lost the front in the braking point after the straight—quite a big crash, as it’s a fast point. Anyway, we just have to move forward, hoping to have a better race next Sunday.”

MotoGP Australia Pedrosa AX
Dani Pedrosa
Hafizh Syahrin – DNF

“Until lap 19 I had a good race. I just lost the front because I tried to close again on Miller. In the straight it is just impossible, as the Ducati just passes very easily. The guys and myself, we are already working very hard with our package, which is a bit different to the rest of the Yamahas. I was fighting with the faster group in the front, but it was just technically impossible to keep up with them, although I was pushing very hard. It’s a great pity to crash on the 19th lap. Anyway, we keep pushing, working hard and believing in ourselves because my team and me work very hard to be strong in the race. We tried to use our speed for a good result, but in the end we didn’t have a chance to fight with the rest of the riders in front.”

MotoGP Rnd Thailand Syahrin GP AN
Hafizh Syahrin
Johann Zarco – DNF

“It was a bit cold today, but the sunshine made it a nice day. Starting from third position was a good advantage. I got a good start, but in the second corner I slide with the rear and a few guys had the same, I lost a few positions, but then I was really feeling quite ok to attack and try to overtake. I’m happy about the feeling that I was strong and did some good passes. After a few laps, I was still feeling pretty good, I got the slipstream of Jack Miller and Marc Marquez was also there. We were going so fast and when we were braking for corner one, I touched the rear wheel of Marc and totally flew away. I had a big crash, but I’m okay, which is the most important thing, as that crash was really fast It’s a shame about the race, because finish the race would have been important for the independent riders’ championship, but I didn’t. The crash was big and I am sorry that Marc could not finish the race. Thank you to my team, because the bike was competitive today! I did a mistake and I need to make up for it on the next two rounds.”

MotoGP Australia Zarco
Johann Zarco
Pol Espargaro – DNF

“I was super-angry because I think we worked well this weekend and did a lot of laps with the tyres front and rear and we put the Soft options for the race thinking it would be OK. For some reason after six-seven laps it started to drop and I couldn’t open the throttle. After a few more laps it was dangerous to ride the bike so I had to stop. I don’t know what else to say. We made all the processes and procedures to know the tyre 100% but it looks like it can be a lottery. We’ll talk to Michelin and try to learn from this.”

MotoGP Australia Pol Espargaro
Pol Espargaro

Davide Brivio – Suzuki ECSTAR Team Manager

“This has been another very good day for our team, we took another podium, the second in a row and the third in 4 races. Andrea had a great battle with many riders and was able to finish 2nd. Because of this big battle it was hard to catch the leader, but anyway, it was a good race and we scored our 7th podium of the season. Alex finishing 5th was also very positive, Top 5 is really important to us. I really hope we can continue like this for the last two rounds of the season and thanks again to everybody involved for always working hard, especially on difficult times.”

MotoGP Australia Iannone
Andrea Iannone
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“What a thrilling and dramatic race! Maverick is always strong at the Phillip Island circuit, and he once again outdid himself in Australia today. He really deserved the victory, because he had been strong the entire weekend. It‘s a great feeling for the team to secure a win again – we have all been working so hard for this. It‘s not just us who have been waiting, but also our fans, so this is as much for them as it is for us. It was a pity that Vale wasn‘t able to join the podium, because he was showing great potential for the majority of the race. It would have been great to have him up there too. He and his crew have also been pushing to the maximum, but sixth place was really the best he could do today due to tyre wear at the end of the race. Overall this weekend has been a great moral boost, because both riders were competitive, so we‘re all looking forward to the next round, the Grand Prix of Malaysia, in just a week‘s time.”

MotoGP Australia Vinales Forcada
Maverick Vinales with crew chief Roman Forcada
Hervé Poncharal – Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager

“There are some days you wish what you see is a dream – or rather a nightmare. But unfortunately, what we saw today was reality. We had high hopes with a great Qualifying from both of our riders, Johann on the front row and Hafizh with his best ever Qualifying in 10th. The start was difficult as usual, it was a big pack as we saw in the other two classes and clearly, Johann was trying to find his way through the field after a bit hectic lap one. We could see that he was really fast and I think he wanted to use the advantage of the soft-soft choice he had made for front and rear and that was quite intense until that incident, which was unbelievable. When you see a rider going down at such a high speed – I think he touched the ground at 280 km/h – for the few seconds following the incident, you just hope nothing bad will happen. Johann had a really good reflex and although his bottom is quite sore, he was strong to walk back to the garage and be still fully fit and ready to race the next round. That was a big thing. Unfortunate for the fans and the racing overall, Marc and Johann were out of the race, which made it less exciting. So, our focus went on Hafizh, who was behind the leading group until he slowly los the contact. But he was still holding on a good eighth position and we were quite happy because although he was loosing ground he was still keeping a good pace and he crashed without any warning, without really understanding why. That was the end of our weekend. Both of our riders could have been really strong and both of them get no points, which is a big disappointment. I know you always have to keep up the ‘never-give-up-attitude’, but today it is hard, also with Remy in the Moto2 class. The only good thing is, our riders are fit, ok and we have a race next week.”

MotoGP Phillip Island Moto Wayne Remy Gardner GP AN
Remy Gardner
Mike Leitner – KTM Team Manager MotoGP

“Race conditions can be difficult here and so can tyre choice. It went quite well for Bradley and he ran where he we think we can be – between 8-10. We lost ninth position by four hundredths of a second: it was very close. A shame for Pol. He had a different tyre choice but then other riders also had that selection. In the middle of the race he had a very big drop which is not usual and he had to stop. So we need to analyse what happened. He should have also been able to fight for the top ten. We’ll go to Malaysia now and try to make it happen.”

MotoGP Australia Bradley Smith Pol Espargaro
Bradley Smith & Pol Espargaro
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager

“Phillip Island is always a big challenge and this year was certainly no different. The strong gusting winds and cold temperatures made it difficult for everyone, but the whole Michelin team worked in a very professional and methodical way with the riders to make sure the tyres which were best suited to the conditions and riding styles were used today. Despite the challenges, the race was very exciting and it is good for Michelin to have another winner, both rider and manufacturer, and it is also pleasing to see all six manufacturers in the top-ten and three different ones on the podium. We are constantly striving to give tyres to all that they can use to the best of their abilities, so having results such as this are very rewarding. The Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix is a very big occasion on the company’s calendar and this has been another great event. We have again learned a lot about the toughest track of the year and this will enable us to come back even stronger next year.”

MotoGP Australia Michelin
Michelin at the Australian MotoGP 2018
2018 Phillip Island MotoGP Results
Pos Rider Team Time
1. Vinales M. Movistar Yamaha 40:51.081
2. Iannone A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +1.543
3. Dovizioso A. Ducati Team +1.832
4. Bautista A. Ducati Team +4.072
5. Rins A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +5.017
6. Rossi V. Movistar Yamaha +5.132
7. Miller J. Alma Pramac Racing +6.756
8. Morbidelli F. Marc VDS Racing Team +21.805
9. Espargaro A. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +22.904
10. Smith B. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +22.940
11. Abraham K. Angel Nieto Team +34.386
12. Petrucci D. Alma Pramac Racing +35.025
13. Redding S. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +36.348
14. Nakagami T. LCR Honda +36.389
15. Simeon X. Reale Avintia Racing +44.214
16. Luthi T. Marc VDS Racing Team +48.226
17. Torres J. Reale Avintia Racing +1:04.965
18. Jones M. Angel Nieto Team +1:19.817
DNF Espargaro P. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing DNF
DNF Syahrin H. Monster Tech 3 DNF
DNF Pedrosa D. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Marquez M. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Zarco J. Monster Tech 3 DNF
2018 MotoGP Championship Standings
Pos Rider Team Points
1. Marquez Marc Repsol Honda Team 296
2. Dovizioso Andrea Ducati Team 210
3. Rossi Valentino Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 195
4. Vinales Maverick Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 180
5. Crutchlow Cal LCR Honda 148
6. Petrucci Danilo Alma Pramac Racing 137
7. Zarco Johann Monster Yamaha Tech 3 133
8. Iannone Andrea Team Suzuki Ecstar 133
9. Lorenzo Jorge Ducati Team 130
10. Rins Alex Team Suzuki Ecstar 129
11. Bautista Alvaro Angel Nieto Team 96
12. Pedrosa Dani Repsol Honda Team 95
13. Miller Jack Alma Pramac Racing 83
14. Morbidelli Franco Marc VDS Racing Team 46
15. Espargaro Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 39
16. Rabat Tito Reale Avintia Racing 35
17. Espargaro Pol Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 35
18. Syahrin Hafizh Monster Yamaha Tech 3 34
19. Smith Bradley Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 29
20. Nakagami Takaaki LCR Honda 21
21. Redding Scott Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 15
22. Abraham Karel Angel Nieto Team 10
23. Kallio Mika Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 6
24. Nakasuga Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Team 2
25. Simeon Xavier Reale Avintia Racing 1
26. Pirro Michele Ducati Team 1
27. Luthi Thomas Marc VDS Racing Team 0
28. Bradl Stefan Honda Racing Corporation 0
29. Torres Jordi MV Agusta Reparto Corse 0
30. Jones Mike Reale Avintia Racing 0
31. Guintoli Sylvain Pata Yamaha Official WSBK Team 0
32. Ponsson Christophe Ponsson C. 0
2018 MotoGP Team Points
Pos Team Points
1. Repsol Honda Team 391
2. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 375
3. Ducati Team 353
4. Suzuki MotoGP 262
5. Alma Pramac Racing 220
6. LCR Honda 169
7. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 167
8. Angel Nieto Team 93
9. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 64
10. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 54
11. Estrella Galicia 0,0 46
12. Reale Avintia Racing 36

Source: MCNews.com.au

Yamaha celebrate MotoGP resurgence with Vinales victory

Maverick Vinales breaks win drought for Yamaha
MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales
Movistar Yamaha close in on Repsol Honda in Teams Title

The drought is over. 25 races since their last win – taken by Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) at the TT Circuit Assen last season – Yamaha were back on the top step at the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix as Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) brought an end to their losing streak in imperious style.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales with Lin Jarvis

Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“What a thrilling and dramatic race! Maverick is always strong at the Phillip Island circuit, and he once again outdid himself in Australia today. He really deserved the victory, because he had been strong the entire weekend. It‘s a great feeling for the team to secure a win again – we have all been working so hard for this. It‘s not just us who have been waiting, but also our fans, so this is as much for them as it is for us. It was a pity that Vale wasn‘t able to join the podium, because he was showing great potential for the majority of the race. It would have been great to have him up there too. He and his crew have also been pushing to the maximum, but sixth place was really the best he could do today due to tyre wear at the end of the race. Overall this weekend has been a great moral boost, because both riders were competitive, so we‘re all looking forward to the next round, the Grand Prix of Malaysia, in just a week‘s time.”

MotoGP Australia Vinales Forcada
Maverick Vinales with crew chief Roman Forcada, the pair will split at the end of this season as Vinales had wanted a new crew chief after being frustrated by his lack of results in season 2018

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team are celebrating at Phillip Island as they returned to the top step of the podium with Maverick Viñales taking a stunning win. Valentino Rossi was also a strong contender in today‘s Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, eventually crossing the line in sixth place as he struggled with tyre wear. 

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

VIñales didn‘t have the start he had hoped for from second on the front row and slotted into tenth position after the first corners. At the end of the first lap he started to climb his way back up the ranking order, and on lap 3 he moved into eighth position. He remained there for a while, but was looking comfortable.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Drama happened with 21 laps to go, when Johann Zarco and Marc Márquez collided. Unaffected by the incident, the Factory Yamaha rider used the moment to launch his attack. He smoothly fought his way through the rider field to take the lead on lap 8. From that moment on he did exactly as he predicted yesterday: he put his head down, lapping 1‘29s laps, to break away at the front.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Towards the end of the race the Spaniard had a comfortable advantage of over four-seconds, allowing him to have a bit of a breather over the last five laps. He didn‘t put a foot wrong and secured a fantastic victory, with a 1.543s margin over his closest rival.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Maverick Vinales

“This is the best feeling ever, honestly! We‘ve been in the dark all year, and suddenly we came into the light! I couldn‘t show my potential in the previous races, but today I could. Being first in Australia is always amazing! It‘s the best track ever, and I like to be at the front there. To win here and break this long none winning period of Yamaha is unbelievable! I was riding on the bike like I was in FP4. I got a really good feeling from the bike, so I knew I could maintain 1‘29s. That‘s what I did for most of the middle of the race. I tried to escape as far as I could, because I knew my tyre wasn‘t going to last until the end. I knew opening that gap would be difficult, I had some moments with some riders, and some shaking on the bike – I was struggling, but I still made it through anyway. It was amazing! I have to say ‘thank you’ to the team, because this weekend they worked for the win. We will try to be the best and we‘ll try to work in a good way. We don‘t want to lose the concentration, because we don‘t know what will happen in Malaysia, but for sure the level of motivation will be high after this weekend.”

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Rossi was in the fight but faded to sixth

Rossi had a good start from seventh on the grid, gaining a spot on the first lap. He continued to fight in the bunched-up leading group and soon found a way past Álex Rins to take fifth. He was looking to hit the front of the pack early but got involved in a scrap with Zarco and Jack Miller, which moved him back to sixth.

MotoGP Australia Rossi Iannone Dovi
Valentino Rossi

As Zarco and Márquez touched going into turn 1 on lap 6, the fight for the lead heated up. Viñales took the number one spot on lap 8 and the Doctor was keen on following him. He wrestled for a bit with Andrea Dovizioso and initially came out victorious, so he could attempt to follow his teammate in first place, but he couldn‘t quite keep up the challenge.

A fight with Andrea Iannone cost him some valuable time, and with 12 laps to go he got swept up again in a battle consisting of five riders fighting for second place. Rossi was pushed back to fifth but wasn‘t about to give up. With 8 laps to go he made another charge, briefly reclaiming second place, only to find himself in sixth again shortly after. The Italian pushed hard and had another try in the final three laps, but still finished the race in sixth place, 5.132s from his teammate.

MotoGP Australia Rossi
Valentino Rossi

Today’s results see Rossi hold third position in the championship standings with a 15-point gap to second. Viñales remains in fourth place, and thanks to his splendid win he currently has a 15-point gap to his teammate.

Valentino Rossi

“Unfortunately from the first lap I already started to slide a bit too much on acceleration. I lost some grip compared to yesterday and this morning. It’s a shame because for sure we wanted to try to do better. I tried to ride smoothly and manage the tyres, but unfortunately after 15 laps I was in trouble, because when exiting left corners I had too much spin. We need to understand why this happened and then try to improve, but having Maverick win a race is good news for the team and Yamaha, because it gives great motivation.”

MotoGP Australia Rossi
Valentino Rossi

Yamaha holds third place in the Constructor Championship after the race in Australia, with a 44-point margin to second, while the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team remain in second position in the team standings, with now a 16-point gap to first.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action at the Sepang International Circuit next weekend for the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, held from November 2nd – 4th.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales
2018 Phillip Island MotoGP Results
Pos Rider Team Time
1. Vinales M. Movistar Yamaha 40:51.081
2. Iannone A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +1.543
3. Dovizioso A. Ducati Team +1.832
4. Bautista A. Ducati Team +4.072
5. Rins A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +5.017
6. Rossi V. Movistar Yamaha +5.132
7. Miller J. Alma Pramac Racing +6.756
8. Morbidelli F. Marc VDS Racing Team +21.805
9. Espargaro A. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +22.904
10. Smith B. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +22.940
11. Abraham K. Angel Nieto Team +34.386
12. Petrucci D. Alma Pramac Racing +35.025
13. Redding S. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +36.348
14. Nakagami T. LCR Honda +36.389
15. Simeon X. Reale Avintia Racing +44.214
16. Luthi T. Marc VDS Racing Team +48.226
17. Torres J. Reale Avintia Racing +1:04.965
18. Jones M. Angel Nieto Team +1:19.817
DNF Espargaro P. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing DNF
DNF Syahrin H. Monster Tech 3 DNF
DNF Pedrosa D. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Marquez M. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Zarco J. Monster Tech 3 DNF
MotoGP Australia MotoGP Vinales Iannone Dovi
MotoGP Race Results
Maverick Viñales (SPA) YAMAHA 40’51.081
Andrea Iannone (ITA) SUZUKI +1.543
Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI +1.832

MotoGP Championship Points

2018 MotoGP Championship Standings
Pos Rider Team Points
1. Marquez Marc Repsol Honda Team 296
2. Dovizioso Andrea Ducati Team 210
3. Rossi Valentino Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 195
4. Vinales Maverick Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 180
5. Crutchlow Cal LCR Honda 148
6. Petrucci Danilo Alma Pramac Racing 137
7. Zarco Johann Monster Yamaha Tech 3 133
8. Iannone Andrea Team Suzuki Ecstar 133
9. Lorenzo Jorge Ducati Team 130
10. Rins Alex Team Suzuki Ecstar 129
11. Bautista Alvaro Angel Nieto Team 96
12. Pedrosa Dani Repsol Honda Team 95
13. Miller Jack Alma Pramac Racing 83
14. Morbidelli Franco Marc VDS Racing Team 46
15. Espargaro Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 39
16. Rabat Tito Reale Avintia Racing 35
17. Espargaro Pol Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 35
18. Syahrin Hafizh Monster Yamaha Tech 3 34
19. Smith Bradley Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 29
20. Nakagami Takaaki LCR Honda 21
21. Redding Scott Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 15
22. Abraham Karel Angel Nieto Team 10
23. Kallio Mika Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 6
24. Nakasuga Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Team 2
25. Simeon Xavier Reale Avintia Racing 1
26. Pirro Michele Ducati Team 1
27. Luthi Thomas Marc VDS Racing Team 0
28. Bradl Stefan Honda Racing Corporation 0
29. Torres Jordi MV Agusta Reparto Corse 0
30. Jones Mike Reale Avintia Racing 0
31. Guintoli Sylvain Pata Yamaha Official WSBK Team 0
32. Ponsson Christophe Ponsson C. 0
2018 MotoGP Team Points
Pos Team Points
1. Repsol Honda Team 391
2. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 375
3. Ducati Team 353
4. Suzuki MotoGP 262
5. Alma Pramac Racing 220
6. LCR Honda 169
7. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 167
8. Angel Nieto Team 93
9. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 64
10. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 54
11. Estrella Galicia 0,0 46
12. Reale Avintia Racing 36
2018 MotoGP Constructors Championship
Pos Manufacturer Points
1 Honda 339
2 Ducati 300
3 Yamaha 256
4 Suzuki 193
5 KTM 55
6 Aprilia 49

Source: MCNews.com.au