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Category: Moto GP
Moto GP, the Motorcycle World Championship
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Francesco Bagnaia takes maiden pole: Barwa GP
Doha, 27 March 2021: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) has taken his maiden MotoGP™ pole position in serious style at the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar, the Italian slamming in a 1:52.772 – the fastest-ever two-wheel lap of Losail International Circuit – to take the honour. Bagnaia beats second place Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) by 0.266s, with Quartararo’s fellow Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales. Fourth? Top Independent Team rider Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) as the Doctor made it a Yamaha armada just behind Bagnaia… in more ways than one.
Before the final battle though, there was Q1 to contend with. Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) found himself having to fight for his place in the pole position shootout at the season opener and it wasn’t a walk in the park as the number 36 faced some stiff competition from two rookies: Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and Enea Bastianini (Esponsorama Racing). Both took turns leading the session, with Mir returning to P1 by just 0.005s with his best lap of the weekend.
Martin then crashed unhurt on his last lap and was out of contention, and Bastianini was unable to improve. Out of nowhere, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was then the man setting the timing screens alight though and the Japanese rider snatched P1 on his final flyer to demote Bastianini out of Q2 promotion. The Beast’s 0.005s deficit to Mir proved to be the difference. And so Mir edged through to Q2 by the skin of his teeth, and later received a fine and had his first but not fastest lap deleted for leaving pitlane early.
Nakagami and Mir then joined the fastest 10 riders from Free Practice for Saturday’s main course: MotoGP™ Qualifying 2. And in said session, it took Bagnaia just one lap to break the all-time lap record, a 1:53.273 coming in from the Italian to set us up for a phenomenal first pole shootout of 2021. Still, despite the P1 time being an all-time lap record, the timing screens were lit up with red sector times.
Bagnaia didn’t improve on his next lap, but teammate Jack Miller did and the Aussie took over at the top. Next was Quartararo and the Frenchman was an astonishing four tenths under at Sector 3, losing a little in the final sector but still talking over at the top, homing in on the 52s with a 1:53.038 – another all-time lap record. After the first couple of flying laps, it was a Yamaha and Ducati fest at the top, with Aleix Espargaro placing his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini machine next up in P6 ahead of Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing). Ahead of those two sat Quartararo, Miller, Viñales, Bagnaia and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) as the grid rumbled back into pitlane and prepared for a final push.
This was it. Viñales was the leader on the road and the first to show us what he had left in his locker, the Spaniard making it a factory Yamaha 1-2. Attention then turned back to Bagnaia though, and he had Valentino Rossi in tow to boot. Pecco unleashed a mind-blowing lap to return to P1 by 0.266s, impervious and seemingly unbeatable, and Rossi’s effort put him P3 for the time being as The Doctor demoted former teammate Viñales off the front row. Top Gun then returned the favour though, taking third back and pushing Rossi down to fourth.
The front row would go unchallenged for the remaining seconds. Bagnaia said on Friday, “we will beat the record in Q2”, and he stuck to his word as the Italian to claimed his first premier class pole position in style with the fastest-ever two-wheel lap of Losail International Circuit. Quartararo and Viñales lock out the front row as The Doctor joins two of his three Yamaha counterparts inside the top four; a 1:53.114 by far the fastest Rossi has lapped Losail.
Joining the veteran Italian on the second row are Miller and Zarco. The two Bologna bullets will have been hoping for more in Q2 but the second row is a solid place from which to unleash Ducati’s holeshot device. Zarco is also the new MotoGP™ top speed record holder at 362.4km/h after FP4, and his last flying lap in Q2 was his best to knock Morbidelli onto the third row.
2020 runner up Morbidelli spearheads Row 3 and he’s joined by Aleix Espargaro in eighth place, an impressive feat given the top eight were all under Marc Marquez’s old lap record. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is the final member on Row 3 in P9, with Mir being forced to settle for P10 – 0.910s back from pole position. Work to do on a Sunday for both Suzukis again, but if there’s one thing we learned in 2020, it’s to never discount the GSX-RR duo in race trim. Nakagami is the leading Honda ahead of the opening race of 2021 just behind them, he and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) will fire off the line in P11 and P12. For full results, click here.
We were expecting fireworks, but we really did get some: a new all-time lap record and top speed record within an hour. It’s safe to say MotoGP™ is off to an astonishing start in the desert, as attentions now turn to race day. Bagnaia has done the hard work up until now, but can he help Ducati keep up their formidable Qatar record under the lights in 24 hours time? There’s a whole host of riders lining up behind him who are more than capable of winning the Qatar GP, and it’s going to be simply unmissable.
Q2 results:1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:52.7722. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.2663. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.3164. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 0.3425. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.4436. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.5147. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 0.5418. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.5439. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.71810. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.91011. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 0.94912. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 1.158
Action from MotoGP Qatar Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 19:15 Hrs (07:15 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 28th March 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.
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Jack Miller leads Ducati 1-2 on Friday
A familiar name topped the timesheets on Friday at Losail as Miller headed teammate Bagnaia, with Quartararo slotting into third
Doha, 26 March 2021: Day 1 of MotoGP™ action in 2021 is in the history books, and leading the way on Friday at the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar is Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller as the Australian picked up where he left off in testing. Miller’s 1:53.387 was just 0.007s away from the all-time lap record, and teammate Francesco Bagnaia made it a Borgo Panigale factory 1-2. An infinitesimal 0.035s split the two red machines, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the top three after ending the day 0.188 off Miller.
After a scorching FP1 was completed earlier in the day, the Losail floodlights were switched on for FP2 and Miller, Bagnaia, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) all almost immediately set laptimes quicker than Franco Morbidelli’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) FP1 pace. That was before the Red Flag came out due to track conditions, with some debris scattered across the track on the start/finish straight. However, after a quick clean up operation, the MotoGP™ riders were back out with one thing on their mind: securing a place in the top 10 and therefore a provisional place in Q2.
Aleix Espargaro was the first rider to venture into the 1:53s under the evening lights and briefly went an incredible seven tenths clear, before Rins then cut the deficit to just under half a second. It then fell a little quieter at the top but with just under 15 minutes to go on the opening day, Quartararo slotted into within a tenth of Aleix Espargaro to make it four manufacturers in the top four: Aprilia, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki. Soft front and rear rubber was the choice for pretty much every rider as the first shootout of the year began.
On his next lap, Quartararo made good on his earlier threat and did demote Aleix Espargaro to P2, with Quartararo’s fellow Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales taking over in P3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) were next to climb the ladder into P5 and P6, with rookies Enea Bastianini (Esponsorama Racing) and then Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) enjoying some time in the top 10 too.
With nine minutes left, Bagnaia then took charge and did so by an almighty 0.275s. That lap was within half a tenth of Marc Marquez’s (Repsol Honda Team) all-time lap record, a 1:53.380, and Miller was next to challenge as he crossed the line within just 0.007s of Marquez’ time and took over in P1. It was soon a Ducati 1-2-3 as well, with Zarco going 0.199s behind Miller and the top 10 positions chopping and changing.
Quartararo was then glowing the timing screens with red in the opening three sectors, but the Yamahas were losing touch in the last sector as the superior grunt of the Ducatis kicked in. Nevertheless, El Diablo was able to grab P3 to break the Ducati trio apart. Bagnaia then threatened to reclaim top spot but Pol Espargaro’s (Repsol Honda Team) second crash of the day, this time at Turn 15, meant the Italian couldn’t complete his lap due to yellow flags.
In the end then, it’s Ducati and Miller who take first blood in 2021 and Bagnaia is forced to settle for second. The Italian makes sure it’s a Bologna 1-2 at the top though, with Yamaha looking good and Quartararo the quickest YZR-M1 rider so far in third. Zarco is looking like a serious contender on the GP21 too and finishes Friday in P4, with Rins going well on the soft tyres – something that bodes well for Suzuki to shrug of their sometime Achilles’ heel of one-lap pace – to claim P5.
Viñales and Morbidelli were close in sixth and seventh, respectively, finishing within three tenths of Miller as Aleix Espargaro slipped to P8 at the end of play. Valentino Rossi finished inside the top 10 for the second session in a row, the nine-time World Champion taking ninth, and Pol Espargaro grabbed a vital P10 despite his late tumble. Two crashes in one day aren’t what HRC’s new recruit would have been looking for, but the number 44 has some good speed.
Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) misses out on what could prove to be a crucial top 10 place as his title defence begins, but the gap could hardly be smaller: just 0.013s. With the cooler evening temperatures allowing the riders to set their best times of the day compared to when the sun was beating down in FP1 though, the same could well happen again in FP3 – so will an automatic place in Q2 be a struggle for Mir?
MotoGP™ really has returned with a bang in 2021 as 16 riders finish within a second on the opening day, a fantastic way to welcome back Grand Prix motorcycle racing. 15:15 local time (GMT+3) on Saturday afternoon is when the premier class will be back on track for FP3 and the provisional places in Q2 will be confirmed, so make sure to tune in and come back for the first qualifying shootout of the season from 19:20.
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New track limit detection system introduced
Race Director Mike Webb explains changes to the detection system designed to increase the accuracy of track limit decisions
Qatar, 26 March 2021: Ahead of the 2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship getting underway on Friday in the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar, Race Director Mike Webb explained a few changes to the way track limit infringements are judged.
A new system of sensors is now in place, increasing the accuracy of judgments and helping to create a level playing field for every infringement and/or decision.
Mike Webb: “Track limit regulations are staying the same but what we’ve been working on all last year is an updated system to detect track limits. Dorna and timekeeping have been working on this last year, we’ve got a new system that has pressure senses on the track outside the kerbs, so we can detect very accurately when a rider has gone out of track limits. It’s a much more accurate system.
“So the rule stays the same but because the system is actuated a little differently to the cameras we used before, it means for the riders that if they go out of track limits, there’s immediately a signal. In the past we had to look at a camera image and make a judgement. Now it’s just in or out; it’s very accurate. The difference for the riders or protocol is that now, one wheel out means out. In the past it was two wheels in the green, and is this two or one, how far out… no more of that judgment. Out is out and it doesn’t matter if it’s one wheel or two. It’s more accurate and it means it’s more fair for every rider, with a very clear view of who is in or who is out. The rule is the same, but the judgment is much more precise.”
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Joan Mir takes centre-stage as title-hopefuls rev-up in pre-race press meet
Doha, 26 March, 2021 : We have lift-off in 2021. The Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar officially kicked off with the pre-event Press Conference as MotoGP World Champion Joan Mir sat centre stage ready to embark on what he hopes is a title defending campaign. Everyone surrounding the number 36 on Thursday evening, the likes of Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), will be hoping it’s them who will be lifting the trophy come November.
Between now and then though, there’s thousands of kilometres to be raced – starting under the lights at the Losail International Circuit. Naturally as the current king, Mir has a target on his back and will head into the 2021 season as the rider to beat. Both he and Team Suzuki Ecstar Alex Rins had a quiet pre-season test, but Mir was relishing the weekend ahead and the “great challenge” that faces him and the team this year.
“Yes. So happy to be here again. Last year we did a really good season, a dream to achieve the Championship. We are here in Qatar, everyone starts from zero and it will be important to feel great here. The test was not bad but we have work to do. I’m looking forward to this season, we have a great challenge ahead of us defending the title and we’ll do as good as we can so let’s see.”
Someone who wasn’t quiet in testing was Miller. Fastest man on the timesheets here earlier this month, the Australian is being tipped as one of the favourite title contenders in 2021 – and for good reason. The factory star didn’t want to get carried away about his and Ducati’s testing performance though and knows there’s plenty more variables to consider in a Grand Prix weekend. But, Miller is looking and sounding right up for taking the fight to Mir, as well as the others.
Fabio Quartararo at the Thursday Press Conference. A MotoGP image “Yeah I feel ready as I’ll ever be. We didn’t get that big of a break, I went back to Australia for a bit but not as much as I’d like. The pre-season went good, I didn’t have a massive move it was just one garage over, I already knew a lot of the guys so we got on straight away. The times were good in testing but we can’t look into it too much, the conditions were perfect. We’ll start again from zero here, it will be a bit different with Dunlop rubber on the track so we’ll come in with an open mind,” explained Miller.
Something no one would have predicted last year is Repsol Honda going winless. The sport’s most decorated manufacturer signed up Pol Espargaro to partner still absent Marc Marquez this year and if testing is anything to go by, then the younger Espargaro has settled in well. Very well. However, naturally, the Spaniard didn’t want to overhype his chances for Round 1, but did admit that his one-lap pace wasn’t far from the likes of Miller, Quartararo and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia impressed in testing; Aleix at the Thursday Press Conference. A MotoGP image “Yeah it was a difficult beginning to the season because we just had four days of testing,” said Pol Espargaro. “For the rookies it was even worse but also for the guys who changed bikes, it was not the best preseason. Anyways even with those four days, the final day I felt comfortable and I could do something interesting with race pace, at least to start to think about where to be on the race. On one lap we weren’t far from Jack Miller, we know he is very fast, also Fabio and Maverick but still I think we have a lot to learn and it will be a little bit difficult, but we will enjoy the first race of the season.”
The number 44 went onto explain the old saying: Honda have the most difficult bike on the grid. Pol Espargaro doesn’t agree though and says you have to adapt your riding style accordingly. But how much was he able to do that at the pre-season test?
“In the past when I heard someone saying this bike is very difficult, I was always thinking the same thing, for me, one bike with one manufacturer can be very difficult and for one rider with a riding style better to this one it can be easier. So, for me, the Honda for sure is not the easiest but I don’t agree it is the most difficult bike on the grid. You just need to match the riding style of the bike and it feels like I did that a little in the Test.
“I don’t know how much I matched because it is difficult to evaluate after four days how much I’m connected to the bike. I would take out this idea the bike is difficult, and I want to start to be positive, to be proactive and try to make things happen. Starting here in Qatar it is not the best place for Honda or even me, but the Test was quite positive, but we are going to go for it and see what we can do in the first races even if we are still rookies with this bike.”
Winner of three races in 2021, Quartararo will be eager to mount a season-long title challenge this season now he is donning factory colours. All four YZR-M1s were looking in very decent trim during pre-season testing and the Frenchman explained how he’d been able to learn from his difficult end to the year last time out.
“Yes, I think that last year and the end of the season was difficult, but I think I have learned many things that can bring me a lot of experience for the future and this year. It feels like it has been high and low, but I feel ready for 2021 and I think that is the most important thing.”
Feeling ready for the 2021 season is something that at 42 years of age may sound very daunting. Not to Rossi though. The nine-time World Champion embarks on a new voyage in his illustrious Grand Prix career that enters its 26th chapter, and after lapping Losail quicker than ever, Rossi got the same buzz as he has done for the previous 26 years on the first Thursday of the season.
“Yes the atmosphere of Thursday of the first race is always the same, like the first day of school,” began The Doctor. “It’s always exciting, also for the pictures together on the grid, you have the feeling that in some hours we start. I changed team after a long, long time, but I feel good. The atmosphere is good and the test was not so bad, now we have to see in a real race weekend.”
Seeing how they get on in a real race weekend is something that Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia are eager to do with the 2021 RS-GP. After a supremely impressing Qatar Test, a lot of eyes will be concentrating on how Espargaro and Lorenzo Savadori get on. Could Aprilia challenge for regular rostrums in 2021? Aleix Espargaro was certainly hopeful of that, but he was another rider to point out that testing and a Grand Prix weekend are two wholly different prospects.
“I hope it is like this, but you never know, a test is a test,” began the Spaniard. “Races are completely different, and Moto2 and Moto3 the track will change. We will not start from zero but somewhere we will have to change some things. The test was good, the RS-GP 21 looks sincerely promising, but we have to race and compare with the others. I’m sure everyone will improve for the race. It’s not going to be easy but I’m very motivated and feel I have the chance to fight with the best and it gives me positive energy and I can’t wait for FP1.”
Millions of fans from every corner of the globe also can’t wait for MotoGP™ FP1 to get underway on Friday in Qatar. World Champion Mir will roll out of pitlane for the first time in 2021, during a Grand Prix, as the number one rider. However, there’s so many riders waiting in the wings to make sure it’s them who take all the plaudits this year.
Telecast: Action from MotoGP Qatar Qualifying Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 20:00 Hrs (08:00 pm IST) onwards on Saturday, 27th March 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery+ app.
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It was a dream to achieve the Championship: Joan Mir
2021 starts now! The Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar has officially got us underway at Losail International Circuit, with the pre-event Press Conference welcoming reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) at the helm. Joining him were new Repsol Honda Team rider Pol Espargaro, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller fresh from going fastest in testing, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo as he settles in, nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi; now in Petronas Yamaha SRT colours, and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro after impressing for the Noale factory in pre-season.
Joan Mir: “So happy to be here again. Last year we did a really good season, a dream to achieve the Championship. We are here in Qatar, everyone starts from zero and it will be important to feel great here. The test was not bad but we have work to do. Looking forward to this season, we have a great challenge ahead of us defending the title and we’ll do as good as we can so let’s see.
“The engine is the same and the bike also. There’s not a big change on the bike, it will be really important to keep the consistency but improve the speed to win more races, this will be the main goal.”
The number 36 was also asked about the departure of former Suzuki Ecstar Team Manager Davide Brivio:
“I think Davide did a great job putting every piece in the correct place in this team. We showed that we are able to win. Mainly, Suzuki aren’t moving anybody and not trying to replace Davide. We don’t miss him and I hope he will have a lot of luck in F1.”
Pol Espargaro: “It was a difficult beginning to the season because we just had four days of testing. For the rookies it was even worse but also for the guys who changed bikes, it was not the best preseason. Anyways even with those four days, the final day I felt comfortable and I could do something interesting with race pace, at least to start to think about where to be on the race. On one lap we weren’t far from Jack Miller, we know he is very fast, also Fabio and Maverick but still I think we have a lot to learn and it will be a little bit difficult, but we will enjoy the first race of the season.
“In the past when I heard someone saying this bike is very difficult, I was always thinking the same thing, for me, one bike with one manufacturer can be very difficult and for one rider with a riding style better to this one it can be easier. So, for me, the Honda for sure is not the easiest but I don’t agree it is the most difficult bike on the grid. You just need to match the riding style of the bike and it feels like I did that a little in the test. I don’t know how much I matched because it is difficult to evaluate after four days how much I’m connected to the bike. I would take out this idea the bike is difficult, and I want to start to be positive, to be proactive and try to make things happen. Starting here in Qatar it is not the best place for Honda or even me, but the test was quite positive, but we are going to go for it and see what we can do in the first races even if we are still rookies with this bike.”
Class of 2021, a MotoGP image Jack Miller: “I feel ready as I’ll be, we didn’t get that big of a break, I went back to Australia for a bit but not as much as I’d like. The pre-season went good, I didn’t have a massive move it was just one garage over, I already knew a lot of the guys so we got on straight away. The times were good in testing but we can’t look into it too much, the conditions were perfect. We’ll start again from zero here, it will be a bit different with Dunlop rubber on the track from Moto2 and Moto3 so we’ll come in with an open mind.
“For sure I think there is a lot more hype than if I topped the times last year with Pramac. For sure there is extra pressure there, we haven’t had much time to feel it, everything has been relatively good so far, it hasn’t been difficult so we’ll see when it gets difficult how the pressure sinks in but apart from that, everything feels a step up. Having more stuff is nice to have, you don’t feel the full benefit of it coming to a test with four days at the same track. Just in the first couple of exits I noticed, with the people around me, we were able to adapt and overcome other problems that took more time in the past.”
Fabio Quartararo: “I think that last year and the end of the season was difficult, but I think I have learned many things that can bring me a lot of experience for the future and this year. It feels like it has been high and low, but I feel ready for 2021 and I think that is the most important thing.
“Your first year you think about winning but your goals are to fight for the top five, but when you are with the factory your goals cannot be to fight for the top five, it’s clear that everyone here wants to fight for the Championship. Last year I had a factory bike, but you see a little bit more people in the team and more responsibility to develop the bike, but in general I’m feeling good. The test was great, we tested many things and everything went well. More than feeling pressure now I’m just super excited to start the weekend!”
Valentino Rossi: “The atmosphere on Thursday of the first race is always the same, like the first day of school. It’s always exciting, also for the pictures together on the grid, you have the feeling that in some hours we start. I changed team after a long, long time, but I feel good. The atmosphere is good and the test was not so bad, now we have to see in a real race weekend.
The Hero still wants to continue racing… Valentino Rossi “In the factory team but also in the Petronas team everyone gives the maximum, so you have the pressure. The difference is the amount of people around the bike, but for me the atmosphere was also good in the factory team, it’s not a big change. I’m very happy to have Franco as my teammate because we’re good friends, we stay a lot of time together in Tavullia for training but also free time, and he is one of the best riders in MotoGP at the moment like he demonstrated last year. So for me, it’s good, it’s great motivation to fight with him.”
Aleix Espargaro: “I hope it is like this, but you never know, a test is a test. Races are completely different, and after Moto2 and Moto3 the track will change. We will not start from zero but somewhere we will have to change some things. The test was good, the RS-GP 21 looks sincerely promising, but we have to race and compare with the others. I’m sure everyone will improve for the race. It’s not going to be easy but I’m very motivated and feel I have the chance to fight with the best and it gives me positive energy and I can’t wait for FP1.
“I’m very happy. In these last years we’re making steps to get closer to the top bikes and Aprilia have made an important step which will be very helpful for the future. And Dovizioso, apart from being a talented and a fast rider, he can be a very good test rider. He did a great job with the Ducati. The last seasons he was winning races and fighting for the title so he will be able to give us good feedback and help us a lot. I can’t wait for him to try the bike in Jerez and to see his reaction and how he likes the bike and sees the weak points, because I will be six years with this bike, and he will be fresh and new and give a new point of view.”
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My main goal is to defend my MotoGP title, says Joan Mir
Joan Mir Mayrata, having won his maiden World title in MotoGP last season, hopes to ride on the newly-gained confidence and successfully defend his crown. The 23-year old Spaniard, astride the Team Suzuki Ecstar machine, shrugged off a rather wayward start in the pandemic-marred 2020 championship, and performed with stunning consistency to top the leaderboard on the back of one win in Valencia apart from a string of podium finishes that underlined his undoubted class and talent. “My main goal in the 2021 season is to defend my title,” he asserted during a one-on-one interview with INDIAinF1.com (Courtesy EuroSport India) ahead of the season-opener in Qatar this weekend. EuroSport India will broadcast MotoGP races in India this season.
The excerpts:
Anand Philar: Congratulations Mir, on winning the 2020 World Championship.
Joan Mir: Thank you very much.
AP:Before the season, you had to go through the pandemic and the lockdown, and when the season started, you had a couple of hiccups in the first three races.How did you get through all these challenges?
JM: Well, it (the pandemic) is something that we are not able to control, no? It is important not to think too much about it, just focus and train everyday, and be well-prepared for the first race. At this time last year, we did not know where and when will be the first race. But we have to train, it is our work.
AP: When the season started, you did not have a very good first three races. What went into your mind at that stage?
JM: It was a difficult situation. I was strong and I was fast, but I was not able to show my potential. And it was so frustrating. But we did a great job from then onwards and I was able to fight for the podium later for the entire season. I was confident from then on.
AP: Can you please talk us through your first win in Valencia, and what it meant to you?
JM: In Valencia, the victory was the key to win the Championship. Because I was able to win in the moment of huge pressure and I was not scared of the pressure. I handled it well and was able to make a win out of the pressure. So, it was a super special moment because the season was coming to an end, and I was not able to win a race despite leading the championship. So I thought, how is it that I am not able to win? For some reason I was not able to win. So in the end, it came. I made it possible. Yea!
AP: Was there a lot of pressure at that point to win?
JM: Yes, yes. There was a lot of pressure. But I managed to be myself. I was not scared of the pressure. It did not scare me, but it inspired me.
AP: From your Red Bull rookie days to the present, how much have you evolved as a rider?
JM: A lot! I always used to take the opportunity even in the days of Red Bull… I was listed and it was difficult for me to manage big Moto3 bike and every year, I was able to improve and go up… and go up. This means that we all adopted so quickly to the new categories (Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP).
AP: So did you make changes in your riding style and technique?
JM: Yeah, yeah. In the end, the style is always the same, but you improve the positions, sitting on the bike, you sit more in the front or in the back, how you position yourself, the hands, these changes you can see… in these I try to improve.
AP: Is there any one difference that helped you in 2020 season to win the Championship? What is it, one factor that made the difference?
JM: It is the consistency. It is the one factor that made all the difference for me to win the Championship.
AP: What is your target for 2021 season?
JM: My target is to defend the title. To win the Championship again!
AP: And you have the bike for that? Did you make any major changes in the bike for this season?
JM: I think yes. I feel great with the bike and it is not a big difference from the bike of the last season. It is the same. There are small things that we changed and we will be able to do it. Let us see…
AP: So you feel this new season (2021), the bike is much more quicker, much more improved?Did you make a lot of improvements?
JM: My bike is the same. It is not much more quicker because the engine is the same, but we made improvements in small areas. But I am a little more comfortable on the bike. But we know that the Ducatis are stronger and also Yamahas, Hondas… Let us see.
AP: Now the new season starting this week-end, do you feel a lot of pressure? You are World champion and there are a lot of expectations from fans, from the team?
JM: No. Somehow, I am comfortable and I feel no pressure for some reason. But yes, as last year’s winner, some pressure will be there, but I am happy and ready to go because it is the pressure that made me give something more. So I am happy.
AP: Do you go through any special routine to deal with this kind of expectations in terms of your mental preparation and approach?
JM: I have something that I always follow. I will always be focussed…When I change, when I put the leather on, there are some things that I always follow. I always start with the right. Right boot with the right leg, then with the right hand, that is right arm, and the right glove…This is something that helps me to go with less pressure, to focus and concentrate and puts me in race mode. Apart from that, at home, I try not to think of too many things and I try to focus.
AP: What is your target for this season?
JM: To fight for the title. My target is to defend the title, to win the Championship.
AP: And how confident are you?
JM: I am fully confident. I think the title last year gave me extra confidence and will fight for it this year.
Telecast: The MotoGP 2020 season will start with a triple-header beginning with the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend at the Losail International Circuit, which will also host the Tissot Grand Prix of Doha, on Easter Sunday. EuroSport India, will telecast all the rounds this season in India. Dish TV Channel 630 (SD) and 639 (HD); D2h (India) Channel 410 (SD); Tata Sky Channel 496 (SD) 495 (HD); Sun Direct 517 (SD) 989 (HD); Airtel Digital TV 304 (SD) 305 (HD);
Disclosure: EuroSport India facilitated the interview with World Champion Joan Mir.
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Marquez to miss first two rounds
Doha, 22 March 2021: Marc Marquez, together with his medical team from the Hospital Ruber Internacional, have considered it prudent not to re-join competition this weekend in Qatar.
In the review carried out on the Spanish rider by the medical team led by Doctors Samuel Antuña and Ignacio Roger de Oña, and made up of Doctors De Miguel, Ibarzabal and García Villanueva, 15 weeks after surgery for an infected pseudoarthrosis of the right humerus, a good clinical response has been found after the intensification of his training.
However, considering the time period and the current state of the bone consolidation process, doctors consider it prudent and necessary not to accelerate Marquez’s return to the track after such an inactive time, and to avoid putting the humerus at risk in intense competition. Marquez will undergo another medical check on Monday, April 12.
Earlier, Marc Márquez made a welcome step back towards a MotoGP return when the Spaniard completed a day of riding around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on a RC213V-S to understand his physical condition after eight months away from the track n 17 March 2021. However, Marquez will be missing the first two rounds of the 2021 season as he prepares to make a strong comeback.
Here is what happened in 2020:
– Márquez’s 2020 season began in dramatic fashion at the Spanish GP last July when the Repsol Honda rider suffered a highside on the Jerez track and crashed out late on to leave him with a fractured arm.
– The Spaniard had been a revelation on two wheels before the crash with one 125cc world title (2010), one Moto2 crown (2012) and six MotoGP World Championships in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
– The 28-year-old underwent a series of operations on the fractured right humerus, however complications ensured that he missed the rest of the season as compatriot Joan Mir won his maiden world title for Suzuki.
– Márquez has worked extremely hard in rehabilitation to give himself a chance of competing in 2021 for Repsol Honda alongside his new teammate Pol Espargaró.
– After doctors cleared him to ramp up his training, due to increasing bone consolidation in his arm, he first tested out his fitness using a mini bike close to his home in Cervera at the Circuito de Alcarrás track.
– Next up on March 16, Márquez climbed on to a Honda RC213V-S – the production version of his MotoGP bike – for a welcome trip around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the next step in his comeback.
– The 2021 season opens around the Losail circuit on March 28 with the evening Qatar GP one of 19 races that are currently scheduled.
Image courtesy: Dorna Sports/ Red Bull Content Pool
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Michelin’s new MotoGP range set for 2021 race début at Losail
Doha, 22 March 2021: An intensive programme over the winter break has seen Michelin make further improvements to its tyres for the MotoGP™ World Championship. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Michelin Motorsport’s development experts have responded to Dorna Sports’ call for technical stability by building on the range’s existing strengths, with the accent on fine-tuning the tyres’ respective casing/compound pairings. The result is a more streamlined and more versatile range for 2021, along with greater consistency, in perfect keeping with the brand’s ‘Grip made to last’ pledge.
The official test sessions earlier this month saw Michelin complete its groundwork and preparations ahead of this year’s MotoGP™ World Championship which will kick off with two grands prix under the floodlights of Qatar’s Losail International Circuit. With assistance from the state’s government, and in compliance with strict sanitary measures, Dorna Sports has effectively succeeded in organising back-to-back races there, beginning with the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar on March 28, followed by the Grand Prix of Doha on April 4. In keeping with the tradition that gives the action in Qatar its unique flavour, both clashes will take place after nightfall.
Because of its desert location and the frequent presence of wind-blown sand on the track, Losail International Circuit’s surface is notoriously abrasive and tends to become more slippery as grip levels drop off due to the cooler temperatures encountered after sunset. However, the ability of Michelin’s MotoGP tyres to take these characteristics in their stride has contributed actively to the setting of new fastest-race-lap, shortest-race-duration and top-speed records for the 5.380-kilometre circuit.
Tyres available for the two Qatar races
MICHELIN Power Slick tyres: SOFT (white sidewall markings), MEDIUM (no markings) and HARD (yellow markings) front and rear. The SOFT and HARD fronts are symmetric, while the MEDIUM front and all three rear options are asymmetric, with a harder compound for the right shoulder due to the circuit’s 10 right-hand turns, compared with just six left-handers. The tyre allocation has also been adapted to the characteristics of the track. Each rider can choose a maximum of 6 SOFT, 5 MEDIUM and 4 HARD tyres for the front and rear.
In the case of poor weather, and subject to their use being authorised by Race Control, SOFT (blue sidewall markings) and MEDIUM (no markings) front and rear MICHELIN Power Rain tyres will also be available (asymmetric rears).
Piero Taramasso (Two-Wheel Manager, Michelin Motorsport)
“I am very proud of what Michelin Motorsport’s teams in Clermont-Ferrand and on the ground have achieved. In spite of the difficult circumstances they had to contend with, and working within the existing technical framework, they have succeeded in building on the experience we acquired in 2020 to revisit our MotoGP range in depth. Our pre-season test programme saw us meet our development targets and the results are extremely encouraging. They mean we will be able to provide the riders with a range that is both more streamlined and more versatile, and that in turn will facilitate their bike set-up work. We have also improved consistency by a move to slightly harder compounds, while at the same time maximising grip and overall performance. These gains were praised by our partners at the pre-season test in Qatar where our tyres played a part in the establishment of two new MotoGP records for Losail: that of the fastest lap for the track – which was the work of Ducati Team’s Jack Miller, with a time of 1m53.183s – and that of the highest speed ever reached there when Johann Zarco’s Pramac Racing Ducati was clocked at 357.6kph down the main straight!”
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A tight fight at the top sees Sam Lowes snatch P1
Doha, 21 March 2021: Another day, another incredibly tight fight at the top of the Moto2 timesheets? Yup. Sunday at the Official Moto2 and Moto3 Qatar Test saw Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) snatch P1 in the intermediate class, but the top three was covered by just 0.048 as Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) took second and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) third. All three will likely be starting the year expecting to challenge for wins, and their tests only underlined their speed.
The conditions were fair on Sunday once again, and Lowes’ best is the quickest lap of the test as preparations continued for the coming race weekend(s). The gaps one again show we have a stunner in store, across the top three and throughout the timesheets. Lowes, Bezzecchi and Gardner will leave the test happy, and so too will Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) as the Brit rounded out Sunday in fourth. After a wrist injury that could have been a career-threatener, getting straight back into the top five is no mean feat. That top five on Day 3 of the test was completed by Dixon’s teammate Xavi Vierge, who was fastest on Saturday.
Sixth place goes to Bo Bendsneyder on Day 3 as the Dutchman continues to impress upon his move to Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team and Kalex. He was only 0.033 off Vierge as he made a late leap up the timesheets, and is another who has been consistently improving. Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) ends Sunday in seventh, another late to move up the timesheets but doing so in style.
Style is also a good word to describe the start of Raul Fernandez’ (Red Bull KTM Ajo) Moto2™ career. Fastest rookie throughout, the Spaniard is on course for an incredibly impressive debut race weekend. So too, now, is Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) though as the reigning Moto3™ World Champion shot up into the top ten on Sunday, only 0.052 off fellow rookie Fernandez. Arenas’ teammate Aron Canet completes the top ten, sliding down from second on Day 1 and Day 2 but another with some key consistency.
Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40) takes P11 by just 0.003 ahead of another impressive rookie in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with yet another right behind him: Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). The American was only 0.016 off Ogura too… and pipped compatriot Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) by 0.011. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the fastest fifteen, just edging out rookie teammate Tony Arbolino.
That’s it from the pre-season test for the Moto2™ class, with the stage well and truly set for the first race of the season. Are Lowes, Bezzecchi, Gardner and their experienced compatriots ready for battle? And can the rookies edge ever closer as practice begins? Find out on Friday as the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar begins.
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Marc Marquez on track in Barcelona
Barcelona, 17 March 2021: The Repsol Honda Team rider continued to evaluate his physical condition with a day riding the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit on the Honda RC213V-S.
Just a few days after his medical team confirmed the progress made by Marc Marquez, the eight-time World Champion was back on track. First using a mini-bike close to his home in Cervera, Marquez has now completed a day of riding at the Montmelo circuit on the RC213V-S to understand his physical condition after eight months away from the track.
