INDIA in F1

Category: Moto GP

Moto GP, the Motorcycle World Championship

  • The duel of Champions: Dovizioso vs Marquez at Motegi

    The duel of Champions: Dovizioso vs Marquez at Motegi

    The two men at the top stage a historic duel in the rain-soaked Japanese GP – with everything on the line

    Doviziioso wins Motegi on Sunday. A MotoGP image
    In pouring rain at the Twin Ring Motegi, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) staged one of the greatest MotoGP™ duels of all time, putting everything on the line down to the final lap, and the final corner. And despite the best efforts of the reigning Champion, it was Andrea Dovizioso who emerged victorious from ‘Victory’ corner in Japan – taking his fifth win of the season, the seventh of his career, and one of the most spectacular in history. Marquez was an incredibly close second, with Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) completing the podium.

    It was Marquez took the lead off the front row, with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) soon pouncing on the first lap to take second and then take over in the lead. Marquez was followed by Petrucci and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), with Dovizioso staging a stunning start to tag on the back. Marquez then fought back as Lorenzo moved back slightly, before Petrucci struck at the front and the trio who would head the remaining laps was decided: Petrucci, Marquez, and Dovizioso.

    As the laps ticked down, the two title contenders remained locked together and Petrucci found some clear air in the lead. But with 12 laps to go Marquez made his first move to take over, with ‘DesmoDovi’ then through on his compatriot to keep close company with the Championship leader. They pulled away, and the stage was set.

    With six laps to go, Dovizioso attacked at Turn 6, and the cat and mouse continued. Marquez then hit back with a brutal pass in Turn 3 with three laps to go, and the fuse was lit. Dueling it out with some of the most spectacular racing of the season – and in the pouring rain – it seemed Marquez was holding the cards as the final lap approached.

    Pushing hard to catch the race and Championship leader, the gap was hovering just over half a second for Dovizioso, until Marquez suddenly suffered a moment at Turn 8 and the Ducati was back on him. The Italian struck to take the lead soon after and prepared himself for the aptly-named victory corner – knowing the number 93 was close behind and undoubtedly with Austria on his mind.

    The door didn’t prove closed for Marquez as he shot up the inside, but Dovizioso was prepared for the move and kept it together as the Repsol Honda headed wide. Almost neck and neck over the line, it was ‘DesmoDovi’ who took the victory in a duel that will go down in history – and he cuts the gap to 11 points at the top.

    Behind the trio on the rostrum it was a stunning ride for Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) into fourth, as the Italian picked his way through from P12 on the grid as was able to close in on his teammate Alex Rins, then getting past him in the latter stages. Rins was top rookie after his own display of brilliance, however, earlier shadowing Zarco and then moving through as the Frenchman faded.

    After dropping back after a stunning start, Jorge Lorenzo was able to move back past those ahead of him to cross the line in sixth for another good haul of points – getting back Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) as his final victim, with the Spaniard coming seventh. Zarco faded in the latter stages to head home in P8, ahead of a difficult day for Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP). Viñales is now 41 points off Marquez at the top of the table.

    Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) completed the top ten as he sliced through in the rain, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking another top result for the Austrian factory in P11. In twelfth, it was wildcard Yamalube Factory Racing rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga – 2017 Suzuka 8H winner and former MotoGP™ podium finisher – as the Japanese veteran impressed as ever.

    Sam Lowes (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) took his best ever result and some good points in P13, with the points scorers completed by Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) and Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) crashed out of contention, but rider ok.

    Now the Championship heads for the legendary Phillip Island, with the gap at the top now cut down to 11 points and three rounds remaining. Motegi was a duel that will go down in history, as will 2017. But with whose name engraved on the trophy?
    MotoGP Race Results
    1 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) 47’14.236
    2 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) +0.249

    1st Independent Team Rider: 
    3 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) +10.557

  • Motul Grand Prix of Japan – Sunday MotoGP Guide

    Twin Ring Motegi on 15 Oct. 17

    MotoGP™

    • Johann Zarco starts from pole for the second time in his rookie year in the MotoGP class. He is the first French rider to have more than a single premier-class pole position in one season since Christian Sarron started from pole five times in the 500cc class in 1988.
    • In second place on the grid is Danilo Petrucci, which is his fourth front row start of the year. Petrucci has already finished on the podium three times in 2017 and needs another top three finish to become the first Independent Team Ducati rider to have four podium finishes in a single season.
    • This is the first time that Independent Team riders have taken the top two places on the grid since the Czech Republic Grand Prix in 2013 when Cal Crutchlow was on pole from Alvaro Bautista.
    • Marc Marquez has qualified in third place on the grid, which is his eleventh front row start of the year. After winning the last two races, Marquez will be aiming to be the first rider to win three or more successive MotoGP races since Jorge Lorenzo in 2015.
    • Aleix Espargaro heads the second row of the grid, which is the best qualifying result for Aprilia in the MotoGP era.
    • Jorge Lorenzo starts from fifth place on the grid, which is the seventh successive race he has started from inside the top six.
    • Sixth fastest in qualifying is Dani Pedrosa, which is the same grid position from which he won the race in Motegi two years ago.
    • Bradley Smith heads the third row, which equals the best qualifying result of the year by KTM and is the best grid position for Smith since the French Grand Prix last year.
    • In eighth place on the grid is Pol Espargaro, whose victory in the Moto2 race at Motegi in 2013 is the last time he stood on the top step of the podium.
    • Taking the final place on the third row is Andrea Dovizioso, which is his worst qualifying result since the German Grand Prix.
    • Heading the fourth row is Alex Rins, which is his best qualifying result so far in his rookie season in the MotoGP class.
    • Championship challenger Maverick Viñales starts from 14th place on the grid, which is his worst qualifying result since the San Marino Grand Prix in his rookie MotoGP season 2015.
    • For the first time this year all six manufacturers competing in the 2017 MotoGP championship have at least one bike qualified in the top ten places on the grid. This is the first time since the Czech Grand Prix in 2006 that six different manufacturers have had at least one rider in the top ten places in a MotoGP qualifying session.

    eom/MotoGP release

  • Zarco Johann takes pole; Marquez takes P3

    Zarco Johann takes pole; Marquez takes P3

    Zarco Johann of Monster Yamaha Tech3 took a shocking pole in wet conditions even as reigning world champion Marc Marquez set the third fastest time of the day in the Japanese Grand Prix at the Motegi track here on Saturday.

    The Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, the championship leader, switched from rain tyres to slicks for his second time attack and the 24-year-old Spaniard was unable to improve on the time that had until then put him on provisional pole. Italian Petrucci Danilo of Octo Pramac Racing set the second fastest time for P2 with a 1’53.787’’.

    Nonetheless, Marquez 1’53.903” time, set despite a big slide in the final corner, was quick enough to earn him his 11th front-row start of this season, less than half a second from pole-setter Johann Zarco.

    For rookie Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) it was a shock last minute pole position, his second in the permier class as he took the honour late in the session and no further laps able to challenge the Frenchman. Petrucci second came in wet-but-drying track conditions.

    With a dry line beginning to appear by the start of MotoGP™ Q2 session, it was the KTMs of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith moving through to join the top ten in the shootout – and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) sending immediate shockwaves through the field as he headed out on slicks straight away. That would prove the wrong decision, and the nine-time World Champion was then forced back in to switch.

    Marquez, meanwhile, was 1.6 seconds clear at the top when he decided to try slicks – despite a moment on the wet tyres on what would prove his fastest lap. That left a target on P1 for many in the field still pushing hard on wets, with Zarco best able to take the challenge to the reigning Champion and Petrucci then taking second – with Marquez locking out the front row. A gamble gone wrong, but a heads up on how quickly Motegi dries out in case of a flag to flag?

    Heading the second row and fulfilling his Friday target is Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who just missed out on lining up further forward in the latter stages of his last lap, with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) taking fifth on his final push and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) locking out Row 2.

    The KTMs were next up, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) initially taking a provisional front row before times began to further tumble, and by the flag it was teammate Bradley Smith who just pipped the Spaniard. The Austrian factory machines will start seventh and eighth; Espargaro only 0.034 in arrears.

    Title challenger Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) had a more difficult session and ended Q2 in P9, with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone taking tenth and eleventh. Rossi, after his early gamble on slicks, lines up in P12.

    After going third fastest in Q1, Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) will line up behind the nine-time World Champion, and just ahead of the second factory Yamaha Maverick Viñales, who had a tough Saturday. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) starts fifteenth after missing out on Q2 following a moment at the final corner on his last lap in Q1.

    Marc Marquez said: The result is good but clearly the slicks today weren’t the right choice, as it was a bit too early for them. Anyway, you always have to look at the positive side of things, which in this case, firstly is that we’re still on the front row, as we had already done a very good lap time on rain tyres; and secondly is that we managed to understand a few things in case of a flag-to-flag race. I’m also happy I saved a crash when I set my fastest time and avoided my team missing dinner tonight!

    Now it’s time to race. Wet, dry, something in between…it all remains to be seen at Motegi, with the title contenders split throughout the field and some dark horses beginning to emerge. Tune in at 14:00 (GMT +9) on Sunday to see the Japanese GP kick the flyaways into gear.

    Qualifying Results

    Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
    1 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’53.469
    2 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Racing 1’53.787
    3 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’53.903
    4 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’53.947
    5 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team 1’54.235
    6 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’54.342
    7 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1’54.872
    8 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1’54.906
    9 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team 1’55.064
    10 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’55.483
    11 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’55.617
    12 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’57.786
    13 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Reale Avintia Racing 1’55.862 Q1
    14 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’55.916 Q1
    15 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda 1’55.952 Q1
    16 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Pull&Bear Aspar Team 1’56.292 Q1
    17 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Reale Avintia Racing 1’56.668 Q1
    18 LOWES Sam 22 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’56.771 Q1
    19 RABAT Tito 53 SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS 1’56.903 Q1
    20 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team 1’57.144 Q1
    21 AOYAMA Hiroshi 7 JPN EG 0,0 Marc VDS 1’57.157 Q1
    22 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Racing 1’57.787 Q1
    23 NAKASUGA Katsuyuki 21 JPN Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing 1’57.861 Q1
    24 NOZANE Kohta 31 JPN Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2’01.730 Q1

    eom/with inputs from Repsol Honda and MotoGP releases

     

  • Motul Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi: A Michelin view

    Motul Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi: A Michelin view

    The MotoGP bandwagon is on the way to the first of the three back-to-back flyaway races head initially to the Far East for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi before travelling to Australia and Malaysia respectively. Then the season will end in Spain.

    The 4,801m Twin Ring Motegi circuit is located in the northern Kantō region of the Haga District within the Tochigi Prefecture, approximately a three-hour drive from the country’s capital Tokyo. Situated in vast woodland, the circuit features the road course which will see the MotoGP stars racing on during the weekend and an oval circuit which has been used for American-style motorsport such as NASCAR and CART. Initially constructed in 1997 by Honda as a test facility, the location became a permanent member of the MotoGP calendar in 1999, initially as the Japanese GP, before becoming the Pacific Grand Prix between 2000 and 2003, and then regaining the title of the country’s race in 2004.

    Here we look at the Michelin’s view of the circuit: With demanding braking and hard-acceleration zones over the circuit’s undulating configuration throughout its six left and eight right-hand bends, the track is very stressful for the tyres, especially due to its abrasive surface. With all these factors – allied to the lower temperature which can be expected at Motegi at this time of the year – the tyres available need special attention to give the best performance for all riders and machines. The range of three front MICHELIN Power Slicks in soft, medium and hard compounds will be a symmetric design, whilst the rear compositions will be asymmetric with a harder right-hand-side to manage the increased turns which that side of the tyre has to contend with, and the compounds for all tyres have been specifically picked to match the track’s demands.  Wet weather is always possible in Japan in October and the MICHELIN Power Rain tyres will be in a soft and medium option for the front and an extra soft and soft version for the rear, with all tyres being a symmetrical design.

    As the season reaches its climax – with just four rounds to go – the championship is still wide open with the top-five in the title chase covered by just  56-points  and with a maximum of 100 still up-for-grabs it looks like being a close finish. The first of the final-four races will get underway at Motegi on Friday 13th October, when Michelin and the MotoGP field take to the track for the first of two Free Practice sessions on that day. Saturday will see Qualifying take place as the riders battle for the best grid positions in readiness for Sunday’s 24-lap race. The main event gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (07.00CEST, 06.00BST, 05.00UTC) on Sunday 15th October as the pack will prepare to fire its way to the first corner and push the Michelin tyres to the performance limit in the search for MotoGP glory in the Land of the Rising Sun.

    Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:

    “As we head towards the business end of the season – where the title will be decided – we have one of the biggest tasks we have to undertake all year. The three fly-away races present a massive logistical operation and we have already sent over 70% of the tyres – we will have to allocate – by sea-freight and then the rest we will send by air. It is never easy trying to guess what the conditions will be like, especially in Australia, but we have some good experience from last year and that will make sure we are prepared for most things – unless it snows!

    “The first race in Japan is on a track that can create extreme stresses, especially with its hard-braking zones such as 90-degree turn, so we need to have tyres that can cope with these, as well as having good warm-up properties as it can be quite cold at Motegi in the mornings. The track has good grip levels and we will be taking the tyres that we are sure will perform at the best levels and ensure the show is as good as it has been all season so far.”

    eom/with inputs from Michelin

    Next up

    Sepang, Malaysia

    Motegi circuit. Image by MichelinOn Oct 29: The first Malaysian Grand Prix was held at the Shah Alam circuit in 1991 and saw a debut win in the premier class for John Kocinski riding a Yamaha. Shah Alam hosted the event for seven years before the Malaysian GP went to Johor for a single year in 1998.

    In 1999 the brilliant Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur, designed by respected racetrack architect Hermann Tilke, hosted its first Grand Prix, with the 500cc race won by Kenny Roberts, Jr on a Suzuki. Since then Sepang has been a consistent fixture on the calendar and the circuit has also been extensively used for MotoGP™ preseason testing over the years.

    eom

  • Marquez, Pedrosa score 1-2 for Repsol Honda; Rossi 5th: MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix

    Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa scored a fantastic one-two result in today’s Aragon Grand Prix, starting from the second row of the grid, the former on a hard-hard Michelin tyre combination, the latter on medium-medium. Both Repsol Honda Team riders fought their way forward to take the squad’s seventh double podium of the season.

    Meanwhile, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales was on the move today at the final stages of the sunny Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón. The Spaniard gradually increased his pace to take fourth place in the last part of the race. Teammate Valentino Rossi, opted for the opposite strategy. The Italian had a superb ride as he threatened to take the lead in the early race laps, just 24 days after sustaining a leg injury, before settling into fifth place, which he held over the line, adds a Movistar Yamaha Release.

    Marc’s 60th career win is also his fifth this year and his ninth podium of the season (the seventh out of the last eight races), helping him to pull a small gap of 16 points over Andrea Dovizioso and 28 points over Maverick Viñales, his two closest pursuers in the title chase.

    After setting the race fastest lap in 1’49.140, Dani took his 111th podium finish out of 195 races in the Premier class, in which he now has the most starts of any Spanish rider (Carlos Checa being second with 194). Dani’s eighth podium of the season moved him up to fourth in the Championship classification with 170 points, 54 down on his teammate with four rounds to go.

    Marc Marquez said: “I’m very very happy with this victory because it was a tough race. Yesterday I wasn’t feeling totally comfortable with the bike, and today I was struggling again except in the warm-up; I don’t really know why. Anyway, racing at one of my favourite tracks, close to my home and in front of my fans, gave me extra motivation. I pushed hard and in some corners I just clicked the off-button in my head, even if I crashed twice yesterday. I saw that Viñales and Dovi were struggling a bit and knew it was the moment to push, so I did. There were a few scary moments, once when I was trying to overtake Valentino; he was tighter in that corner than I was expecting, and to avoid a clash I released the brakes, only to realize that Lorenzo was right there! So I went off the track, and at that moment I cooled down a bit, even if I continued to try and close the gap. Once I passed Lorenzo, I had to keep going as I saw that Dani was coming very fast. Anyway, that’s the Marquez style! Of course it’s important to think of the Championship, but the situation now requires that we give it everything. So we’ll try to continue with the same motivation and mentality race by race, giving our 100 per cent.”

    Dani Pedrosa said: Maybe if I could have overtaken Maverick a little bit earlier I would have had a better chance to fight for the win, but well, I’m still very happy with my race today! The goal was try and fight for the podium or the win, and we achieved that. So yes, I have some small regrets, but at the same time I couldn’t have done any better in the beginning as I was on the medium rear like Maverick and wasn’t able to pass him for a while. I also had to manage the tyre wear in order to be fast at the end, which I was. I wasn’t sure why we suddenly had some gap to recover to the front, as the others had more or less the same pace. Anyway, when I finally passed him, the gap was there, so I started pushing hard, made some good passes and a good recovery, and had a very strong race. I put a lot of passion into it, and this is good for me and the team.”

    Valentino Rossi said: “I am quite proud, because a week ago I didn‘t know if I would be able to race. Achieving a start from the first row yesterday was already great, I was very happy. I knew I had to suffer in the second half of the race. I had some pain and we also suffered from the degradation of the tyre. The work continues after this race. The calendar works out well for me, I have two full weeks to train and improve my leg‘s condition. After this we have Motegi, which is going to be very important, but we also have three races in a row. This will be very difficult for my leg, so I want to try to arrive in Motegi – maybe not at 100% – but quite fit.”

  • Vinales takes pole, Rossi P3; Marquez crashes, starts P5: Aragon GP

    Vinales takes pole, Rossi P3; Marquez crashes, starts P5: Aragon GP

    Rossi to start on P3 for the Aragon GP. A Movistar Yamaha image

    Alcañiz (Spain), 23 Sept. 2017: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team completely turned its fortunes around on the second day at the MotorLand Aragón circuit. Maverick Viñales delivered the goods exactly when it mattered, securing pole position for the second time in a row. Valentino Rossi gave a staggering performance and rode his bike to a brilliant third place, while still recovering from his leg injury.

    Repsol Honda rider and reigning world champion, Marc Marquez and his teammate Dani Pedrosa qualified in fifth and sixth places, respectively, and will start side by side on Sunday from the second row together with fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow, adds a Repsol Honda release.

    The Repsol Honda men were fast in the dry today, as they had been yesterday in the wet. Marc was first in FP3 and third in FP4, and set the provisional fastest lap in his first attempt in qualifying. A crash at turn 12 during his second flying lap prevented him from fighting for the pole.

    Following a strong closing stage to FP4, where Viñales secured first place, the Spaniard was in a good mindset to fire his YZR-M1 over the Spanish track during the 15-minute shoot-out. He was the second to last man out of the gates in Q2 and found some clear space when he appeared on track. He only needed a little bit of time to get up to speed, setting the provisional second fastest time on his second try, before heading back to pit lane to get a fresh set of tyres, with more than six and a half minutes on the clock.

    Once back on the track, he was in the zone. The youngster, who was riding with a new design helmet to celebrate his home GP this weekend, put his head down again and posted a 1‘47.635s to take over the top spot from his teammate, with 1m40s still on the clock. He had time for one more attempt, but his previous lap remained unbeaten, earning him his fifth pole of the season so far, with a 0.100s-advantage over his closest rival.

    Rossi rode a superb FP3 session, securing tenth place, to promote directly to Q2 just 23 days after breaking his right leg. In the qualifying session the Italian steadily build up speed over his two first tries, but was unable to breach into the low 1‘48s just yet. He held tenth place as he headed to the box, with slightly more than seven minutes to go.

    A little while later, the Doctor was back in action and immediately dropped an impressive 1‘47.815s for provisional pole, but was soon pushed down the order as various riders completed their last attempt. Rossi ended the day in third position, just 0.180s behind his teammate in first  race.

    Maverick Vinales says: The conditions were a little bit more difficult compared to this morning, to make a good lap, but anyway the team did a great job so I‘m really happy. Every time we‘re doing better qualifications and we‘re more consistent on the bike. I hope we can keep these good feelings, especially before the race tomorrow. We have been improving a lot since the Misano test. The dry bike has good potential and rides well all the time, but we have to improve in the rain, so we‘re keeping that in mind, in order to be consistent. Honestly, it‘s incredible what Valentino did today, I have no words. He always delivers great results and it‘s positive that Valentino is also fast, because we can see things on the bike and compare the data for tomorrow.

    Valentino Rossi after taking the first row says: I think we did a great job after sustaining the injury. I have to thank all the people that helped me, starting with the doctor that did the surgery. After that I worked very hard every day with my trainer and the leg is becoming better every day. Sincerely, on the bike I feel some pain, but I can ride quite comfortably, so I‘m very happy. It‘s very important to start from the front row and now we have to understand the pace and also if I‘m able to push until the end, but anyway I‘m happy.

     

    eom/Movistar Yamaha Press Release with other inputs

  • Rossi declared fit: Aragon MotoGP

    Rossi declared fit: Aragon MotoGP

    Alcañiz (Spain), 21 Sept. 2017: The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will start round 14 of the MotoGP World Championship with their original rider line-up.

    On Thursday, afternoon Valentino Rossi successfully completed a mandatory medical examination carried out by MotorLand Aragón’s Chrief Medical Officer, Clemente Millan. He declared that the nine-time World Champion is fit to ride, 21 days after sustaining a leg injury.

    The Italian will take part in the FP1 session on Friday.

    eom/Movistar Yamaha press release

    Rossi (centre) was declared fit on Thursday. A Movistar Yamaha image
  • Rossi completes first laps on his return from injury; Michael van der Mark to ride in Aragon

    Rossi completes first laps on his return from injury; Michael van der Mark to ride in Aragon

    Michael van der Mark image from Movistar Yamaha

    Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 18 Sept. 2017: Valentino Rossi rode his first couple of laps around the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Monday since sustaining a leg injury on Thursday, August 31, a press release from Movistar Yamaha said.

    Following an enduro accident on August 31st, Valentino Rossi has been diligently working on his recovery from the double fracture in his right leg. Today the nine-time World Champion put his fitness level to the test and successfully completed a few laps around the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on a YZF-R1M, before rain disrupted the trial run.

    As today‘s riding session was cut short due to the change in weather, the evaluation of Rossi’s physical condition was inconclusive. He will decide by the end of Wednesday, September 20th, whether he will attempt to take part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón.

    Earlier in another release Yamaha said: Yamaha’s WorldSBK rider Michael van der Mark will be riding Valentino Rossi’s YZR-M1 in round 14 of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship, staged at the MotorLand Aragón track in Spain, while the Italian is recovering from his leg injury.

    Rossi is making good progress with his rehabilitation process. However, it is expected that he will not be able to compete again before the Grand Prix of Japan at the Twin Ring Motegi, held from October 13th – 15th.

    For the Aragón race, Van der Mark will be backed by Rossi’s usual crew. This opportunity will provide the 24-year-old with a similar MotoGP experience to the one fellow Yamaha WorldSBK rider and 2017 Suzuka 8-hours Endurance Race winner Alex Lowes was given last year. The Brit replaced Bradley Smith in the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team at the British, San Marino, and Aragón Grand Prix.

    Unlike Lowes, who had the benefit of some testing mileage in Brno, Czech Republic, prior to taking part in the MotoGP weekends, Van der Mark will debut in the premier class on the YZR-M1 without any training. Nevertheless, the three-time Suzuka8H winner is well accustomed to the demands of working for a factory team. The Dutchman is also no stranger to the MotoGP paddock, having competed in seven 125cc Grands Prix in 2010, and in the 2011 Moto2 race in Assen, the Netherlands. Moreover, his experience in the FIM Superbike (WorldSBK) and Supersport World Championships, and the European Superstock 600 make him well acquainted with the MotorLand Aragón circuit, having raced there seven times before.

    eom/Movistar Yamaha releases

  • Repsol Honda’s Marquez wins a wet Misano race: MotoGP

    Repsol Honda’s Marquez wins a wet Misano race: MotoGP

    Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda wins Misano GP on Sunday. A Michelin image

    Misano Adriatico (Italy), 10 Sept. 2017: The Gran Premio Tribul Mastercard di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini from Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli saw Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda Team splash to MotoGP victory in challenging conditions on Sunday.

    Here is a Michelin version of the race proceedings: Heavy rain leading up to the start of the 28-lap race meant the 4,226m Italian circuit was very wet as the riders lined-up for the start with Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) sitting on pole. All racers chose the soft option front and rear MICHELIN Power Rain tyres, which signalled the first time all riders had made the same choice for a race since Michelin returned to MotoGP last season. First off the line was Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati team) and he pushed hard to open a gap at the front as his tyres gave him the confidence in the wet. Unfortunately, the atrocious conditions caught out Lorenzo on lap-seven and he crashed. The Spaniard’s exit handed the lead to Danilo Petrucci (OCTO Pramac Racing), with Marquez just behind him and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) also in close attendance. From lap-20 onwards Petrucci and Marquez continuously set the fastest laps as they pulled away at the front, demonstrating the consistency and durability of the wet tyres as the race wore on. Marquez made the defining move of the race on the penultimate-lap as he passed Petrucci and immediately pulled a gap between the two – on his way to setting the fastest lap of the race – before taking the chequered flag for his fourth win of the season, a result which also moves him to the top of the championship standings. Petrucci crossed the line in second and took the prize of First Independent Rider, whilst previous championship leader Dovizioso was third.

    Despite the awful weather a crowd of 96,324 was reported to have braved the downpour and gathered around the trackside. They were not disappointed as the 23-strong field pushed to the limits in the tricky and demanding conditions, each one of them putting total faith in their Michelin tyres as the touched speeds of more than 280 Km/h on a very wet track. With battles between themselves and the weather, the action went all the way through the field, Viñales held off a charging Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) to take fourth, Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was sixth with Scott Redding (OCTO Pramac Ducati) in seventh. Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR), Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Team) rounded out the top-ten by coming eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.

    Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team:

    “At the start of the weekend in the dry conditions it was difficult to choose the correct rear tyre, because the performance was very similar from all three and they were all working really good. On Sunday though everything changed and we had rain conditions and I was honestly quite scared after watching the Moto3™ and Moto2™ races – where there were many crashes – and because the track was slippery, but the Michelin tyres worked really good, especially in the braking points. It was very difficult, but I always felt like I had it under control and the tyres gave me plenty of warning. I’m very happy because these 25-points will be good for the future.”

    eom/Michelin press release

  • Vinales takes pole; Marquez crashes out

    Misano Adriatico (Italy), 9th September 2017
    Movistar Yamaha MotoGP will start the Tribul Mastercard GP S.Marino e Riviera di Rimini – the team‘s second home race of the season – from pole position, after a superb performance from Maverick Viñales in this afternoon‘s qualifying session. Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda crashed out.

    Marc Marquez will start from the front row in tomorrow’s Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, knowing that he has a good pace to fight at the front.

    Marc had been the quickest rider in the FP3 session, and the second fastest in FP4. During qualifying, he recorded his fastest time on his first flying lap but a crash during his second exit prevented him from improving upon it. He finished in third, just 0.197” off pole position.

    Viñales was the last rider to leave pit lane at the start of the 15-minute shoot-out, knowing that the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is relatively short and that he would have enough time to set a fast lap. However, once on his way, he didn‘t waste a minute to make his mark. He immediately put his YZR-M1 on top with a 1‘33.408s lap.

    The Spaniard was temporarily pushed back to second place shortly after completing his first flying lap, but the 22-year-old was not having it. He improved to a 1‘32.833s to reclaim provisional pole. Nevertheless, the battle for pole was far from over.

    Once again the young gun dropped to second position, with less than eight and a half minutes to go. This time, Viñales couldn’t retaliate straight away, though he improved his best lap to a 1‘32.652s, and returned to the box with six minutes remaining.

    One and a half minutes later, he was back out on track, eager to close the 0.016s margin to the man in first. He was unsuccessful on the first flying lap of his second run, but the number 25 rider had time for two more tries. Now in third place, he made the next attempt count, setting a personal best first sector and all red sectors in the last three parts of the track to post a magnificent 1’32.439s for pole. He held the top spot until the flag came out, with a gap of 0.162s to his closest rival, and will start tomorrow’s race from the front of the grid.