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Category: Moto GP
Moto GP, the Motorcycle World Championship
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Demolition job: Viñales stakes an early claim on victory Down Under
The 2018 winner puts himself in another postcode, Quartararo suffers a highside and Marquez is outside the top five as action opens in Australia
Maverick Vinales tops Friday times. A MotoGP image Phillip Island (Australia), 25 Oct 2019: Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) ruled Day 1 at the Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, fastest in the wet and dry to make it double trouble for his rivals. By the end of the play the only man within half a second of the Spaniard was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), although Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was only a hundredths off joining the bracket as the Briton took third.
In classic Phillip Island style, Friday saw a few different seasons hit the circuit and it started with a wintery, rainy FP1. Viñales made short work of that from home hero Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), and once the sun was back out in the afternoon the 2018 winner repeated the feat, this time from Dovizioso and Crutchlow, who were split by just five thousandths.
Behind Viñales, hundredths and thousandths were the deciding margins in a tight top eight. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) was just 0.002 behind Crutchlow, with local favourite Miller completing the top five after ending up 0.017 in further arrears. 0.077 was then the gap back to Marquez in P6, with the number 93 getting the better of Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) by just 0.015. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) made for close company in eighth as well, 0.036 off the ‘The Doctor’.
Missing someone? By the time you get to the latter half of the top ten of late, there’s a name that you expect to have read a while ago but it wasn’t to be for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) on Friday. The French rookie was putting together a solid performance for much of FP1 but disaster struck towards the end of the session as he suffered a highside and then headed for the Medical Centre. He was declared fit but to be reviewed before FP3, although the number 20 was sidelined for FP2 after the medication he was given. His left foot is the affected area but the key good news was that he’s suffered no fractures in the crash. His teammate Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) flew the flag for the team on Friday, the Italian sixth in the wet and ninth overall after laptimes plummeted in the dry.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the top ten after a solid outing for the Noale factory, the last man within a second of Viñales (and within half a second of everyone else). Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was 11th ahead of an impressive push from Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) in P12, with Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) in 13th.
Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) finished the day in 14th despite a crash, just 0.015 ahead of the returning Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Idemitsu). The Frenchman acquitted himself well on first contact with his machine for the next three races; 13th in FP1 in the wet and the second Honda behind, as could be expected, Marquez, but he did get the better of Crutchlow by hundredths and Lorenzo by a few tenths. In FP2 in the dry, the number 5 put it in 15th and only a second and a half off the top. Lorenzo was in hot pursuit in P16.KTM had a solid start to the weekend in the wet as Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was ninth in FP1, just ahead of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) by an apt 0.088. But the dry saw the Austrian factory slip down the order a little and they’ll be looking for more on Saturday. Espargaro also suffered a big crash on Day 1, rider ok.
For the premier class, Saturday begins at 10:50 (GMT +11), before qualifying from 15:05 to decide the grid for the Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Will the rain return? Tune in to find out.
Friday’s Fasterst:
1 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) 1’28.824
2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) +0.496
3 – Cal Crutchlow* (GBR – Honda) +0.501
4 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) +0.503
5 – Jack Miller* (AUS – Ducati) +0.520*Independent Team rider
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Riders ready to take on “iconic” Phillip Island
The pre-event Press Conference sees the action start to heat up Down Under
From Left: Zarco, Rossi, Dovizioso, Marquez, Quartararo, Miller, Lecuona pose for a picture after the Thursday press meet. A MotoGP image Phillip Island, 24 Oct 2019: It’s Thursday in Australia and that means one thing and one thing only: animals! But more on that later. First it’s time to hear a little from the riders in the pre-event Press Conference, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) joined by Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Rookie of the Year Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), home hero Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), returning Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Idemitsu), newly-announced 2020 MotoGP™ rider Iker Lecuona and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who makes an incredible 400th Grand Prix start this weekend.
Marquez spoke first, and he says Phillip Island is all about feel. “We are coming from another great weekend in Japan a week ago and the target here on Sunday is to fight for victory. It’s a circuit you need to feel, you need to feel that you can because it has a lot of high speed corners, this means a lot of risk. It’s a circuit that if you don’t feel, you need to stay calm, try to finish on the podium or try to finish the race. Apart from that, today we have a summer day, tomorrow we might have a winter’s day – you never know. This is where we will try to work in a good way to try and fight against Yamaha and Suzuki, I think they have a bike that works very well here, very stable in the high speed corners. It will be tough to beat them but we will try.”
Next up was Dovizioso, who was asked if he’s optimistic returning to the Island after a solid event last season. Not quite, but almost. “Optimistic is a bit too much. Last year we did a really fast and good race, so I hope to be on the podium again. I think it will be hard because of course Marc and the Yamaha riders will be strong, Rins too, so it will be hard.
“In the last race at the end we were quite fast and we have to understand something about that because it’s happened too many times this season, I think there’s a technical reason. But here is a completely different track. Like Marc said, the conditions are always quite strange and it will affect everyone. The tyres but also the wind, which way it’s going. We’ll wake up tomorrow morning and see the conditions!”
Quartararo, meanwhile, arrives having already been crowned Rookie of the Year, and he’s now gunning for the honour of top Independent – against Jack Miller.
“I think the Yamaha suits this track really well but we will see about the conditions. Like Marc said, today we have nice weather but it looks like it will be quite tricky for the weekend.
“We don’t need focus a lot on the victory, just do the same work that we did from the beginning of the year, step by step, and feel the temperature of the tyres. It’s a track that I really like, fast corners, the Yamaha looks good, so we’ll do our best and our best will be good enough.”
Valentino Rossi, on the other side of the spectrum of experience, spoke next. 400 is quite a milestone, and ‘The Doctor’ thinks the place is a good one to play host. “It’s a long, long time; a long road. Like you said it’s good to hit the 400 here in Phillip Island. It’s an iconic place for MotoGP, all the riders love the circuit because it’s something special compared to the rest. So it’s one of the best places. We pray, everybody prays for a weekend here like this, the blue sky and the fantastic weather, but unfortunately the good weather arrived too much in anticipation so we will have to fight the weather in Phillip Island but anyway, it’s a pleasure.
Home hero Jack Miller agrees it’s a great place to ride – and says he’s lucky it’s his home race to boot.
“We’ll give it a go! It’s a place I love to ride at first of all, like everyone else. I think it’s one of the best circuits on the calendar and fortunately for me, it’s my home Grand Prix. I’m looking forward to getting out there. Like the boys said, the weather isn’t going to be ideal but for me here at Phillip Island there’s no point looking at the forecast. If the wind changes, we’ll have either beautiful sunshine or freezing cold. So, we’ll wait until the morning and make a plan from there. Feeling really good, it was a shame about the race in Japan, but we had good pace there. Looking forward to my weekend at home, I’m normally pretty strong and with the form we’ve had this year I think I’ve got a chance of taking it to these guys!”
These guys, this weekend, also includes a familiar face making a return: Zarco. The Frenchman makes the first of his three appearances replacing Takaaki Nakagami this weekend at the Island.
“The smile is there! It’s difficult to set a target. I want to clear all the feelings I got this year. I started well in MotoGP the first two years, but this year has been really complicated, so it seemed it was finished – my MotoGP story – but Lucio called me to take these three races, and yes I’m taking it because maybe it’s my last three races. I took a big risk this summer stopping my contract for 2020, and now I can realise that racing is what I want to do. I have a short future at the moment but I can live it with a lot of intensity and that’s what I wanted to do.”
Finally, Iker Lecuona spoke. He was confirmed earlier as riding in the premier class in Red Bull KTM Tech 3 colours next year, and that was, of course, the key talking point.
“For sure I’m very happy to have this opportunity. For me it’s crazy, to be here with Marc or Valentino. When I was a kid I saw everybody on TV and I wanted to ride with everyone on track, finally it’s possible. I want to thank KTM for this opportunity and Herve Poncharal for giving me this opportunity to ride in MotoGP.”
That’s it from the Press Conference, for more on the upcoming Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix head to motogp.com and tune in for another awesome race on Sunday 27th October at 15:00 (GMT +11). In India the telecast will be at 9.30 am IST.
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Great Ocean Road: riding to the Island with Miller and Quartararo
Off to a flying start, the home hero and the rookie who hopes to beat him saddle up Down Under
Miller (L) and Quartararo on the stunning road to the Australian GP. A MotoGP image Phillip Island (Australia), 23 Oct 2019: There are some roads that beg to be ridden, and the Great Ocean Road is one of them. Nearly 250km long and stretching along the coastline of the state of Victoria, every view is a ripper and for that kind of place, you really need to consider heading out on two wheels.
Luckily for Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), they’re in the business of riding and Ducati and Yamaha are very much in the business of bikes. And so, it was time to saddle up for a trip to the Island, with a little helicopter action thrown in for good measure.
With two stretches of the Great Ocean Road temporarily closed for the event, Miller and Quartararo had the run of the scenery around seaside town Lorne, and the two opened the throttle to blast alongside the ocean for a few kilometers, as well as making a stop off for an awesome ride down Lorne Pier. With blue skies above and the open road ahead, there’s hardly a better way to arrive in the spectacular Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit. In reality, however, the adventure didn’t quite begin and end there…
On Tuesday afternoon fresh from touchdown in the country, the two riders were whisked off for a pretty special experience – a helicopter tour of the 12 Apostles, flying down from Melbourne before touchdown on the Great Ocean Road. The 12 Apostles, further south along the route they’d ride the day after, is a Victoria classic – and from the air, even more spectacular.
And just as the riding was far from a quick stop-go for the cameras, the helicopter action didn’t stop there, either. As well as the aircraft getting some stunning shots of the ride, another helicopter was then waiting to take the two men fighting for top Independent Team rider to their ultimate destination – Phillip Island. By road, it’s a good few kms and hours. By air, it’s a short hop over the deep blue below with another set of awesome views thrown in – the ribbon of perfect tarmac hugging the coastline kilometer after kilometer.
After a little chance to catch their breath, it’s now time to change road bikes for media debriefs on Thursday and then, finally, unleash their MotoGP™ machines on Friday morning. And there, the ocean will still be alongside them and the scenery just as stunning – only this time the ‘road’ will be far from closed. The pitlane opens for the Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at 9am on Friday 25th October, tune in then and stay for what’s sure to be one of the premier class races of the year on Sunday at 15:00 (GMT +11).
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Marquez escapes the clutches of Quartararo at Motegi
The reigning Champion brings it home for Honda, Quartararo wraps up Rookie of the Year and Dovizioso hits a century in Japan
Marc Marquez celebrates after crossing the flag in Motegi on Sunday. A MotoGP image Motegi (Japan), 20 Oct 2019: The riders’ Championship may already have been decided before the paddock arrived at the Twin Ring Motegi, but the Motul Grand Prix of Japan saw plenty of milestones: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took a commanding victory to wrap up the constructors’ Championship for Honda, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) pushed him as hard as he could and took second to secure Rookie of the Year and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) pounced on Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to take his 100th Grand Prix podium.
It wasn’t the perfect getaway for polesitter Marquez but he held his advantage into Turn 1, with Quartararo braking later to get underneath his teammate Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and start his stalking of the reigning Champion early. But that allowed the fast-starting Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) to grab P3 on the exit of Turn 2, and a frantic opening lap then unfolded as Quartararo passed Marquez for the lead only for the number 93 to pounce back at the tight Turn 10. It was a late lunge from the Honda man as the duo ran slightly wide, with Quartararo looking for the cutback but almost losing the front, foot slipping into the air. That gave third place Miller a sniff at second, but the door quickly closed and the Aussie almost hit the back of the Frenchman ahead.
At the front, meanwhile, Marquez had pulled the pin. Eight tenths were his advantage over Quartararo as the duo started to break clear of the chasing pack, that then becoming a second as the rookie hovered close but not quite close enough. Further behind, the battle for the final place on the podium was getting intense, however, with Miller holding P3 as Morbidelli, Viñales and Dovizioso all started to close in…
It didn’t take long for Morbidelli to lead the trio past Miller, but the group was over three seconds off Quartararo at the midpoint of the race and after staying within almost-striking distance of the reigning Champion for the first half, ‘El Diablo’ was also starting to drop back. With 11 laps to go, Dovi took Morbidelli before Viñales followed suit and it soon became Dovizioso vs Viñales for the final rostrum place, with two different machines making for an interesting concertina of a duel.
As the final few laps appeared on the horizon, Quartararo had been dropped by Marquez but the Frenchman would need to be careful. Dovi had fended off Viñales and the Ducati man was on a charge, closing in by eight tenths in a single lap. Would it be enough? On the last lap, everything suddenly tightened up as Marquez cruised round for the win and Quartararo closed in; Dovizioso closing in on him…but the Italian couldn’t quite get close enough to make a final lap lunge. Marquez took the win, Quartararo second and Dovizioso third, all with big reasons to spray the prosecco with a smile on the podium: manufacturer glory, rookie genius and a century of rostrum finishes.
Viñales took fourth after just being denied the podium, ahead of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) in P5 as the Brit beat Morbidelli by 0.047 on the run to the line to grab his first top five finish since the Czech GP. Morbidelli’s early podium hopes sadly faded as the Italian picked up P6 in Japan, with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) recovering from P11 on the grid to P7 in the race. Teammate Joan Mir rode a solid race to finish just over a second behind Rins in P8, with the Ducatis of Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Miller rounding out the top 10.
One name noticeably absent from that run down is that of nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who had a tough race that then ended early in a crash, as was the situation for Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini).
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was 11th and got the better of impressive KTM-riding rookie Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in P12, with Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) taking 13th. Mika Kallio (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) made it three KTMs in the points in P14, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) the final man to score.
That’s it from Japan and another weekend to remember for Marquez and Honda. Step two of three is now complete with the riders’ and constructors’ titles sewn up, can they catch Ducati in the team standings? Marquez also equalled Mick Doohan’s 54 premier class win tally at Motegi, and it’s not long to go until the riders are back out on track at Phillip Island for the eight-time Champion to try and go one better. Meanwhile Quartararo will arrive as Rookie of the Year, and he’ll also have his first shot at taking the honour of top Independent Team rider…on Miller’s home turf. Tune in next weekend for the Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Marc Marquez: “It was not easy, especially because we were pushing, I was pushing from the beginning because the strategy was clear. I tried to open a gap from the beginning because I felt strong in Warm Up but I started to play a lot with the switches; like you saw with fuel I was on the limit. It’s one of the worst circuits for it here so I was playing with it, then I pushed and when I had two seconds I started to play with it again. It wasn’t easy to ride that race because you have to think about a lot of things on the bike but I was able to manage it in a good way and finish the race on the limit. And the Repsol Honda Team did a great job because they found the best compromise!”
Race Results Top-3:
1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 42’41.492
2 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.870
3 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) +1.325*Independent Team rider
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Marquez holds off Morbidelli and Quartararo for pole at Motegi
The 2019 Champion takes his first pole position in the premier class at the venue – the last one on the calendar he’d not yet ruled
Franco Morbidelli fallls short of pole, losing to Marc Marquez at Motegi on Saturday. A MotoGP image Motegi, 19 Oct 2019: There are few things Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has not yet achieved, but one of them was a premier class pole position at the Twin Ring Motegi. After achieving the feat in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, the number 93 ticks another box and has now been on pole in MotoGP™ at every track on the current calendar. That’s every track he’s raced at in the premier class with one exception: Laguna Seca, as now-Honda test rider Stefan Bradl stole the honours in Marquez’ rookie year of 2013. No one was going to do the same at Motegi this season, although Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and teammate Fabio Quartararo came closest, cutting a huge deficit to less than two tenths to complete the front row.
As expected, Saturday dawned wet at the Twin Ring Motegi and that meant direct entry to Q2 was already set, leaving the likes of Morbidelli and Quartararo to the task of getting in some wet track time in FP3. By the time Q1 came around later in the day, however, the track was dry enough for slicks and the fight was on. In the end, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) headed through, with home hero Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) the man to lose out by just hundredths.
Once Q2 was underway, Marquez set about creating the goalposts and then moving them. On his third lap around the reigning Champion was a second clear of the field before Quartararo just got inside that bracket; initially the only man to do so. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) then managed to get within half a second and Morbidelli within seven tenths, however, the latter making a clear statement of intent before the majority pulled in to the pits.
On their seconds runs, Quartararo came out guns blazing to get within three tenths before Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) took the baton to attack and inched closer, but Marquez seemed unstoppable and about to tick another box in his record book. On his final lap, the number 93 shaved another few hundredths off his laptime too, and ultimately it would prove enough. Morbidelli then shot up to second on his last lap; Quartararo up to third – pushing Viñales back down to P4. That’s three Yamahas in the top four, however.
Cal Crutchlow, meanwhile, moved from Q1 to P5 to make it two Hondas in the top five after a last dash improvement, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) completing the second row in sixth and top Ducati. The next Borgo Panigale machine was the Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso in seventh as he heads up Row 3 – with ‘DesmoDovi’ only having qualified worse at Motegi twice before: 2017 and his rookie season in the class. But in 2017, from ninth on the grid, he did go on to win…so all is far from lost. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) lines up alongside his teammate, just 0.017 in arrears.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) pulled off a stunner for Noale factory Aprilia in ninth, and he set exactly the same fastest lap as nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who found it tougher going than his fellow M1 riders. Rossi is tenth and it’s only the third time on his 20 visits to the track in the premier class he has failed to qualify on the first three rows.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was 11th and just 0.042 behind the ‘Doctor’, although the Spaniard did get the better of rookie teammate Joan Mir…by 0.016, the second smallest margin in the top ten. That should make for an interesting battle on Sunday, although the whole grid looks set to assure that – especially as better weather is expect at the Twin Ring Motegi.
Will Quartararo wrap up Rookie of the Year? Can Marquez almost single-handedly make Honda the constructors’ Champions? Or will the likes of Dovizioso, Viñales and Rins blast forward to spoil the party? Find out in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan at the slightly later local time of 15:00 (GMT +9).
Qualifying Results – Top-3:
1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 1’45.763
2 – Franco Morbidelli* (ITA – Yamaha) +0.132
3 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.181*Independent Team rider
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Quartararo can’t be stopped at Motegi
The rookie begins a pivotal weekend on top ahead of Viñales and newly-crowned Champion Marquez
Quartararo tops Friday times. A MotoGP image Motegi, 18 Oct 2019: Friday at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan saw Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) unleash his by-now traditional pace to top the combined timesheets, with the Frenchman ahead of the field by 0.321 seconds by the end of FP2 as he begins his bid to wrap up the Rookie of the Year title this weekend. The next man up was Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who had the tables turned on him in the afternoon after topping FP1, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top three after a classic last dash scramble for most near the end of action.
Dry but grey skies were the name of the game on Day 1 and the program was a full one as rain threatens the rest of the weekend, with places in Q2 seemingly up for grabs already. As a manufacturer, it was Yamaha who were quickest out the blocks, with Viñales leading a 1-2-3 for the Iwata marque in the morning and Quartararo strking late to take over as the first of four Yamahas in the top six after FP2. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was a late mover to take fifth overall on Day 1, ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in P6.
So who spoiled the party? Only Marquez in third and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in fourth were able put paid to Yamaha domination, although that ends up proving a good omen for both the Iwata marque and the two men who were able to join the upper echelons of the timesheets.
Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was exceedingly close to the top six, however, with the Australian seventh overall by just 0.015. He also suffered a crash on his very final lap of the day, rider ok but bike needing a little T&C overnight. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) was P8 and 0.042 off his fellow Ducati rider, with Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) impressing to end Day 1 as top Suzuki once again – just as he did in Thailand. He was 0.022 off Petrucci despite a run off at Turn 5.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) is the final man who stands to take an automatic place in Q2 if the expected weather closes in, with the Spaniard pushing out some high-profile hopefuls: Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was P11 by just 0.009, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was 12th and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 13th. Both Rins and Crutchlow were on the podium last year behind winner Marquez, although in reverse order.
Rookie Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) was 14th on Day 1 and just ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), who locked out the fastest 15. The home hero is scheduled to undergo surgery after Motegi and miss the final three races of the season, so a solid finish will be in his sights.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) had a fast one at Turn 12 on Friday, but the Portuguese rider was given the all clear and will be back out on Saturday. He was 19th on Day 1.
That’s it from an interesting opening day at Motegi, as Quartararo’s Thursday assertion stands true: he doesn’t seem to pay much heed as to whether it’s meant to be a Honda or Yamaha track. But then, neither did the rest of the Iwata marque machines…can they keep that form on Saturday? Will Marquez blast back to take pole at the last venue he has yet to reign in the premier class? Or…will the weather steal the headlines? Find out who’s heading through to Q2 at 10:50 local time (GMT+9) as FP3 begins slightly later than normal, before qualifying from 15:05 to decide the grid for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan.
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“At the maximum”: Motegi set for a showdown
The pre-event Press Conference kicks off the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, with plenty of hotly-tipped competitors
L-R: Nakagami, Viñales, Dovizioso, Marquez, Rins, Quartararo. A MotoGP image Motegi, 17 Oct 2019: Ahead of track action at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, the pre-event Press Conference gathered together newly-crowned Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and home hero Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) to talk about the weekend ahead, with the pressure off for some and ramping up for others.
Marquez spoke first, and first on the agenda was, of course, the title and his celebrations. “It was a nice celebration in Bangkok with the team we stayed one night and celebrated in the proper way and then when I arrived home I celebrated with my friends and family but of course I didn’t forget to prepare for these three races, I prepared in another way but I feel good, more relaxed but the mentality is the same as Thailand. We’ll try to work hard to win on Sunday and that’s the mentality for the last four races to try and prepare for 2020 in the best way.”
And Motegi? The man sat just to his right could be a key threat…
“With Dovi last year it was a nice fight here, unlucky for him he crashed but he will be fast, and it’s one of the circuits where he rides really well. And for Fabio it’s one of his favourite circuits and he’s showed his level and performance. He’s riding very fast but we won’t forget Viñales and Rins, all of these riders will be really fast.”
Next then, it was time to hear from that very same Dovizioso, who debriefed Thailand first. “We tried during the weekend to improve our speed in the last two sectors but we couldn’t be fast enough. The first two sectors we were a bit faster, our bike accelerated very well, but in the last two sectors we took too much. It’s not just about being slower, I couldn’t stay with them. I made a good start; I was fourth and close to Maverick, so I had a chance, but I didn’t have the possibility to stay with them. Very disappointed but this is the reality, so we have to continue to work and find a way to be more competitive in the middle of the corners because depending on the track and the tyres it’s different.
“Here I expect us to be strong and our bike to work very well, there’s a lot of stop and go, but in some corners where we need more speed we struggle compared to the competitor. The result wasn’t surprising, but the gap was the bad part. We have to focus on being second in the Championship, it’s what we can do. Our competitors are stronger, especially the Yamaha riders. We have to be careful in these four races and we want to start with a good race here.”
Here, meanwhile, just happens to be one of the Italian’s best tracks. What is it about Motegi that makes Dovizioso go so well?
“I think my style from 250cc two-stroke when the chassis was good, my braking was really good and I’ve kept that style with other bikes and it’s my way to approach this track. When I have to do hard braking and stop and go, I’m quite good at that and our bike also suits that style too so that’s why I think we can be strong here.”
Rins was next, and he’s now third overall and looking to consolidate it after some tougher races. “The next races we hope to have a good end of the Championship, as Andrea said, we’re fighting with him, Petrucci, Maverick to be there…but anyway, in Misano and Aragon we struggled a bit, Thailand was more or less good for us, top five, but every time I come here I enjoy it so let’s enjoy Suzuki’s home race!”
There’s also Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli on track this weekend as a wildcard – and he’s done a fair few laps of Motegi. Has Rins seen his data?
“No, I didn’t see his data but I know he was trying something different compared to us, so we’ll have to see if it’s working better.”
Viñales was next to take to the mic, and he’s feeling positive despite the track on paper looking like a tougher one for the Iwata marque. “Well actually the feeling is really good, after Thailand I feel great because I feel very positive on the bike and somehow I can push really hard on the last part of the race. Japan on paper looks very difficult for us but the bike is totally different, my mentality is different, so normally for my riding style this tracks suits really good, I’ve been getting good results here so I think we will have a good race, fight for the podium like we did in Thailand and at the maximum as always.”
So what’s the difference? His Crew Chief this year? “Honestly, the biggest change is that we are both straight talking. We have a lot of confidence, we know what I need on the bike, and that’s the most important. We create a good feeling and a good atmosphere inside the team. Sometimes when I don’t feel ready they make me feel ready, and that’s important, create a team and trust each other.”
Quartararo, meanwhile, is also aiming high at Motegi, and he’s not looking at the track on paper either. “I think this year a lot of the time I’ve heard the Yamahas don’t go well at tracks like Austria but we managed to get on the podium so honestly now I don’t think about Yamaha track or Honda track, I just need to focus on this weekend, it’s a track I love. We need to do our best and like during all races step by step, but we’ll have a look at the forecast because for Saturday it looks bad so we’ll have to learn the track really fast!”
He will, but it’s not proved such a problem so far. It’s proved so little of a problem, in fact, that the Frenchman is knocking on the door to Rookie of the Year – already. Is that something he looks at now he’s also fighting for wins?
“At the beginning of the year the goal as to be Rookie of the Year so we’ll try to achieve that this weekend, but honestly I don’t think about it. We’ll try to make the best result possible, try to be fast and consistent and fight with these guys.”
Finally, it was time to hear from Nakagami. The home hero has already made a few headlines with a contract extension and the news he’s going to miss the last few rounds of the season for shoulder surgery, and it was chance for him to talk everyone through the issue and the better news on the way in to his home Grand Prix.
“On Tuesday afternoon, we announced the positive and negative news. Postive as you know next season I renewed my contract with LCR Honda which is really positive for me and I’m really happy with LCR Honda and HRC. And the negative news is my injury. But I didn’t want to talk about this…until the last moment I didn’t want to talk to anyone but before Aragon I thought it was time to explain it to the team, Lucio and HRC. Since Assen I felt pain in my right shoulder and let’s say race by race I feel I’m losing performance. For me it’s a hard decision, I miss the last three races and of course I wanted to finish the season but now it’s quite impossible, even in the last few races I struggled to finish and depending on the track layout….Aragon it was so bad, I struggled to hold onto the bike, after that I decided, ‘ok it’s time to do surgery’ and of course I’m disappointed to miss Australia, Malaysia and Valencia, but it’s happened and I try to think positive about next season.”
That’s it from the Press Conference, for more on the upcoming Japanese GP head to motogp.com and tune in for another awesome race on Sunday 20th October at 15:00 (GMT +9).
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Lights, camera, action-packed: MotoGP gets an art-attack in Tokyo
Riders trip the light fantastic at the unforgettable teamLab Borderless
L-R: “Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People Gather” quite literally: Sasaki, Suzuki, Nakagami, Di Giannantonio and Navarro. A MotoGP image Motegi, 16 Oct 2019: The Motul Grand Prix of Japan is just around the corner, and for many in the paddock that means one thing: a little time in Tokyo. The stunning Japanese metropolis stretches horizon to horizon and could entertain for an eternity, but this year there was one particular experience in store for MotoGP™: teamLab Borderless.
What is it? A museum, but not the kind that would first come to mind for most. A multi-sensory, audio-visual experience, teamLab Borderless is a world of artworks without borders that interact with, influence and compliment each other to perfection – as well as immersing every visitor in a truly unique experience. No two experiences are ever the same, because the art also reacts to the people there to enjoy it.
The fantastic five making their way through the space before hitting the road to the Twin Ring Motegi were home heroes Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing), as well as Beta Tools Speed Up teammates Jorge Navarro and Fabio Di Giannantonio, with their visit beginning in a particularly spectacular exhibit: the Forest of Resonating Lamps.
Lamps, mirrors and light create a 360 degree experience in the Forest, with the colours changing and the brightness of each lamp ebbing and flowing as the installation interacts with the people in the room. Touch one, it reacts – and the riders had a good few minutes to tap, hold, poke and wonder.
Next it was time to wander through the Crystal World; a stunning light and sound display that mirrors a myriad of different elements from nature. And you can ‘choose your nature’, with each having different sounds, speeds, colours, brightness and effects. The riders chose a few different ones, and the photographers? It was a patient game waiting for the random cycle of options to try and recreate that perfect shot. Or at least, come as close as possible within the ever-changing display.
From the stunning light of the Crystal World, the riders next saw the Forest of Flowers and People and Animals Born of Flowers in the Flower Forest – with the walls all seeming to move at once with a cacophony of colour. And the flowers bloom from your feet, creating new shoots that grow and go on to interact with those around them.
The incredible Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People Gather awaited next. Cascading down the wall, the artwork is another that reacts to the touch of those who approach it; moving to accommodate and surround each person who sits on the ‘rock’ formation at the bottom. As well as everyone else. The centrepiece of one of the biggest spaces in teamLab Borderless, it captivated the group for a good while before they set sail for the light sculpture space and Black Waves, where you’re surrounded by a digital ocean of crashing waves.
Finally, the visit ended in the Athletics Forest, where there’s everything from a stunning, star-studded trampoline to a flower-covered slide – and of course, a brief little bit of racing as the natural born competitor came out. And the Weightless Forest of Resonating Life proved a hit too, with huge bulb-shaped lights that move and change colour as people pass through – or bump into them. After drawing an underwater creature each – many of which proved MotoGP™-themed – and scanning them into a digital aquarium to each swim their own way, the riders then emerged back into the bright daylight of Tokyo to also head off to their next stops.
Via the odd pitstop or two, that’s Motegi for all five – so make it your destination too and tune in for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan this weekend.
Takaaki Nakagami: “Absolutely amazing. It was really nice to be there, it’s really emotional and I didn’t expect it to be like that inside. I enjoyed it and I think everyone did, seeing the designs and the music, the light…everything is impressive. Thanks to MotoGP for inviting me and teamLab. If we have time I want to go with my family and go again!
“This is my home GP and the weather looks a bit unstable on Friday and Saturday but Sunday looks good and that’s important for the race, but anyway…as always I feel a lot of pressure with the Japanese fans, year by year I feel so many fans come to Motegi and give me a lot of energy. I’ll try my best as always and maybe this weekend I’ll have a little extra power from the fans! I’ll do my best.”
Tatsuki Suzuki: “it’s emotional to come here. It makes me really happy because it’s so beautiful and it’s Japanese technology, really really fantastic. And I’m really proud to be Japanese. This summer when I came back to Japan I also came here but it’s so fantastic, people from outside Japan have to come here to see it. I’m so happy to be here and now, we’ll see in Motegi.”
Ayumu Sasaki: “It’s the first time I’ve been here and it’s a really nice place. It’s quite close to my house – like 35 or 40 minutes but I’d never been and it was a really great experience.
“My last few races have been tough but I had a good feeling and the speed to fight for the podium so I hope i can fight for the podium at Motegi and get my first podium in the World Championship in front of the home fans.”
Jorge Navarro: “It was a really cool experience with the effects and the lights, and at the end we even finished up drawing a bit, it was really fun. I think the room with the pillows was good cause I’m pretty tired haha…but no, being serious, the one with all the changing effects with the lights was really good.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “It has been a great experience, I like artistic things and there are a lot of cool effects, it’s been really nice. I like the waterfall, the big waterfall and the interactive screen where you can touch the wall and create trees and flowers…that was really nice.”
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Honda extends contract with Takaaki Nakagami in MotoGP
Honda extends contract with Takaaki Nakagami. A HRC image Motegi (Japan), 15 Oct 2019: On the eve of his home MotoGP race in Japan, Honda Racing Corporation confirmed the one-year extension of Takaaki Nakagami in the LCR Honda IDEMITSU.
Now in his second year aboard the Honda RC213V run inside LCR Honda IDEMITSU, Takaaki Nakagami has demonstrated constant improvements in his riding and results in the MotoGP class. With nine top-ten finishes and a best result of fifth at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, the Japanese rider has already amassed more than double the points he scored in his rookie campaign.
Takaaki Nakagami arrives at his home race, the Japanese Grand Prix, with a new one-year contract with LCR Honda IDEMITSU. All involved are pleased to continue the relationship and look forward to more improvements from the 27-year old.
After the race in Motegi, Nakagami will undergo an operation on his shoulder to resolve an injury that has troubled him throughout the season. The nature of the operation warrants an extensive recovery period, forcing the Japanese rider to end his 2019 season early. By performing the operation now, Nakagami is aiming to be fully fit for the first test of the 2020 season in Sepang on February 07. Here are some of the criminal charges that you should know about and learn how you can get out of them with the help of the right legal experts.
Takaaki Nakagami 30
Rider – MotoGP
“First of all I am delighted to stay with Honda and the LCR Team. I have been able to improve a lot this year and Honda have shown me great support and given me a very strong package. I am sure together we can continue this in 2020. About the injury, after the crash I had in Assen I found myself in some pain and lacking a bit of strength in my shoulder. I went to the doctor to fully understand the situation and while I have been able to ride with the injury, it has not been ideal so we made the difficult decision alongside Honda and the LCR Team to have this operation now.”
Tetsuhiro Kuwata
HRC Director – General Manager Race Operations Management Division
“We are proud to continue to support Takaaki Nakagami in the MotoGP class for the 2020 season. As a rider he has continued to develop and grow throughout all of 2019. He is someone who inspires many young talents in Japan and Asia with his hard work and focus. I wish him all the best in his recovery and look forward to the 2020 season.”
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Will Marquez be unleashed at Motegi?
With the crown secured before we head for the Japanese GP, the gloves could come off…but the pressure’s still on
File photo of Marc Marquez by Srinivasa Krishnan Motegi (Japan), 15 Oct 2019: Last time out Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) won the race and Championship, and the celebrations have doubtless been continuing for the now eight-time World Champion since the paddock packed up and left Buriram. But despite that title fight being over, the season is far from it and the first of the four remaining races of the year sees us head for the hard-braking home race for so many manufacturers in the paddock – with plenty of pride on the line.
For Marquez, it’s a chance to race without his mind set quite so much on the maths – and he’ll also surely be chasing pole as Motegi is the last venue on the calendar at which he’s never achieved the feat in the premier class. He’s won though – twice in MotoGP™, once in Moto2™ and once in the 125 World Championship – so his record says it’s a surprise he’s not yet started from the front. With no Championship pressure, will he be the man to beat? Likely. But there are the team and manufacturer standings to consider, and it’s Honda’s 60th anniversary year of racing in the World Championship as well…so it won’t be quiet weekend. It will be a milestone for teammate Jorge Lorenzo too, as he celebrates 200 premier class Grands Prix.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), meanwhile, will be hoping to make more of a fight of it at Motegi. The venue has been a good one for the Italian and he is a man who’s been on pole before: the track was where Dovizioso took his first pole in the premier class in 2010, and he did it again in 2014 and 2018. He also won the 2017 showdown with Marquez in the rain – one of the most stunning duels of recent years, and there have been a few – and he’s been on the podium in the dry, so it makes for good reading. And there’s no home race pressure for the number 04, although the team and constructor standings add some back in. On that count, however, there could be more for teammate Danilo Petrucci, as the Italian is now fifth overall – although only a handful of points off Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in third and one point behind Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). He’ll want more from Motegi and the final four rounds overall.
That tight fight will certainly be one to keep an eye on. Rins will be pushing to the max to try and get the most from the home weekend for Hamamatsu factory Suzuki, as will rookie teammate Joan Mir, but Viñales is closing fast on third overall – so gaining back some consistency is also key for Rins. Suzuki will also have another machine on track too in Japan in the form of a wildcard for test rider Sylvain Guintoli, so that could aid them in their search for more speed.
Yamaha, meanwhile, have been seriously gaining traction as the latter half of the season goes on, especially Viñales as he chases down a place in the top three overall, and limelight-stealer Fabio Quartararo’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) shining performances speak for themselves. The French rookie is now only two points off Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) overall and could conceivably still catch Viñales for top Yamaha. More pressing, though, is Rookie of the Year – with Quartararo 85 points ahead of Mir as it stands. If he leaves Japan 75 points ahead of the Spaniard, he’s taken the first of what could be a few accolades in 2019.
The Independent Team rider standings are another key battlefield. Quartararo has now got a nice buffer back to Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) in the fight for top Independent Team rider, but Miller will be pushing and so will Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol). Crutchlow is on Honda turf and will want to bounce back after an issue in Thailand…although the pressure will likely more be on the other side of the garage and home hero Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). What can the Japanese rider do? Rumour has it he’ll be undergoing surgery in the near future on his shoulder, but not before Motegi – so it’ll be a big push on home turf, with lots of home support.
So many narratives make up a MotoGP™ season and we may well be reading the first epilogue of the riders’ Championship but we’re far from the end of the story overall. Teams, constructors, rookies, Independent Team riders; milestones, records and more remain just around the corner in the final four rounds of the season, so tune in for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan on Sunday 20th October at 15:00 local time (GMT +9) to see another spectacular chapter.
Championship Standings:
1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) – 325
2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) – 215
3 – Alex Rins (SPA – Suzuki) – 167
4 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) – 163
5 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) – 162
