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Category: Moto GP
Moto GP, the Motorcycle World Championship
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MotoGP 2016 Calendar
Several rounds of the 2016 MotoGP™ World Championship have been rescheduled.
MotoGP’s provisional 2016 calendar has been updated, changes are highlighted in bold. The calendar is given here courtesy www.motoGP.com.
Be sure to check out the fully updated 2016 MotoGP Calendar page.
Round Date Grand Prix Venue 1 20/03 Qatar* Losail International Circuit 2 03/04 Argentina Termas de Río Hondo 3 10/04 Americas Circuit Of The Americas 4 24/04 Spain Jerez de la Frontera ** 5 08/05 France Le Mans 6 22/05 Italy Mugello 7 05/06 Catalunya Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 8 26/06 Netherlands TT Assen 9 17/07 Germany Sachsenring 10 14/08 Austria Red Bull Ring 11 21/08 Czech Republic Brno ** 12 04/09 Great Britain Silverstone 13 11/09 San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini Misano 14 25/09 Aragon MotorLand Aragon 15 16/10 Japan Twin Ring Motegi 16 23/10 Australia Phillip Island 17 30/10 Malaysia Sepang International Circuit 18 13/11 Valencia Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo * Night race
** Subject to contract
ends/david
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Lorenzo wins 2015 World MotoGP title; Rossi wins hearts, exits with dignity
Jorge Lorenzo is the 2015 MotoGP World Champion after the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider led from start to finish and rode at record pace to secure victory ahead of the Repsol Honda Team duo of Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa who finished in second and third place respectively. Valentino Rossi’s heroic effort of making it to the fourth place from last on the grid did not yield any results as he lost the world title to his teammate by five points.Starting on pole position after setting a new outright Valencia lap record in qualifying, Lorenzo got the holeshot to lead into the first corner and led the entirety of the thirty-lap race – setting a new Circuit Record Lap of 1’31.367 along the way. However, the race was by no means an easy contest as Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez pushed Lorenzo the whole way, with his teammate Dani Pedrosa also making a late push for victory. At the chequered flag though it was Lorenzo who would take his seventh victory, 0.263 seconds ahead of Marquez who in turn was a further four-tenths of a second behind in third place. The frantic pace the three riders that finished on the podium rode at resulted in a new race time record being set at the Ricardo Tormo circuit of 45’59.364; almost eleven seconds quicker than the previous record time.The final race of the year took place in warm and dry conditions, with slightly cooler track temperatures than those experienced yesterday with a peak of 30°C recorded at the start of the race. As there was no significant change in the conditions compared to the earlier sessions, tyre choice for the race resembled that from Free Practice 4 yesterday with the medium compound rear, soft compound front pairing being the most popular combination. Twenty-three riders selected the soft compound front slick, with the remaining three riders opting for the asymmetric front slick option. Sixteen riders selected the medium compound rear slick for the race, with ten riders instead selecting the soft compound rear slick.Lorenzo’s Valencia victory sees him finish the 2015 MotoGP season on 330 points, five points ahead of his teammate Valentino Rossi who finished in fourth place today, and second in the championship standings after a valiant effort from the back of the grid. Marquez ends the season in third place in the championship standings on 242 points having taken five wins.
eom/Bridgestone release -
Lorenzo makes his intentions clear with a magnificent lap for pole
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo left no confusion this afternoon about his intentions of winning this years‘ MotoGP World Championship, setting a magnificent lap for pole position at the last qualifying session of the year. With no pressure to get a front start in qualifying, team-mate Valentino Rossi was steadily improving his pace throughout the session, but suffered a small crash at the final stages and ended the day having set the twelfth fastest time.
Fully focused on the task ahead, Lorenzo was calm and collected as he emerged from pit lane as the last rider to head out in the last 15-minute Q2 of the season. Once out on the relatively empty track, he stayed true to usual form and immediately dropped under the 1‘31s mark with a 1‘30.996s for provisional third position.
With a little less than nine minutes of the session remaining, he hurried back to the pits to start his second time attack a minute later. His next flying lap was a sensational 1‘30,011s for pole position, enough to break the circuit best lap record, creating nearly half a second margin to his closest rival.
Lorenzo quickly headed back to box for a second stop, but neither he nor any of his competitors were able to come close to his superb lap time.
Team-mate Rossi took a moment at the start of the session before he mounted his Yamaha YZR-M1 and had his first attempt of setting a hot lap. The Doctor clocked a 1‘32.840s on his first try and bettered his time to 1‘31.471s in the second before returning to the pits for a fresh rear tyre.
Back on track with five minutes remaining, he used his third flying lap to warm up his tyres to be able to push to the maximum on the next lap. Having picked up the pace, the nine-time World Champion had set a new personal best time for the first two sectors, but a small slide down the track meant the end of his session.
Though he set the twelfth fastest time, Rossi will be starting the race from last place on the grid, having collected a total of four penalty points on his racing license.
eom/Yamaha release
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Unstoppable Pedrosa takes dominant victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix
Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa converted his record-breaking pace in qualifying into a race winning performance at today’s Malaysian Grand Prix, the Spaniard scoring his second victory from the last three races.Repsol Honda version of today’s race:
Pole man Dani Pedrosa led every lap of today’s Malaysian GP to take his second win of the season and seal the hat-trick of victories for the Repsol Honda Team in the fly away races. Unfortunately teammate Marc Marquez was involved in an incident with Valentino Rossi and crashed out on lap five.
Dani made a strong start off the line with Marc closely behind him however, after a small mistake on lap two Marc was passed by Lorenzo in turn four demoting him to third place and in front of Rossi. As Dani took control at the front, Marc and Rossi fought fiercely for third place and on lap four the two riders passed each other nine times, with Marc leading as they began lap five.
Again they battled and passed one another five times with Rossi in front as they exited turn thirteen. With Marc on the outside, Rossi slowed them both down into turn fourteen and then extended his leg into Marc’s bike causing him to crash. Dani remained untouchable at the front, winning comfortably with a margin of 3.6 seconds over Lorenzo.
After the podium ceremony, Rossi and Marc were called to Race Direction for a hearing. Their decision – after speaking with both riders – was to give three penalty points to Valentino, resulting in him starting the final race of the season from the back of the grid, as he already has one penalty point after an incident in Misano. Yamaha appealed this decision and the FIM had their own hearing with both riders but the appeal was declined and the penalty stands.
With his victory, Dani moves up into 4th in the Championship Standings with just one race of 2015 remaining in Valencia.
Earlier, starting on pole position, Pedrosa got the holeshot to lead into the first corner and led for the entirety of the race, his overall race time setting a new record for the Malaysian Grand Prix, beating the old mark by over seven seconds. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi finished in second and third place respectively, the result meaning that Lorenzo closes the gap to his teammate to just seven points with just one round left to decide the 2015 MotoGP™ World Champion.Race day at the Malaysian Grand Prix experienced similar weather to the previous two days of the race weekend, with hot, humid conditions. The peak track temperature during the race was 50°C, a figure only slightly warmer than yesterday afternoon and as a result, tyre choice was largely the same as seen in Free Practice 4. The medium compound front slick was used by every single rider for the race except for Octo Pramac Racing’s Yonny Hernandez, who selected the hard compound front slick instead. Rear tyre choice saw the majority of riders selecting the medium compound rear slick, with sixteen of the riders choosing this option, while the remaining nine entrants opted for the soft compound rear slick. Tyre performance over the twenty laps of the Malaysian Grand Prix was exceptional, with Lorenzo setting a new Sepang Circuit Record Lap time of 2’00.606, beating the old mark by over half a second, while three other riders also set personal best lap times quicker than the old record.Rossi holds a seven point lead in the championship standings over Lorenzo heading into the season finale at Valencia in two weeks’ time. However, Race Direction has given Rossi a penalty following an incident with Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez, meaning he will start from the back of the grid in Valencia. Marquez holds onto third place in the championship standings on 222 points despite suffering his fifth DNF of the season today.Movistar Yamaha Version of the race today:As of today‘s race Valentino Rossi holds the record of most starts in Grand Prix history with 329 starts in what is probably his most dramatic as of yet. The Doctor had a good launch from third on the grid and kept his position as he settled behind Pedrosa and Marquez into the first turn. As Lorenzo started to move up the order, Rossitried to respond, but was forced to let the Majorcan pass with nineteen laps to go and soon found himself trailing Marquez and one of the most heated scraps of the century ensued.For four laps the Italian and Spaniard bashed fairings and overtook in almost every corner. The fight was decided when with fourteen laps to go Marc crashed as the result of the two coming into contact at turn 13.Rossi continued the race in third place in a lonely ride and held his position over the line, 13.724s from the front.
Lorenzo‘s comeback from second row to second place earns him 20 points and leaves him second in the championship standings with 305 points. Rossi‘s performance sees him take 16 points and leaves him still leading on 312 points, just 7 points in front of his teammate in the battle for the World Championship Title.
Following the incident in turn 13, Race Direction has decided to impose 3 penalty points to Rossi, who will start the next Valencia race from the back of the grid. The following appeal by the Team to the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) has been rejected.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department“Dani showed his amazing talent in the way he dominated the race today, so congratulations to both him and Honda on a thoroughly deserved victory. This race will be talked about for years to come and is yet another exciting chapter in what has been one of the most closely followed MotoGP seasons in years. We had a record race-day crowd of 88,832 at Sepang today and we are all set for a spectacular season finale in front of a sold-out Valencia circuit in a fortnight’s time. It was also an incredible Grand Prix for Bridgestone as all three Sepang records, the Circuit Best Lap, Circuit Record Lap and overall race time records were beaten by huge margins. It has been a busy three week period for our staff, but we head to the last race of the season in high spirits as we look to end our MotoGP adventure in the best way possible.”Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department“We had a dry race today with similar conditions to yesterday, so tyre choice was largely as we expected with the medium compound front and rear slicks being by far the most popular choice. After the outright lap record for Sepang was broken yesterday, we could see that the riders were able to ride at a very quick pace during the race on our 2015 specification tyres, with a new race lap record and overall race time being set. Overall it was a good weekend for Bridgestone and we now look forward to finishing the season on another positive note at Valencia.”Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team – Race Winner“It was a really tough race physically, as the conditions were extremely hot and the track is very demanding. All weekend my pace was very good so I think my team did a good job and I’m happy that I could win the race and share it with them and all my supporters. We are progressing well and I’m very happy with the victory today and I’ll try to finish the season in the same way.”Malaysian MotoGP™: Top Ten Race ClassificationPosRiderTeamRace TimeGapFront specRear specTyres1Dani PEDROSARepsol Honda Team40’37.691MediumMediumBridgestone2Jorge LORENZOMovistar Yamaha MotoGP40’41.3033.612MediumMediumBridgestone3Valentino ROSSIMovistar Yamaha MotoGP40’51.41513.724MediumMediumBridgestone4Bradley SMITHMonster Yamaha Tech 341’01.68623.995MediumMediumBridgestone5Cal CRUTCHLOWLCR Honda41’06.41228.721MediumMediumBridgestone6Danilo PETRUCCIOcto Pramac Racing41’14.06336.372MediumMediumBridgestone7Aleix ESPARGAROTeam SUZUKI ECSTAR41’16.98139.290MediumMediumBridgestone8Maverick VIÑALESTeam SUZUKI ECSTAR41’17.12739.436MediumMediumBridgestone9Pol ESPARGAROMonster Yamaha Tech 341’20.15342.462MediumMediumBridgestone10Stefan BRADLAprilia Racing Team Gresini41’22.29244.601MediumSoftBridgestoneeom/Bridgestone Press Release
Dani Pedrosa on way to second win in three races at Sepang on Sunday. A Bridgestone image -
Dani Pedrosa smashes Sepang Circuit lap record: Malayasian Motorcycle GP; Mahindra’s Bagnaia P8 in Moto3
Sepang, 24 October 2015: Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa produced one of his best ever qualifying performances to smash the Sepang Circuit Best Lap record and claim pole position for tomorrow’s Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, according to a Bridgestone release.
On just his second lap in Qualifying Practice 2, Pedrosa set a scorching time 1’59.053 to lop over half a second off the previous Sepang Circuit Best Lap record and ultimately end the session 0.409 seconds ahead of his teammate Marc Marquez who claimed second place on the grid. The final front row slot went to Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi who clocked a 1’59.726 on his final lap of the session to out-qualify his teammate Jorge Lorenzo by mere 0.011 seconds. All of the riders that qualified on the front row used the combination of the medium compound slicks front and rear for their time attack in qualifying.It was another typically hot and humid day at Sepang, although the smoke haze lingering over the circuit was thicker than yesterday which resulted in slightly lower track temperatures. Today’s maximum track temperature of 46°C was recorded at the end of Free Practice 4 and was 4°C below yesterday’s high. The combination of poor grip from the tarmac and heavy undulations in the braking zone at the Sepang circuit has steered tyre choice towards options that provide good bump absorption and cornering performance. Therefore, in race simulations during FP4 the medium compound front and rear slicks emerged as the favourite options amongst the riders today and are likely to be used by the majority of riders for the race. The soft compound rear slick is also likely be used by some open class riders for the race as it provides extra performance without a big penalty to durability, but the hard compound rear slick is unlikely to be used by the factory Honda and Yamaha riders unless track temperatures tomorrow are considerably higher.Tomorrow’s Malaysian Grand Prix will start at 1500 local time (GMT +8) with local weather forecasts predicting a moderate possibility of rain at this time. Before then, the MotoGP™ riders will next be on track for the twenty-minute Warm Up session at 1040 local time.Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department“Thankfully both sessions were dry today which allowed the teams and riders to work on getting maximum potential out of our tyre allocation at Sepang. The condition of this circuit has degraded year-on-year and so it is important to find a setup which can deal with the bumps in the braking zones, while also limiting spinning of the rear tyre on corner exit. Today’s dry sessions provided the opportunity for the teams to find optimal bike settings for our slick tyres and the result was some very quick lap times during both the time attacks in qualifying as well as during race simulations in FP4. The vast reduction in lap times we have seen this weekend is a good indication that our 2015 specification slick tyres are working well here at Sepang and I am confident our tyres can help produce another thrilling race tomorrow.”Mapfre Mahindra Moto3 team adds:
Moto3 lap times edged towards record pace at Sepang this morning and the only question mark was whether or not the pace would be maintained as the temperatures rose for qualifying in the afternoon. Miguel Oliveira answered any doubts as he broke the 2’13 barrier on just the third lap and the Portuguese rider looked likely to stay there as qualifying ticked by with a whole host of riders tripping each other up as they looked for a tow, with slipstreams so crucial at Sepang. The traffic was so bad that it is hard to imagine Race Direction will not be handing out more penalties this evening, which could see changes to the grid before tomorrow’s race. On the final lap, Oliveira was edged out to third position by Niccolo Antonelli and Jorge Navarro.
MAPFRE Team Mahindra riders Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martín are hopeful of joining the battle at the front in tomorrow’s race after making constant progress throughout the weekend. After lapping ninth and eleventh fastest in final free practice this morning the pair went in search of strong grid positions from the start this afternoon, with Bagnaia moving up to third position on his third lap. It was only during the final few minutes, when he was held up by traffic, that he dropped a few spots to eighth, half a second off pole, but with the likelihood of moving up a position or two once Race Direction have intervened. Martín may also move forward from thirteenth place, the Spaniard feeling confident that he can meet his objective of a top ten finish tomorrow. The team’s third member Juanfran Guevara is hoping to find some set-up solutions tonight after struggling this weekend and qualifying back in 22nd.
8th Pecco Bagnaia 2.13.167 (13 laps): “I was able to set fast laps on my own in free practice this morning and in qualifying this afternoon. My race pace is strong and I was able to set a quick lap in qualifying, it was just a shame that when I was on course to go even faster I ran into a bunch of riders in the middle of the track. It has been happening a lot this season and Race Direction have had to get serious about it already. Anyway, I think when the lights go out tomorrow we will be able to make up a couple of positions. I am satisfied with the job we have done, the bike is working perfectly. The forecast is looking like it might rain but I would prefer a dry race. It will be difficult and I don’t think the pace will be so high because the tyres drop off dramatically here. The objective is to get into the lead group at the start and then be fighting at the end for the best possible result.”
13th Jorge Martín 2.13.573 (12 laps): “In general it has been a very positive day. I felt comfortable in final free practice and I was able to set a really fast lap. My pace is strong on used tyres and that is very positive for the race tomorrow. Qualifying didn’t go as well as I had hoped, I had a problem with my drinks pack at the start and then when we put the softest tyre in I ran wide in one corner but still set my fastest lap. Overall, even though I was hoping for more I am happy with our performance and the result today. I think we have good pace and I am hopeful of running in the front group tomorrow, fighting until the end. I think it will be a big group at the start and then not so big at the end. Our goal is to be there and at least finish in the top ten.”
eom/Bridgestone and Aspar team releases
Francesco Bagnaia to start on P8 in Moto3 for Aspar Mahindra Moto3. An Aspar Team image -
Last lap heroics help Marquez clinch first premier class victory at Phillip Island; Rossi keeps lead with 4th
Phillip Island, 18 October 2015: Marc Marquez won his first premier class race at Phillip Island after the Repsol Honda Team rode an astonishing final lap to snatch victory from Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Iannone who finished in second and third place respectively. Rossi finished fourth to keep his championship lead.Today’s Australian Grand Prix turned into a four-way battle for the lead with Marquez, Lorenzo, Iannone and Valentino Rossi trading places throughout the twenty-seven lap contest. Such was the intensity of the fight for victory that Marquez’s finishing time beat the previous Australian Grand Prix record race time by thirteen seconds. Marquez’s final lap was completed in a time of 1’29.280 – the quickest lap of the race – during which time he managed to overtake Lorenzo at MG corner and power through the final two turns to take the chequered flag 0.249 seconds ahead of his compatriot. Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone rode a brilliant race and after challenging for victory, managed to resist the attention of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Rossi on the final lap to take the final podium spot by just one tenth of a second ahead of his fellow Italian.The Australian Grand Prix took place in fine weather conditions with the track temperature peaking at 38°C at the start of the race and only dropping by a couple of degrees by the final lap. The conditions were almost a carbon-copy of what they were during Free Practice 4 and qualifying yesterday and so tyre choice for the race mimicked that of yesterday’s sessions. The newly-developed asymmetric front slick was the unanimous choice for the race, with all twenty-five participants selecting it for its balance of warm-up performance, braking feel and cornering stability. For the rear tyre, sixteen riders – including all the factory Ducati, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha entrants – selected the medium compound rear slick for the race, with the remaining nine riders opting for the soft compound rear slick. Tyre performance during the race was quick and consistent, highlighted by the top seven riders completing the lap in quicker time than the previous overall race time record.Lorenzo’s second place in Phillip Island helps him close the points gap to the current championship leader, Valentino Rossi to just eleven points with two rounds remaining. Marquez’s win sees him consolidate third place on the points table, a further 63 points behind Lorenzo.The race began at a rapid pace, with Lorenzo, Iannone, Marc, Dani, Rossi and Crutchlow leading the way. Lorenzo pushed at the front trying to open a gap as the other riders jostled for position behind him. By lap seven, Marc had slotted in behind Lorenzo as the other riders continued to battle, constantly swapping position. By lap sixteen, Dani had established himself in 5th – fending off Crutchlow – as a small gap opened up to him and the leading four riders.
Despite constantly passing one another, Marc, Rossi and Iannone caught up with Lorenzo and on lap eighteen Marc took the lead briefly, but it only lasted three laps. Marc, Rossi and Iannone continued to fight and Marc dropped down to 4th with just two laps to go. However, he never gave up hope – passing Rossi on the penultimate lap into 3rd – and on the final lap making up two places whilst recording the fastest lap of the race and taking the victory by just 0.249 seconds over Lorenzo.
The top four riders crossed the line with barely a second separating them with Dani bringing home 5th place. Marc’s win here is his 50th in his career and his first in the MotoGP class at Phillip Island – only victory at Motegi eludes him – from circuits on the current calendar. Honda remain the most successful manufacturer at Phillip Island in the MotoGP era with six victories.
Australian MotoGP Top Ten Race ClassificationPosRiderTeamRace TimeGapFront specRear specTyres1Marc MARQUEZRepsol Honda Team40’33.849AsymmetricMediumBridgestone2Jorge LORENZOMovistar Yamaha MotoGP40’34.0980.249AsymmetricMediumBridgestone3Andrea IANNONEDucati Team40’34.7790.930AsymmetricMediumBridgestone4Valentino ROSSIMovistar Yamaha MotoGP40’34.9071.058AsymmetricMediumBridgestone5Dani PEDROSARepsol Honda Team40’38.9115.062AsymmetricMediumBridgestone6Maverick VIÑALESTeam SUZUKI ECSTAR40’40.6496.800AsymmetricMediumBridgestone7Cal CRUTCHLOWLCR Honda40’43.2249.375AsymmetricMediumBridgestone8Pol ESPARGAROMonster Yamaha Tech 340’52.25018.401AsymmetricMediumBridgestone9Aleix ESPARGAROTeam SUZUKI ECSTAR40’53.88820.039AsymmetricMediumBridgestone10Bradley SMITHMonster Yamaha Tech 340’54.50620.657AsymmetricMediumBridgestone -
Miquel Oliveira takes fifth podium of his career in a day of crashes: Moto3
Phillip Island (Australia), 18 October 2015: Miguel Oliveira of Red Bull KTM Ajo won the MotoGP 3 here on Sunday clocking 37 minutes 34.742 to take his 5th podium of his GP career and moves to 2nd in championship, 40 points from Danny Kent with 50 points and two races remaining in the chamionship.
Spaniard Efren Vasquez of Leopard Racing came second in his Honda while Brad Binder came third. Oliveira had enough in hand around the final corners to win by 0.1s – a monumental margin by this race’s standards – but Vazquez just edged Binder and Navarro in a frantic dash to the line.
Miguel, the Portugal rider moved to the second position behind Danny Kent in the world championship Moto3 standings. Kent crashed out today along with nearest rival before the start of this race, Bastianini.
After the race Oliveira said: “I just realise now the championship is still on. What a crazy race. I noticed the group was not so big but I still wanted to be 1st or 2nd. I could defend the whole lap and I’m so happy, a great win.” On second thoughts, “I am sorry for the results, it happens…” he quipped.Second place Vazquez said: “I’m really happy with this race. The setting was perfect for the race and to get a podium is great.”Third-placed Binder feels lucky saying: “The front closed on me at T1, I was so lucky there was extra tarmac there. It was a good race although I’m a bit disappointed with 3rd. I felt strong and pulled back the gap. My bike was amazing, it handled really well. I’m sure I could have done better but…”eom/motogp.com results
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Marquez takes blistering pole in Australia with heartache for Pedrosa in 4th
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez has taken an incredible pole position – his 30th in MotoGP – as he chases his first win in the premier class at Phillip Island, but unfortunately teammate Dani Pedrosa was demoted from second to fourth in the dying seconds of qualifying according to a Repsol Honda release.
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo rode as smoothly as ever around the Phillip Island circuit today, taking third position for tomorrow‘s Australian Grand Prix. Teammate Valentino Rossi also felt the tension build before the crucial qualifying session, and secured seventh place on the grid, adds Movistar Yamaha team release.
Since Saturday Honda notes of FP2, Marc has led every session here in Phillip Island and immediately shot to the top on his first exit in qualifying. On his second run, Marc was on track to improve his time again however, a big moment in turn four – where he was lucky to save the bike from crashing – forced him back into the pits for new rubber for his final third exit. Marc delivered an incredible lap, improving his first run by three tenths with a time of 1’28.364 and securing pole position.
Dani found traffic on his first flying lap but was then able to get a fast lap in. On his second run, he improved by half a second and his time of 1’28.712 placed him second with just a handful of riders remaining. However, in the final moments, Lorenzo and Iannone crossed the line with identical times just 0.032 seconds ahead of Dani and relegated him to fourth.
Tomorrow’s race will begin at 16h00 local time.
Marc Marquez
1ST 1’28.364
“I am pleased with how the day went, and of course with pole position! Thanks to the team for all their work, we have a good pace
for tomorrow and we are ready to fight for the podium and hopefully the victory tomorrow. However we must wait and see what happens, because here every day is different; it can be sunny but then all of a sudden clouds can appear, and the key will be interpreting how the track conditions are, in order to have a good race.”Results Session
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap 1 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’28.364 2 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Ducati Team 1’28.680 3 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’28.680 4 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’28.712 5 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda 1’28.912 6 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’28.932 7 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’29.014 8 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’29.015 9 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’29.222 10 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team 1’29.267 11 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 1’29.499 12 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’29.626 13 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Pramac Racing 1’29.918 14 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Avintia Racing 1’30.064 15 MILLER Jack 43 AUS LCR Honda 1’30.104 16 LAVERTY Eugene 50 IRE Aspar MotoGP Team 1’30.105 17 HERNANDEZ Yonny 68 COL Pramac Racing 1’30.135 18 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’30.147 19 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Athina Forward Racing 1’30.173 20 HAYDEN Nicky 69 USA Aspar MotoGP Team 1’30.376 21 BRADL Stefan 6 GER Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’30.634 22 DI MEGLIO Mike 63 FRA Avintia Racing 1’30.959 23 WEST Anthony 13 AUS AB Motoracing -
Mapfre Mahindra riders start weekend with strong pace at Phillip Island
Phillip Islands (Australia), 16 Oct 2015: Just five days after crossing the finish line in the Grand Prix of Japan the Mot
Guevara on Friday in Phillip Islands. A Mapfre Mahindra image 3 World Championship riders were back on their bikes today to begin the sixteenth round of the season at Phillip Island. The Australian Grand Prix kicked off in typically changeable weather conditions, with the first session taking place in the dry but the second session starting off in the damp after some intermittent showers. The riders opted to wait in their garages until the track dried, with some riders able to improve their lap times but many struggling to match their pace from the morning. Indeed, the fastest time of the first day here was set in the opening session by Miguel Oliveira.
MAPFRE Team Mahindra’s three riders made a solid start to the Australian Grand Prix. Juanfran Guevara built on his excellent feeling at this circuit in 2014, working to a similar plan today as he made improvements in the second session to lap eleventh fastest overall, a little over a second off the fastest rider today. Pecco Bagnaia was two positions further back, the Italian feeling satisfied with his bike but uncomfortable with the strong winds that were a constant feature today at Phillip Island. Jorge Martín also struggled with the conditions but otherwise adapted quickly to the circuit and he is confident of improving on eighteenth place ahead of qualifying tomorrow.
11th Juanfran Guevara 1.38.306 (28 laps): “We had a good race at Phillip Island last year so I was really looking forward to this weekend. We tried to start with the same plan of attack today. We worked well in the first session but this afternoon the conditions were strange and we could only ride for the final twenty minutes so we don’t know how much we could have improved. I am happy though, it was important to start the Grand Prix strongly and especially to see where we could improve. We have done a lot of laps on the same tyre today and that is positive for the race. We had a consistent pace this morning and dropped the lap time in the afternoon. The objective is to continue in the same way tomorrow.”
13th Pecco Bagnaia 1.38.339 (28 laps): “Today was positive, I am happy with how the bike is working, it was just a shame that the wind was such a problem today. The feeling for the first day was really good and I was running in the top ten, it was just a shame that I got held up on my final lap by a rider on a slow lap. Anyway, I am happy with the result today. Tomorrow we have to try and improve and work on reducing the effect of the wind. It caused a few crashes in turn one today, it is not a nice thing for anybody. We will work on improving our performance tomorrow and maybe try lowering the front end a little so that it doesn’t get lifted quite so much.”
eom
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Mugello victory seals double CIV title for Mahindra Peugeot
Mugello, 13 October 2015: Top teenager Marco Bezzecchi (16) took another hard-fought victory in the final race of the five-round national Italian CIV championship at the classic Mugello circuit on October 11, to seal his first championship crown, and also secure the Constructors’ championship for Mahindra Peugeot.
Riding a Mahindra for Team Porto Maggiore, the 16-ye
Marco Bezzecchi (16) takes the victory. A Mahindra image ar-old from Rimini – the heartland of Italian motorcycle racing – triumphed by inches after a race-long battle with rival Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Bezzecchi’s Mahindra MGP3O was strikingly painted in the red, white and green of the Italian Tricolore, and he was draped in the national flag as he celebrated his race and championship win.
Bezzecchi and Giannantonio had exchanged the lead over and over again as they battled round the scenic circuit, venue for the prestigious Italian MotoGP race; but clever tactics and the sprinting power of his Mahindra gave Bezzecchi the crucial edge past the chequered flag, and the points he needed to confirm his championship title.
The Italian CIV national championship is an important series in Europe, and has been the springboard for many famous riders including Valentino Rossi, who hails from the countryside near Rimini.
Mahindra, the only Indian constructor in international championship racing, has forged strong links with Italy, with Mahindra Racing’s European headquarters in Varese.
Mahindra has taken part in the CIV series since 2012, when the machines were still 125cc two-strokes; winning the Constructors’ crown at the first attempt. Mahindra won it again in 2013, when the series was opened to Moto3, 250cc, machines.
The current Mahindra MGP3O ridden to victory by Bezzecchi is a 250cc four-stroke, as campaigned in the Moto3 World Championship.
Mufaddal Choonia: Mahindra Racing CEO
“That was a very exciting way for our young rider to win the championship, for himself and Mahindra Peugeot; and a very satisfying achievement for both. With our strong connection to the racing scene in Italy, this victory means a lot. This championship is important of course for our continuing development of our grand prix machine, but also a chance for Mahindra Peugeot to put something back by supporting young talent – and there is a lot of young talent in Italy. This is in line with the Mahindra Group’s Rise philosophy that strives to Drive Positive Change by using Alternative Thinking and Accepting No Limits. We believe Marco has a big future in racing.”
-Ends-
for tomorrow and we are ready to fight for the podium and hopefully the victory tomorrow. However we must wait and see what happens, because here every day is different; it can be sunny but then all of a sudden clouds can appear, and the key will be interpreting how the track conditions are, in order to have a good race.”
