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Category: Moto GP
Moto GP, the Motorcycle World Championship
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MotoGP: Martin takes Australian GP pole after breaking lap record
Jorge Martin set an all-time lap record to take MotoGP pole in Australian GP from Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia.
Q1:
The first part in MotoGP qualifying in Australian GP at Philip Island started with a multiple yellow flag periods for a rider’s run-off moment. In terms of the lap times, Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini set the pace after their first flyer in the first run.
The second lap saw Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco take top spot from Bastianini with a 1m28.498s lap. The second run had Honda’s Pol Espargaro go quickest with a 1m28.392s lap, with Suzuki’s Joan Mir taking second spot as Zarco was third.
Mir had a moment on the gravel to cause a yellow flag but continued on, as Zarco ended up fastest with a 1m28.132s lap to make it into Q2 alongside Suzuki’s Alex Rins, who set the second best time out of nowhere on his final attempt to push Espargaro.
In fact, Bastianini was third to start MotoGP Australian GP in 13th where he was under investigation alongwith KTM’s Miguel Oliveira by the FIM stewards. It was for the final lap impeding situation from the Portuguese rider against the Italian.
Espargaro eventually was fourth to start from 14th with Mir 15th ahead of KTM’s Brad Binder, RNF Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow & Darryn Binder. The pair dropped local ‘hero’ Remy Gardner to 19th onboard his Tech 3 KTM machine.
Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio was 20th from KTM’s Oliveira, with Tech 3’s Raul Fernandez in 22nd, Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli only 23rd and LCR Honda’s Tetsuta Nagashima 24th – the Japanese filling in for the injured Takaaki Nakagami.
Q2:
The second part in MotoGP qualifying in Australian GP saw Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia set the pace with a 1m28.054s lap from Pramac’s Jorge Martin and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, as Honda’s Marc Marquez had an almost wild moment at Turn 10.
His arm touched the kerb and he needed a moment to gather himself up before entering the pits while in fifth behind VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi. The final run saw Pramac’s Martin break an all-time lap record of Jorge Lorenzo to claim MotoGP pole.
Martin set a 1m27.767s to take Australian GP pole from Honda’s Marquez, who fought back after an early moment to be second from Bagnaia. Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro rode his heart out in fourth from Yamaha’s Quartararo in the Top 5.
Zarco was sixth from VR46’s Luca Marini as local rider Jack Miller was only eighth on his Ducati, with Bezzecchi losing time in ninth from LCR’s Alex Marquez, Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales and Suzuki’s Rins in the Top 12.
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MotoGP: Bezzecchi secures career first pole in Thai GP
Marco Bezzecchi broke lap record en-route his first MotoGP pole in Thai GP from Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia in Ducati 1-2-3.
Q1:
The first part in MotoGP qualifying in Thai GP at Buriram circuit saw Honda’s Marc Marquez set the pace at the halfway mark with a 1m30.343s lap with RNF Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow slotting in second from Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, who was outside of Q2 mark.
KTM’s Miguel Oliveira was fourth in the order from Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli ahead of their second and final run. It was looking good for Espargaro when he went quickest but others improved behind him just at the end moment to knock him out.
It was Marquez making it in Q2 with a 1m30.038s lap with Oliveira pipping Espargaro by ending up in second. The MotoGP title contender had to be content with third and is to start the Thai GP from 13th ahead of Morbidelli and Crutchlow.
Tech 3 KTM’s Raul Fernandez did a fine job to be 16th from Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, with the other Tech 3 of Remy Gardner in 18th from Honda’s Pol Espargaro. LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez rounded the Top 20 with Gresini Ducati’s Fabio di Giannantonio in 21st.
With Takaaki Nakagami undergoing surgery for his earlier crash, LCR’s Tetsuta Nagashima was 22nd in the standings from RNF’s Darryn Binder and Suzuki’s Danilo Petrucci, who is making his MotoGP return in place of injured Joan Mir.
Q2:
The second part in MotoGP qualifying in Thai GP saw Pramac Ducati pair of Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco lead the way in a 1-2 formation, with Ducati’s Jack Miller slotting in third from Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi.
It wasn’t the best first run for Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia who was only ninth, with KTM’s Oliveira not running initially after making it in Q2 from Q1. The second run saw Bagnaia go fastest with a 1m29.775s lap, but not for long after Martin upped his pace.
He had a moment on one of his laps, but came back strong to retake top slot with a 1m29.692s lap. Out of nowhere, however, Bezzecchi did a 1m29.671s lap to secure MotoGP pole for the first time in his premier class in Thai GP at Buriram circuit.
It was a new lap record from Bezzecchi as Martin had to settle for second from Bagnaia, with Quartararo doing a fine job to be fourth. Having looked good all-through the weekend, Pramac’s Zarco was fifth from Gresini’s Enea Bastianini.
Miller was seventh after having issues with his bike since he did not return to the track for his second run. Marquez was eighth where he couldn’t improve due to a big moment on his final lap as VR6’s Luca Marini was ninth, Suzuki’s Alex Rins 10th from KTM pair of Oliveira and Brad Binder in the Top 12.
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MotoGP: Miller dominant in Japanese GP win as Bagnaia crashes out
Jack Miller dominated after climbing up the order to win MotoGP Japanese GP from Brad Binder and Jorge Martin.
Even before the start of MotoGP race in Japanese GP at Twin Ring Motegi, Aleix Espargaro pitted after the formation lap due to alarm bells on his #1 bike as he switched to the spare bike to join the grid at the back in dry conditions after rain on Saturday.
It was a clean start from pole for Honda’s Marc Marquez but KTM’s Brad Binder took the lead and was followed by Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin as the third leader of MotoGP Japanese GP, with Ducati’s Jack Miller climbing up to third.
Marquez was fourth from KTM’s Miguel Oliveira, with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales in sixth from Pramac’s Johann Zarco, VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and Honda’s Pol Espargaro in the Top 10, with Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia in 12th.
At the front, it didn’t take long for Miller to pass Binder and Martin to lead the MotoGP Japanese GP. There was a brush with Martin while passing him, but it was enough to lead, as Oliveira passed Marquez and Binder to slot himself into third.
Vinales steadied in sixth from Zarco but there was a battle between Marini and Quartararo for eighth. The Frenchman passed the Italian to be eighth, but he came back on him to retake the place, with Espargaro holding of Bagnaia and Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini.
The latter were fighting off each other for track position, but Bastianini eventually got the better of Bagnaia to be 10th after Zarco dropped to 14th. It was a clean MotoGP race mostly with the first retirement being Honda wildcard Tetsuta Nagashima after his crash.
At the front, Miller started to stretch his lead with Martin a steady second. Binder re-passed Oliveira for third with Marquez in fifth as Vinales fended off the charge from Marini in the battle for sixth. Quartararo was eighth as Batianini was ninth after passing both Espargaro and Bagnaia, who had VR6’s Marco Bezzecchi on his tail.
After Nagashima’s retirement, the other wildcard entrant Takuya Tsuda retired as well after his Suzuki bike caught a massive fire. RNF Yamaha’s Darryn Binder was the third retirement after having a minor crash going into left-hand corner.
The fourth one followed after Alex Rins’ retirement due to mechanical problems with his Suzuki. While Miller led the way comfortably, Martin came under pressure from Binder in the fight for second. Likewise, Oliveira came under pressure from Marquez behind.
Marini passed Vinales for sixth, as Quartararo was eighth from Bastianini who came under pressure from Bagnaia. In fact, the Ducati rider made the move on his future MotoGP teammate to take ninth, as Bezzecchi was 11th from Zarco and Espargaro.
LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez was 14th from Yamaha’s Franco Mobidelli in the Top 15, with Espargaro climbing back up to 17th being close to points. While Miller took a dominant MotoGP win in Japanese GP, teammate Bagnaia crashed out on the final lap.
He was trying a move on Quartararo on the inside at the left-hand corner, but slipped to not only crash but lose valuable championship points. The podium places saw Binder take second from Martin on the penultimate lap, with Marquez ending a good fourth.
Oliveira was fifth after fending off a late charge from Marini with Vinales in seventh from Quartararo, Bastianini, Bezzecchi, Zarco, Espargaro, Morbidelli and RNF’s Cal Crutchlow in the Top 15 points finishes, with Espargaro ending up 16th.
Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio was 17th from Tech 3 KTM pair of Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner, with LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami managing to see the chequered flag in 20th.
DNF: Bagnaia, Rins, Binder, Tsuda, Nagashima
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MotoGP: Marquez secures Japanese GP as title rivals suffer
Marc Marquez took MotoGP pole upon his return in Japanese GP in wet conditions with Johann Zarco second and Brad Binder third.
Q1:
The first part of MotoGP qualifying in Japanese GP at Twin Ring Motegi was delayed due to track conditions after wet weather situation. The FP3 session was cancelled with the organisers focusing on qualifying rather than the practice session.
The track was quite wet still at the time of the first part in qualifying as LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami had a minor crash early in the session. He managed to continue on, with RNF Yamaha’s Darryn Binder crashing out later but he continued on as well.
With no pit stops due to the weather conditions, the Pramac Ducati pair led the way from mid-way in the session. It was Johann Zarco who with a 1m55.300s lap made it into Q2 from teammate Jorge Martin as VR46’s Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi missed out in third.
He is to start from 13th from Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli, as MotoGP title contender Enea Bastianini did not have a good run to be 15th. The Italian had a late crash which further hurt his chances, with teammate Fabio di Giannantonio in 16th.
LCR’s Alex Marquez was 17th from Suzuki’s Alex Rins from Honda wildcard Tetsuta Nagashima who did well to be inside Top 20, where Tech 3 KTM’s Remy Gardner was 20th. Suzuki wildcard Takuya Tsuda also did well to be 21st.
He was followed by Tech 3’s Raul Fernandez, whose session also ended with a crash. RNF’s Cal Crutchlow was 23rd from teammate Binder as LCR’s Nakagami was 25th.
Q2:
The second part in MotoGP qualifying in Japanese GP saw Honda’s Marc Marquz set the pace in wet conditions with no stops in between for the riders. Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia had a wild moment on one of his laps as KTM’s Miguel Oliveira had a crash.
He continued on, as Marquez continued to set the pace. The Spaniard eventually took MotoGP pole upon his return in Japanese GP with a 1m55.214s lap with Pramac’s Zarco doing well in Q2 after topping Q1 to be second from KTM’s Brad Binder.
The South African snatched the front row from Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales after a late lap, with Martin also doing well to be fifth from Q2. Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro was sixth – the lead rider among the MotoGP title contenders – with Ducati’s Jack Miller in seventh.
KTM’s Oliveira ending eighth from Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, who only managed ninth as his MotoGP title rival Bagnaia was 12th behind VR46’s Luca Marini and Honda’s Pol Espargaro in 10th and 11th.
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Dorna begins work towards future MotoGP Grand Prix in India
New Delhi, 21 Sept. 2022: Dorna Sports, the Promoters of MotoGP, announced that work has begun on a possible future Indian Grand Prix, with the target of bringing the FIM MotoGP World Championship to the Indian sub-continent in the near future.
Fairstreet Sports said that the ‘Grand Prix of Bharat,’ the first-ever Indian MotoGP will soon be held at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Noida, near here.
Noida- based Fairstreet Sports Private Limited today announced that a 7-year agreement has been put in place to host the MotoGP in India. Fairstreet expressed hope that India’s first-ever Moto GP Grand Prix is likely to be held in 2023. However, since the provisional calendar for 2023 is already announced by Dorna, the first Indian GP is likely to be held only in 2024, provided the circuit homologation is completed in time.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for seven years between Fairstreet Sports and Dorna. The latter is actively working with other State Governments to promote motorcycling culture in India and collectively work to promote, nurture and groom international level MotoGP riders in India. As per Industry Experts and economic analysts a significant boost to trade, tourism and employment is expected with an estimated 50K jobs direct and indirect and up to 5K jobs for the race weekend itself. MotoGP, also has plans to introduce MotoE into the Indian racing scenario.
L to R Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Aditya Nath, CEO Dorna Carmelo Ezpeleta, Industrial Development Export & Investment Promotion & NRI Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ( “Nandi”). Photo Fairstreet Sports Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has recently visited India to meet with authorities and potential event promoter Fairstreet Sports and also attended a Press Conference and a curtain-raiser event in New Delhi region on Wednesday. The visit began at the spectacular Buddh International Circuit, right outside New Delhi, which would be the target venue to host the possible MotoGP event.
Thereafter, the delegation also travelled to Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the region in which the circuit is located, to meet with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal “Nandi”.
Finally the visit ended with a presentation in New Delhi to local media and representatives of the motorcycling industry, which showcased the great expectation the country has for MotoGP.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta: “India is a huge country and market, and an especially important one for the two-wheeled industry and MotoGP as a sport. The Championship has a huge fan base there and being able to hold a MotoGP event in India would be both an incredible spectacle for our fans at the same time as allowing us to continue to grow the sport in the region, which is hugely important for our all our partners and the manufacturers in particular given the hundreds of millions of two-wheeled vehicles on its roads. We would love to be able to see this project through and bring these incredible MotoGP bikes to race in front of the Indian fans.
“At MotoGP we are committed to our fans and aim to make the sport accessible to all, regardless of where they are, who they are or their economic status. Motorcycles are an incredible tool for transportation and in many areas of the world they drive society, providing economic mobility and powering families around the world. Racing in India would be a reflection of our commitment to open the doors to the sport as widely as we can, and would be and an important achievement for the Championship.”
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, during the meeting with Fairstreet Sports team, added: “It’s a historical day for the sporting and automobile industry and a befitting tribute to the Azadai Ka Amrit Maha Utsav celebrations, marking India’s befitting arrival in the global platform of motorsport. India could potentially be one of MotoGP’s biggest markets in terms of viewership as well as revenue.
“MotoGP is a critical asset thanks to the viewer loyalty that the sport enjoys and the competitive nature it embodies, already reaching nearly half a billion homes around the world. Dorna Sports, the sole commercial and television rights holder, produces the world feed television coverage of each Grand Prix throughout the season, from acquisition to distribution, as part of a 360 degree event management philosophy.”
Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh: “It is a matter of great pride for Uttar Pradesh to host such a globally prestigious mega sports event. Not only will the event boost the hospitality and tourism sectors, but it will also put UP on the global platform. Our government will provide all the necessary support to make this event a huge success.”
Nand Gopal “Nandi”, Cabinet Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh for Industrial Development, Export Promotion, NRI, Investment Promotion, said, “The event will not only be a boon to motorcycle racing fans but also provide a major impetus to the economy by generating an influx of foreign investments and ushering in advancement in the personal transportation industry which would transcend into global investments and a preferred destination for OEM’s in the state of Uttar Pradesh.”
Pushkar Nath, COO, Fairstreet Sports, said, “Motorcycling as a sport is greatly admired in India. By bringing the world’s most prestigious motorcycle racing event here, we hope to boost its fan base further and encourage more young bikers to take up the sport. As the world collectively rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, the sporting event is also expected to re-energize India’s sports tourism.”
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17 points. 3 riders. Let’s go! MotoGP arrives in Japan
The fight for the Championship arrives in Japan for the second round of the triple-header!
Motegi (Japan), 20 Sept. 2022: The headlines overflowed at MotorLand Aragon, and now the paddock packs up and heads east for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan with three riders split by 17 points and everything to play for. Not since 2019 has MotoGP been able to race here, which in some ways now seems like a different era. Three years on, the immediate memory that comes back bodes well for the luckless duo from Aragon: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) vs Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
Quartararo now has only ten points in hand at the top of the table, but it was through no fault of his own and he’ll be more eager than ever to push to extend it again. He also arrives knowing that his last performance at Motegi, vs Marquez, was one of those that cemented his growing legend. So will that experience count? With action beginning on Friday afternoon, he will be hoping it helps him hit the ground running – as will Yamaha as they race on home turf for the first time in a few seasons.
Elsewhere at the Iwata marque there remains plenty to talk about. Cal Crutchlow (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™) was the first Yamaha home after that bad luck for Quartararo, and the Brit has therefore contributed Constructors’ points already – no mean feat as El Diablo was the scorer until Sunday. Crutchlow has plenty experience at the venue too. For Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, that was bad news – and he needs to find his way back into the form that’s seen him win races.
So, Honda. After the dust settled at MotorLand, we were left with even more questions about Marquez as the number 93 failed to make it out of Q1 due to yellow flags, and then failed to make it far into the race with that bad luck. Where would he have finished? There remain some cards close to the Repsol Honda rider’s chest and home turf for the factory is an interesting place to have to play them. As a true veteran now, Marquez knows the track better than everyone on the grid – so what can we expect? And can Pol Espargaro move forward on the other side of the garage?
Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), meanwhile, Motegi has always been a good track and the number 73 has multiple wins in the smaller classes. But he’s also riding it for the first time in MotoGP™, as are many on the grid, so it will be an interesting one. There is also plenty on the line for Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) as he even races a race to fitness. Getting caught up in that early race crash has left him with an injured hand and he’ll need to pass a medical – but he also has some serious experience at Motegi. What can he do on home turf? There will be home representation too for Tetsuta Nagashima as he wildcards with HRC, and Takuya Tsuda will be replacing Joan Mir at Team Suzuki Ecstar as they face a bittersweet final weekend on home turf and Alex Rins looks to add another podium.
Meanwhile, Ducati march on. After the duel at Misano, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) did it again at MotorLand for another spectacular finish, and this time with Bastianini on top. But Motegi could be a different story as the ‘Beast’ rides the track for the first time in MotoGP™, and Bagnaia has only one outing in the premier class under his belt at the venue. That’s also true of Quartararo, but the two had very different races. How will that ten-point gap look this Sunday?
Elsewhere at the Borgo Panigale factory there are plenty of talking points as well. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) has solid experience of Motegi, and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) too but not with Ducati. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) will be heading in to taste the track for the first time in the premier class, as will Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). With so much having changed since 2019, will that prove a sort of reset? Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) will hope it will as he looks to move forward again too, although the rookie continues impressing.
That phrase applies to Aprilia Racing and Aleix Espargaro even more. After a longer stint off the podium and watching that gap grow, MotorLand saw a return to the rostrum and after a weekend of ups and downs, too. That seems a statement of intent from the number 41 as he pulled it out the bag when needed on race day, and he’s back to within 17 points of those ahead. Will the lesser experience for everyone on the grid also play into their hands? The RS-GP is a newer bike, and Motegi leaves everyone in need of data on the machinery they return with. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) will also hope so, although the number 12 was caught up in avoiding that early race incident, he’ll most definitely want more from Japan after his recent podium pace took a dip.
KTM will be interesting to watch, too. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) put in a stunner at Aragon to come home fourth, and he held third for much of the race. That’s their best result since teammate Miguel Oliveira won in Indonesia, and they’ll want to back it up. Oliveira has ridden Motegi in the premier class and Binder hasn’t, but there could be some opportunity on the horizon again as returning to the track for the first time since 2019 promises a shuffle. Can the Mattighofen factory fight for the podium again?
Quartararo, Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro are now split by just 17 points, Marquez remains a somewhat unknown quantity, and we’re heading onto home turf for Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki. There’s plenty at stake in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, so make sure you don’t miss it as we go racing at 15:00 (GMT +9) local time on Sunday!
MotoGP Championship – Top 5
1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – 211
2 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 201
3 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – 194
4 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – Ducati – 163
5 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 134 -
MotoGP: Bastianini beats Bagnaia on last lap to win Aragon GP
Enea Bastianini passed Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap to win MotoGP race in Aragon GP, as Aleix Espargaro was third.
Pole-sitter Francesco Bagnaia made a good start on his Ducati to lead the MotoGP Aragon GP as KTM’s Brad Binder made up places to be second from the other Ducati of Jack Miller and Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini in the Top 4 positions.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro was steady in fifth from fast-starter Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin with teammate Johann Zarco behind him in seventh. The other KTM of Miguel Oliveira was eighth from VR46 Ducati pair of Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi.
Up ahead, MotoGP points leader had the worst start when he crashed out halfway into the first lap. A moment from Honda’s Marc Marquez on the exit of right-hander caught out Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, whose bike fell on him after a highside.
Quartararo retired immediately as Marquez struggled to hold on with damage on the rear of his Honda. He collected LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami in the process where other MotoGP riders had to avoid the Japanese rider, with Pol Espargaro almost crashing out too.
Both Nakagami and Marquez retired as Bagnaia continued to lead the MotoGP Aragon GP. Behind him, Bastianini was the rider on charge after he passed both Miller and Binder to move up to second, with the Australian losing out to Espargaro too.
He was down to fifth from a steady Martin, Zarco, Oliveira and Marini, as Bezzecchi dropped to 11th from LCR’s Alex Marquez in 10th. RNF Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow was 12th from Suzuki’s Alex Rins, Tech 3 KTM’s Remy Gardner and Honda’s Espargaro in the Top 15.
Up front, Bastianini started to pressure Bagnaia and passed him at Turn 1 to lead MotoGP Aragon GP. However, he went wide at Turn 12 allowing the Italian to retake the lead, with Binder and Espargaro then closing in on the Gresini rider in the fight for second.
It started to settle down at the front with Bagnaia leading well from Bastianini, but the latter started to trouble him a bit towards the end of the grand prix. The latter eventually made it stick on the final at Turn 7 after laps of putting pressure.
He took the inside line to lead and eventually win the MotoGP race in Aragon GP as Bagnaia had to settle for second by 0.042s and now 10 points behind Quartararo. Espargaro gained in on the Frenchman after passing Binder with few laps to go in third.
Binder fended off Miller to retain fourth, with Martin in sixth from Marini who passed both Oliveira and Zarco in a solid charge. The Frenchman was eighth from Rins who climbed up the order too, with Bezzecchi rounding out the Top 10.
Oliveira fell to 11th from Marquez, as Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales was 13th from Crutchlow and Espargaro in the Top 15 points position. Tech 3’s Gardner ended up outside points in 16th from Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli, RNF’s Darryn Binder, Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio and Tech 3’s Raul Fernandez.
With only five races remaining, Ducati clinched the MotoGP constructors’ championship in Aragon GP, which is their third in a row.
DNF: Marquez, Nakagami, Quartararo.
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MotoGP: Bagnaia secures Aragon GP pole from Miller, Bastianini
It was Ducati 1-2-3 finish as Francesco Bagnaia took MotoGP pole in Aragon GP from Jack Miller and Enea Bastianini.
Q1:
The first part in MotoGP qualifying in Aragon GP saw Honda’s Marc Marquez led the way with a 1m46.909s at the halfway mark from Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, who had multiple incidents early on – one of which was put under investigation.
The first one was with Marquez where the two waited for each other to get a tow, while the other was when Espargaro went wide and re-joined as Gresini Ducati’s Fabio di Giannantonio arrived at the scene in the left-hand corner.
Behind the Top 2, VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini was hot on heels in third from di Giannantonio and Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco. The second run started with a disaster for Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, who crashed out leaving him with little time to return.
His teammate Espargaro set the pace with a 1m46.569s lap to make it into Q2 along with Zarco in second, as Marquez ended up third to start his MotoGP return from 13th. Marini was 14th with di Giannantonio in 15th from Vinales, whose lap hung on.
LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez was 17th from Honda’s Pol Espargaro who had a late crash. The returning Cal Crutchlow was 19th in his RNF Yamaha, with Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli 20th, Tech 3 KTM pair Raul Fernandez & Remy Gardner in 21st & 22nd and RNF’s Darryn Binder in 23rd, as Suzuki’s Joan Mir pulled out of the weekend due to consistent pain.
Q2:
The second part in MotoGP qualifying in Aragon GP saw Gresini’s Enea Bastianini set the pace with a 1m46.580s lap to lead the way by nearly half a second from Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, while Jack Miller slotted in third to complete the front row.
KTM’s Brad Binder did well in fourth from Suzuki’s Alex Rins, as Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo was only seventh after his first run. While others pitted, Aprilia’s Espargaro went out of sequence for his final run when no one was on track at Aragon.
The second run from Bagnaia was on pace to take MotoGP pole in Aragon GP with a 1m46.069s lap to lead Ducati teammate Miller, as Bastianini dropped to third despite mini improvement. Espargaro slotted in fourth after his out of sequence run.
Zarco was fifth from Quartararo, who survived a crash scare while looking for that extra lap time. VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi was seventh from Pramac’s Jorge Martin. lone Suzuki of Rins, the KTM pair of Binder & Miguel Oliveira and LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami in Top 12.
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Shreyas, Jinendra to represent India at Valencia
Bengaluru, 5 Sept. 2022: Talented Shreyas Hareesh from Bengaluru dominated the last two rounds to upset the applecart of title-favourite Jinendra Kiran Sangave and was crowned the Indian champion in the FIM MiniGP India series which concluded at Meco Kartopia here on Sunday.
Shreyas and Kolhapur’s Jinendra qualified to represent India in the FIM MiniGP World Series Finals to be held in November in Valencia, Spain. “I am happy and excited that I have won the championship. I had fun and am eagerly looking forward to take part in the next stage of the World Championship at valencia, ” said Shreyas.
Shreyas (220 points) and Jinendra (213) finished first and second respectively in the FIM MiniGP World Series India 2022 which concluded at the Meco Kartopia here on Sunday. In the World Finals, the pair will compete with toppers of respective National series held in 15 countries.
Shreyas Hareesh (with the Indian flag) celebrates with family and friends after winning the MiniGP India Series at Meco Kartopia on Sept. 4, 2022. The five-round, 10-race India series, organised by RMS Motorsport with support from Meco Motorsports, saw Jinendra, 13, dominate initially by winning five races in a row. However, 12-year old Shreyas staged a remarkable comeback by topping four of the next five races, including a double in Round-4 on Saturday to finish on top of the Series points table with 220 points. Jinendra, who barely survived a difficult final weekend, finished with 213 points, well ahead of third-placed Nandanan Mahendran of Chennai (153).
Rookie Nithila Das, topped among the girls. Bengaluru-based Nithila Das kept the ‘Women in Motorsports’ flag flying by winning the top honours among the girls and also finished a creditable fifth overall in the standings with 106 points among 15 riders while Rakshitha Dave from Chennai was seventh (94). The other two girls, both from Bengaluru, Aleena Mansur Sheikh and Anastya Pol, participated only in Round-1.
Nithila, a Karnataka State cycling champion in her class, took to racing only this year but displayed enough skills and talent to beat many experienced riders. She finished first among the girls in eight of the 10 races.
The results (all 15 laps):
Round-4: Race-1: 1. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) (16mins, 08.090secs); 2. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (16:40.592); 3. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (16:46.509). Race-2: Shreyas Hareesh (16:05.533); Jinendra Sangave (16:06.095); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (Chennai) (16:37.833).
Qualifying (Top 3, best lap): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (01:04.014); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (01:04.148); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (01:04.251).
Round-5: Race-1: Jinendra Kiran Sangave (16:07.381); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (16:07.958); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (16:20.406). Race-2: 1. Shreyas Hareesh (16:14.237); 2. Nandanan Mahendran (16:25.629); 3. Rakshith Dave (Chennai) (16:41.085).
Qualifying (Top 3, best lap): Shreyas Hareesh (01:03.061); 2. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (01:03.244); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (01:04.208).
FINAL SERIES STANDINGS (TOP 3): 1. Shreyas Hareesh (220 points); 2. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (213); 3. Nandanan Mahendran (153).
About FIM MiniGP World Series India Series
The FIM MiniGP World Series India, comprising a total of 10 races spread over five rounds, is part of the global programme run across 15 countries, and initiated by the FIM, the World governing body for two-wheeler racing, in conjunction with Dorna Sports, promoters of the FIM MotoGP.
The FIM launched the MiniGP Series in 2021, as part of the Road To MotoGP programme, aiming to create an equal platform for young riders around the World to begin their motorcycle racing careers. All riders compete on equal Ohvale GP-0 160 machinery (Mini bikes), manufactured in Italy, while Pirelli is the official single tyre supplier for all the FIM MiniGP World Series.
The top two riders based on points at the conclusion of the India series will represent the country in the FIM MiniGP World Series finals to be held in Valencia, Spain, in November.
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MotoGP: Miller takes San Marino GP pole from Bagnaia
Ducati’s Jack Miller took MotoGP pole in San Marino GP from teammate Francesco Bagnaia and Gresini’s Enea Bastianini in mixed weather conditions.
For the first time since the 2018 Argentina GP, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) will start a MotoGP race from pole position after coming out on top of a rain effected Q2 at the Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini. The Australian’s 1:31.899 was enough to beat teammate Francesco Bagnaia by 0.015s as the Italian faces a three-second grid penalty on Sunday, with Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) making it a Ducati 1-2-3 in qualifying after finishing third.
Q1:
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) set the initial benchmark in the opening 15 minutes of qualifying before Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) set a 1:31.961 to go top. Having been threatening all afternoon, spots of rain started to fall with eight minutes to go, with Bezzecchi and Martin sitting inside the all-important top two.
With three and a half minutes to go, Luca Marini jumped ahead of Martin to make it a Mooney VR46 Racing Team 1-2 – and the Italian couldn’t have timed it any better. The rain had started to fall heavier as the riders all had to pull out of their final flying laps, meaning Bezzecchi and Marini were heading into Q2, seeing Martin miss out by 0.011s.
Q2:
Tensions were high ahead of the 15-minute pole position fight, with most of the riders starting the session on wet Michelin tyres – all but Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). And straight away the Portuguese rider was three seconds quicker than Bagnaia with the Italian on wet tyres, it was now clear the slick tyres were the correct choice.
Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – the top three in the World Championship – were some of the last to venture out on slicks. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi had gone fastest by half a second before Miller moved the goalposts, the Australian briefly sat 0.7s quicker than anyone before Oliveira cut the gap to 0.2s.
As expected, the times were tumbling lap by lap. Bezzecchi blitzed his way to provisional pole before Bastianini found a 1:33.812 to go quickest. Miller then split the Italians to slot into P2, 0.021s off Bastianini’s time, as red sector times littered to timing screens. Miller and Bastianini exchanged P1 again before Bagnaia took over top spot with a 1:32.413, as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) decided it was his turn to lead the session. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) gate-crashed the Ducati party to go second, 0.090s off Zarco, as Championship leader Quartararo found himself P7 with just over a minute to go.
That became P5 heading onto his final lap, but the Frenchman was half a second away from provisional pole. A 1:31.899 from Miller was the new time to beat but teammate Bagnaia was 0.083s under his time at the third split. Was it enough? Not quite. Pecco went into P2 with Bezzecchi going third, Marini made a late charge into the top six before Viñales jumped up to P5, but no one was able to better Miller on Saturday in Misano.
After finishing second, Bagnaia will launch from P5 for the San Marino GP after his mistake in FP1. That means Bastianini will start from the middle of the front row in P2, and fourth place Bezzecchi moves up a row to line up third. Viñales is the final rider to benefit from Pecco’s penalty, the Spaniard will be eying at least a podium from P4 with Bagnaia – crucially – starting ahead of his main title rivals in fifth. Zarco joins Viñales and Bagnaia on the second row in sixth.
Marini leads the third row ahead of the top two in the World Championship: Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro. It wasn’t the Q2 they would have been looking for, but it will make for very interesting viewing to see how the Yamaha and Aprilia stars progress on Sunday afternoon. Oliveira, Franco Morbidelli and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) complete the top 12.
[Note: The story is as per press release]
