INDIA in F1

Category: Moto GP

Moto GP, the Motorcycle World Championship

  • Marquez continues perfect record in USA with emphatic win in Austin

    Austin, 12 April 2015 (13Apr IST): Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez has returned to winning form in the Red Bull GP of The Americas with teammate Hiroshi Aoyama – replacing Dani Pedrosa – fighting to the last lap to take 11th place.

    Pole man Marc dropped back briefly from the start to 2nd place behind Dovizioso whilst Hiroshi got caught up and found himself 20th, from 16th on the grid. By lap five, Hiro had climbed to 13th and after a brief battle with Dovizioso, Marc took first place.

    With Rossi and Iannone fighting with Dovizioso, Marc never looked back and led from the front for the remainder of the race – taking his 20th victory in the MotoGP class. Hiroshi progressed further and reached 11th place, which he briefly lost on the final lap, but showed a fighting spirit and re-passed Barbera taking 11th.

    Marc has won on all six occasions that he has raced in the MotoGP class in the USA, and Honda celebrate their 11th consecutive win on American soil. The last non-Honda MotoGP winner in the USA was Jorge Lorenzo, at Laguna Seca in 2010.

    Now the team packs up and head straight to Argentina for the third round of 2015.

    Marc Marquez said: “I am very happy with this victory! After yesterday, things looked positive for us, but the only doubt was about the weather. In the end, it turned out stranger than it had seemed. When I saw that it was going to be a dry race, I started out very focused – because I knew it was important to try to win today. However, right from the first lap I saw that the track was not like it had been before the rain of last night. There was less grip and it was harder to ride comfortably. I decided to keep calm in the early laps to try to understand the situation well, and when I started to find a feeling similar to practice, I decided to push the pace a bit. That was when I was able to open up a gap.”

    Results Session

    Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Time/Gap
    1 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA 25 Repsol Honda Team 43’47.150
    2 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 20 Ducati Team +2.354
    3 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 16 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP +3.120
    4 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA 13 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP +6.682
    5 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA 11 Ducati Team +7.584
    6 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR 10 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +10.557
    7 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 9 CWM LCR Honda +16.967
    8 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 8 Team Suzuki Ecstar +19.025
    9 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA 7 Team Suzuki Ecstar +38.570
    10 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 6 Pramac Racing +41.796
    11 AOYAMA Hiroshi 7 JPN 5 Repsol Honda Team +47.199
    12 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA 4 Avintia Racing +47.339
    13 HAYDEN Nicky 69 USA 3 Aspar MotoGP Team +56.484
    14 MILLER Jack 43 AUS 2 CWM LCR Honda +56.731
    15 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA 1 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +57.372
    16 LAVERTY Eugene 50 IRE 0 Aspar MotoGP Team +58.898
    17 BAZ Loris 76 FRA 0 Athina Forward Racing +1’08.787
    18 DE ANGELIS Alex 15 RSM 0 Athina Forward Racing +1’22.236
    19 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE 0 AB Motoracing DNF
    20 MELANDRI Marco 33 ITA 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini DNF
    21 HERNANDEZ Yonny 68 COL 0 Pramac Racing DNF
    22 DI MEGLIO Mike 63 FRA 0 Avintia Racing DNF
    23 REDDING Scott 45 GBR 0 Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS DNF
    24 BRADL Stefan 6 GER 0 Athina Forward Racing DNF
    25 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA 0 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 DNF

    eom/Honda press release

    Reigning world champion Marquez returns to winning ways in Austin on Sunday. A Repsol Honda image
    Reigning world champion Marquez returns to winning ways in Austin on Sunday. A Repsol Honda image

  • After spectacular Rossi win, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team prepares for action in America

    Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 7 April 2015: After Valentino Rossi‘s spectacular victory at the opening round almost a fortnight ago, he and Movistar Yamaha MotoGP teammate Jorge Lorenzo head to Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) for the Grand Prix of The Americas this weekend.

    The 2015 season has only just started, but the first MotoGP race has already given race fans lots of action and drama to talk about. Rossi rode a brilliant race from eighth on the grid to clinch victory.

    The nine-time World Champion aims to continue his form at COTA, though he‘s admittedly not a big fan of the Texan circuit with a sixth place in 2013 as his best result. However, he‘s still excited to hit the track after his sensational opening of the season and will again be giving his all to fight for a place on the podium.

    A Movistar Yamaha graphic
    A Movistar Yamaha graphic

    Teammate Lorenzo had a challenging start to the season. He led the pack in Qatar in the early stages of the race, but later lost half his vision due to a helmet malfunction. The mentally and physically strong Spaniard will use this misfortune as extra motivation to push his YZR-M1 to the maximum once more this weekend. Last year he had a difficult race at COTA, but he looks forward to being back at the front of the field to challenge for a podium place, like he did in 2013 when he finished third.

    The Circuit of the Americas is a relatively new track that was constructed in 2012 and first added to the MotoGP calendar in 2013. The 5513m-long, counter-clockwise track is not typically described as a ’Yamaha-circuit‘, but has an interesting mixture of fast straights and tight hairpins that make for a lively race. With 20 corners in total, 11 left turns and 9 right turns, and a longest straight of 1,200m, this circuit can seat 120,000 fans and is sure to bring more excitement to the season.

    Rossi said: “Beginning the championship with a victory is really nice, but now we must try to be just as competitive as we were in Qatar everywhere else. Austin is not our favorite track. Although the track is very modern and I really like some corners, the two long straights are weak points for us. Our opponents are strong, but it‘s also true that our bike has made major improvements. I‘m happy with my feelings on the YZR-M1. We will work hard to find the best possible solution, as we did at Losail. After the victory in Qatar we are all very motivated and we are ready for another weekend. I would like to get on the podium. It won‘t be easy, but we will try!”

    Teammate Jorge Lorenzo wants to forget the opening race and concentrate on the COTA: “Qatar is in the past and we thought our result would be better, but now I‘m just focusing on next race in Austin. I look forward to racing there once again, even if usually it‘s not a track that suits our bike. In the past I was able to get on the podium so I want to do my best in Texas and try to keep as focused as I was in Qatar. I‘m eager to race as soon as possible because I feel very fit and mentally strong. Hopefully we can do a better job than last year because both me and the bike have improved and maybe also the new tyres give us a chance to fight for the race. From my side, I‘m going to push at the maximum,” Lorenzo said.

    eom/A Movistar  Yamaha release

     

  • Valentino Rossi opens 2015 season with a stunning victory for Yamaha

    Losail International Circuit (Qatar), 29 March 2015: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi opened the 2015 MotoGP season tonight with a stunning victory at the Grand Prix of Qatar.

    Nine-time World Champion Rossi emerged victorious from a thrilling battle with Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso who finished second after starting from pole and his Ducati teammate Andrea Iannone came third.
    Starting from eighth on the grid, Rossi worked his way through the field and by lap eleven had closed right on the leading pack comprising his Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo, and the Ducati pair of Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone.  After the four riders put on a spectacular four-way battle for the lead, in the closing stages Rossi and Dovizioso upped the pace and engaged in their own dogfight for victory. As the chequered flag was waved it was Rossi who clinched victory by just 0.174 seconds ahead of Dovizioso, while Andrea Iannone completed an all-Italian podium by finishing in third place a further two seconds behind. All three riders on the rostrum opted for the medium compound rear slick, but while the two Ducati riders chose the medium compound front slick for the race, Rossi selected the hard compound front slick.
    Track conditions today were much like yesterday with a constant track temperature of 26°C recorded during the twenty-two lap race. The hard compound front slick that was widely used in race simulations in Free Practice 4 yesterday was also the most popular front tyre choice for the race, with seventeen riders selecting this option, and the remaining eight riders selecting the medium compound front slick. Rear tyre choice showed a strong preference for the medium compound rear slick, with twenty riders selecting this option, and five riders opting for the soft compound rear. Despite it showing promise during long runs in previous sessions, the hard compound rear slick was not chosen by any riders for the race. The Qatar Grand Prix was the first competitive outing for Bridgestone’s 2015 specification MotoGP tyres and the results were impressive, with this year’s Qatar Grand Prix having the shortest-ever winning race time and race winner Rossi able to set a time on his final lap that was just one-tenth of a second slower than his race fastest lap, set on lap five, a Bridgestone release said.Rossi on podium 29Mar2015 Yamaha pic

    Yamaha Release adds:

    Rossi’s teammate Jorge Lorenzo also put on an impressive performance finishing in fourth place.

    What started as a battle that could have been anybody‘s race, ended in a thrilling duel.
    Rossi rode an incredible race. Starting from eighth on the grid, the nine-time world champion fell back to tenth position and took a few laps to get a feel for the situation. He then ploughed through the order on his way to the front of the field. He quickly overtook several riders to take fifth in a duel with rival Pedrosa on lap four. Keeping up his pace, he soon passed Hernandez for fourth and continued his podium chase by bridging a 1,5 second gap to rider in third. He then clawed his way to the front group of Dovizioso, Lorenzo and Iannone. This was the start of an incredible final battle between the two factory teams as the riders changed positions several times.

    “In the last three seasons I always rode solid races and arrived on the podium but to come back with a victory is another thing. I am so happy because we suffered a lot during the practices and also the tests, but we worked very well for the 22 laps race and I was very strong. First of all you have to be lucky, but especially the work that we do with the team during the weekend makes the difference for my pace in the race. It was definitely one of the best races of my career, considering where we were yesterday. I really have to thank all my team, my engineers and all at Yamaha because I think today we did something amazing.”

    Rossi fought hard, eventually overtaking Iannone with four laps to go. A nail biting last few rounds with rival Dovizioso followed, with the Doctor giving one of his best performances in his 20 year MotoGP career. Fighting until the very last corner he gave everything to hold enough of an advantage to clinch the first victory of the 2015 season, with a margin of 0.174s.

    Teammate Jorge Lorenzo also had a great start to his 2015 Championship, flying from sixth on the grid to grab second place into turn one. He continued to chase Dovizioso, as rival Marquez had run wide. Lorenzotook over at the front in turn 12 of lap two, but was unable to create a lead. The Mallorcan and Dovizioso battled fiercely and were later joined by Iannone and Rossi. Lorenzo feeling the heat of the following riders, made many attempts at reclaiming the lead, but was unable to hold first position. He fought bravely, but with four laps to go was forced to let his teammate and rivals go through due to a problem with his helmet. He finished fourth, 2.707s from the front.

    Team Director Massimo Meregalli said: “It has been an incredible start to the season. Vale‘s race was a masterpiece! He rode well and really got what he deserved. Unfortunately Jorge had a problem with his helmet seven laps to the end and had to slow down a bit. Otherwise I think we could have had both riders on the podium. Especially considering how we started the weekend, this is a great result. Our target was to start with a victory and we achieved it. I want to say a big thank you to everybody who made this happen. The whole team has been putting in hard work, starting from last week. We now look forward to the next race in two weeks time.”

    Rossi‘s superb win earns him first place in the championship standings with 25 points. Lorenzo now holds fourth place in the championship with 13 points.

    Thanks to today‘s results Movistar Yamaha  MotoGP take the lead in the teams‘ championship with 38 points. The next round will be held at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), United States, in two weeks‘ time.

    eom/Yamaha release

    Qatar MotoGP™ Top Ten Race Classification
    Pos
    Rider
    Team
    Race Time
    Gap
    Front spec
    Rear spec
    Tyres
    1
    		 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 42’35.717 Hard Medium
    Bridgestone
    2
    		 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 42’35.891 0.174 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    3
    		 Andrea IANNONE Ducati Team 42’37.967 2.25 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    4
    		 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 42’38.424 2.707 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    5
    		 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 42’42.753 7.036 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    6
    		 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 42’46.472 10.755 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    7
    		 Cal CRUTCHLOW CMW LCR Honda 42’48.101 12.384 Hard Medium
    Bridgestone
    8
    		 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 42’48.631 12.914 Hard Medium
    Bridgestone
    9
    		 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 42’48.748 13.031 Hard Medium
    Bridgestone
    10
    		 Yonny HERNANDEZ Pramac Racing 42’53.152 17.435 Hard Medium
    Bridgestone
     

  • Anticipation is over as 2015 season sets to kick off in Qatar: MotoGP Honda news

    Last week’s Qatar test signalled an end to Winter testing and the Repsol Honda Team are en route back to the desert for the first round of the season.

    It’s been a positive testing period for reigning World Champion, Marc Marquez, and his teammate Dani Pedrosa. After a challenging test in Valencia at the end of 2014, the Honda Racing Corporation engineers returned to Japan and worked hard all winter, in order to arrive at the first test in Malaysia with additional chassis’ for both riders to try. Since then, progress has been steady as both Marc and Dani fine tuned their Honda RC213V machines in preparation for this first round.Marc, who took his first MotoGP podium here in 2013, will be relieved to be arriving 100% fit after last year when he was still recovering from a broken leg, suffered during a training accident. Marc took his first win here and then continued his famous 10-race winning streak that eventually set him up for back-to-back World Championships. Marc has visited the Qatar podium in all three classes, MotoGP – 1st in 2014 and 3rd in 2013, Moto2 – 1st in 2012 and 125cc – 3rd in 2010.

    Dani, has also had a positive pre-season and has enjoyed a total of six podium finishes in Qatar, but victory at this track still eludes him. Dani has celebrated four 3rd place finishes (2014, 2011, 2008 and 2007) and one 2nd place (2012) in the MotoGP class, and one 2nd place in 250cc (2004).

    The Losail Circuit is a flowing layout of 5.4 kilometres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. The main straight is over a kilometre in length and there is a good mix of medium and high-speed corners, including a couple of quick left-handers which has proved particularly popular with the riders. In 2008, it became notable for hosting the first-ever floodlit MotoGP race.

    This first grand prix of the season is also the only race weekend that stretches over four days, with FP1 beginning on Thursday evening, FP2 and FP3 on Friday evening, Qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday night at 22h00 local time.

    Quotes: Marc Marquez

    “I can’t wait for the season to begin! It’s been a long Winter and then testing was cut short in Qatar last week due to rain, which was very strange, but I’m confident going into this first race. This circuit isn’t one of my favourites but it’s still fun to ride and it marks the beginning of the Championship which is great. Let’s see how the conditions are after all the rain last week. As usual it will take a few sessions of the different classes on track to clear the racing line and then we will see how the grip level is. There are a lot of fast riders on fast bikes – as we saw during testing – so this first race weekend will be interesting for sure!”

    Marc Marquez Statistics

    Date of Birth 17/02/1993
    Birthplace Lleida, (Catalonia) – Spain
    Height 168 cm
    Weight 59 kg
    Hobbies Mountain Biking, Video games
    Racing Number 93
    First Race 1998 “Enduro per nens”
    Grand Prix Debut 2008 125cc Portugal GP (KTM 125 FRR)
    GPs raced 114
    GP pole positions 50 (14 in 125cc, 14 in 250cc, 22 in MotoGP)
    Total GP podiums 69 (14 x 125cc, 25 x Moto2, 30 x MotoGP)
    Total GP wins 45 (10 x 125cc, 16 x Moto2, 19 x MotoGP)
    First GP Win 2010 125cc Italian GP (Derbi RSA 125)
    World titles 4 (1 x 125cc – 2010, 1 x Moto2 – 2012, 2 x MotoGP – 2013, 2014)
    Previous results in Qatar 2014 1st (MotoGP), 2013 3rd (MotoGP), 2012 1st (Moto2), 2011 DNF (Moto2), 2010 3rd (125cc), 2009 DNF (Moto2)

    Built in little over a year, the Losail International Circuit track cost $58 million USD. File photo courtesy Repsol Honda team.
    Built in little over a year, the Losail International Circuit track cost $58 million USD. File photo courtesy Repsol Honda team.

     

  • Mapfre Mahindra Team’ unveils new 2015 season Moto3 livery

    Bangalore, 18 March 2015: The Mapfre Mahindra Team officially unveiled its 2015 season Moto3 livery at the start of final pre-season testing at Jerez, Spain on Tuesday, March 17.

    According to a Press Release here on Wednesday, t

    A Mapfre Mahindra team image of new Livery released on 17 .March 2015
    A Mapfre Mahindra team image of new Livery released on 17 .March 2015

    he team, a partnership between the multiple-championship winning Aspar Team and Mahindra Racing, will become the Indian motorcycle constructor’s factory team and field three Mahindra MGP3O racers in the 2015 Moto3 season.

    During the photoshoot at the unveiling, the Mapfre Mahindra Team’s riders Juanfran Guevara, Jorge Martín and Pecco Bagnaia were joined by team boss Jorge Martinez, Mahindra Racing CEO Mufaddal Choonia and representatives of continuing title sponsor Mapfre.

    “We are ready to start the 2015 season feeling excited and very happy because this is a new and completely different project for Moto3,” Martinez, a former rider and multiple champion, said. “Our agreement with Mahindra means that we will become a factory team.

    “We have done a great job together over the past few months and the bike has evolved a lot. I hope our riders continue to produce the excellent form they have shown in pre-season testing so that we can start the new campaign fighting at the front.”

    “We are very excited by this new project and I would like to thank Mapfre, Mahindra, MRW and all our sponsors for their efforts, because without them this new project would not be possible. I hope that 2015 can be a season full of success,” Martinez, recently recognised as a legend of the sport by governing body FIM, added.

    The Jerez Moto3 and Moto2 test takes place from March 17th-19th and they are the final chance for teams to hone their racing bikes on the track before the season kicks off at the Losail circuit in Qatar on March 29th.

    eom/AdFactors release

  • Marquez sets quickest ever lap at Sepang to top first official Moto GP test

    Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft & Hard. Rear: Soft(Symmetric), Medium (Asymmetric) and Hard (Symmetric)
    Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard
    Weather: Dry. Ambient 29-32°C; Track 34-53°C (Bridgestone measurement)
    Sepang, 6 Feb 2015: Current World Champion Marc Marquez emphatically underlined his title credentials for the upcoming season by setting a scorching time of 1’58.867 at the first MotoGP™ group test of 2015 at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.
    According to a Bridgestone Press Release here on Friday, in cool conditions on the morning of the final day, Repsol Honda’s Marquez was the first ever rider to lap the Sepang circuit in the 1’58 bracket to ultimately set a time 0.139 seconds quicker than his teammate Dani Pedrosa, who was second quickest in Malaysia. Third quickest overall was Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone, with the Italian rider relishing his graduation to the factory Ducati team with lap time of 1’59.388, over 1.3 seconds quicker than his best time in last year’s opening group test.
    Thirty riders – including a total of five test riders from Aprilia, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha – took part in the first group test of 2015, completing a total of 4429 laps (24,550 kilometres) on Bridgestone tyres. The gap in lap time from the quickest to slowest rider at the first Sepang test was 7.323 seconds.
    Fine and dry conditions presented themselves during the three days of the test, with a peak track temperature of 53°C recorded on the afternoon of the second day. Track conditions were usual for Sepang, with only moderate grip levels and certain sections of the circuit being quite bumpy, but the combination of fine weather, the latest MotoGP machinery and Bridgestone’s 2015 specification tyres resulted in the test being run at record pace. The slightly cooler conditions on the morning of the final day allowed the riders to extract maximum performance from their tyres, with the top seven riders on the timesheets able to set times in the 1’59 bracket.
    All front and rear slick compound choices were utilised by riders over the three days and Bridgestone will now analyse the data acquired to incorporate into their tyre development programme for the 2015 season. Bridgestone will be back in Sepang for the second MotoGP™ official test which will take place from February 23-25.
    Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
    “This was a successful first group test and I am happy with the feedback we received from the riders on our 2015 specification tyres. Our technical objectives for this test were to give the riders some newly developed tyres based on our learnings from last year, while also ensuring that we provided a softer rear tyre allocation to cope with the increased performance of the current Open-class machines. I am happy to say that we achieved all our objectives, and despite track conditions not being ideal, the pace set over the three days was very impressive. We now look forward to continuing our good work at Sepang in a few weeks’ time.”
    Sepang I MotoGP™ Group Test – combined lap times
    Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Gap Total laps
    1
    		 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1’58.867
    181
    2
    		 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1’59.006 0.139
    138
    3
    		 Andrea IANNONE Ducati Team 1’59.388 0.521
    160
    4
    		 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’59.401 0.534
    169
    5
    		 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’59.624 0.757
    166
    6
    		 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’59.851 0.984
    162
    7
    		 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1’59.874 1.007
    128
    8
    		 Stefan BRADL Forward Racing Team 2’00.294 1.427
    156
    9
    		 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2’00.384 1.517
    153
    10
    		 Aleix ESPARGARO Team Suzuki MotoGP 2’00.486 1.619
    137
    11
    		 Cal CRUTCHLOW CWM LCR Honda 2’00.536 1.669
    190
    12
    		 Maverick VIÑALES Team Suzuki MotoGP 2’00.964 2.097
    176
    13
    		 Danilo PETRUCCI Pramac Racing 2’00.970 2.103
    153
    14
    		 Hiroshi AOYAMA HRC 2’01.029 2.162
    176
    15
    		 Hector BARBERA Avintia Racing 2’01.183 2.316
    154
    16
    		 Michele PIRRO Pramac Racing 2’01.232 2.365
    150
    17
    		 Scott REDDING Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 2’01.263 2.396
    182
    18
    		 Nicky HAYDEN Drive M7 Aspar 2’01.508 2.641
    144
    19
    		 Loris BAZ Forward Racing Team 2’01.624 2.757
    156
    20
    		 Jack MILLER CWM LCR Honda 2’01.895 3.028
    166
    21
    		 Alvaro  BAUTISTA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2’01.924 3.057
    157
    22
    		 Mike DI MEGLIO Avintia Racing 2’02.128 3.261
    149
    23
    		 Karel  ABRAHAM AB Motoracing 2’02.297 3.43
    140
    24
    		 Eugene  LAVERTY Drive M7 Aspar 2’02.334 3.467
    149
    25
    		 Katsuyuki NAKASUGA Yamaha Factory Test Team 2’02.363 3.496
    109
    26
    		 Takumi  TAKAHASHI HRC 2’03.113 4.246
    201
    27
    		 Alex DE ANGELIS Octo Ioda Racing Team 2’03.399 4.532
    125
    28
    		 Marco MELANDRI Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2’03.641 4.774
    156
    29
    		 Takuya TSUDA Team Suzuki MotoGP 2’05.478 6.611
    18
    30
    		 Michael LAVERTY Aprilia Test Team 2’06.190 7.323
    28

    eom/david/Bridgestone releaseBridgestone-Motorsport-technical-area-in-MotoGP-paddock

  • Honda, Yamaha Stars Dominate First Official Test for 2015 in Sepang

    Sepang (KL), 4 Feb 2015: The first MotoGP official testing for 2015 got underway at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) today with the star riders from the Repsol Honda and Movistar Yamaha dominating the fastest times.

    Commencing at 10am this morning under clear bright skies, two-time defending champion Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa of Repsol Honda and Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi took turns leading the timesheet which featured 30 riders. The field included three test riders – Katsuyuki Nakasuga for Yamaha, Michael Laverty of Aprilia and Takuya Tsuda for Suzuki.

    Britain’s Scott Redding, who rides a Honda machine for Team Estrella Galicia 0.0 Marc VDS, was first on the track when the lights turned green at the pit lane exit. It was not long before the others followed him.

    As at 2pm and some four hours into the first day of testing, it was the nine-time world champion, Rossi who led the way with his best lap time 2 minutes 0.380 seconds. He completed more than 20 laps around the 5,548-meter track.

    Rossi’s teammate and former MotoGP world champion, Jorge Lorenzo, stepped up the pace and clocked the second fastest time in the afternoon with his best of 2 minutes 0.521 seconds.

    Marquez clocked 2 minutes 0.930 seconds in the afternoon but as the day progressed, the Spaniard began to improve and eventually clocked the fastest time of the day with his best lap time of 2:00.262, pushing Rossi and Lorenzo down a rung. Marquez went on to complete a grueling 63 laps today.

    Not surprisingly, after two months off their racing bikes, the riders’ lap times were significantly below Sepang’s best of 1 minute 59.533 seconds that was recorded by Marquez at last year’s pre-season testing.

    That unofficial fastest lap time by Marquez, could be under threat on the second and third day of testing, provided the weather conditions remain good.

    The official test session today saw the return of Aprilia and Suzuki into the MotoGP World Championship, which will open at Losail International Circuit in Qatar on March 29. Sepang will host the penultimate round from October 23 to 25.

    Aprilia have signed up Italian Marco Melandri and Mike di Meglio of France while Team Suzuki MotoGP will be counting on Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales, both from Spain, to lead their challenge.

    Sepang will host a second three-day official test session for the MotoGP from February 23 to 25 with a third session scheduled from March 14 to 17 at Losail in Qatar.

     In conjunction with the test sessions in Sepang, fans are welcomed to see their idols in action from the Main Grandstand and use the opportunity to purchase time-limited, earlybird discount tickets for both the 2015 MotoGP race as well as that for the eni FIM Superbike World Championship Malaysian Round, the latter which is scheduled from July 31 to August 2.

    For the MotoGP race in October, limited Premier Roving tickets, which allow access to all spectator seating areas, are being offered at only RM250 under the current earlybird promotion whilst earlybird Main Grandstand, K1 and F tickets are only RM150, RM70 and RM50 respectively.

    For the Superbike race, the Main Grandstand earlybird tickets are priced at RM100 while that for K1 Grandstand is offered at only RM60.

     TODAY’S TOP FIVE FASTEST RIDERS

    1. 1.    Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) 2:00.262
    2. 2.    Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) 2:00.380
    3. 3.    Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) 2:00.521
    4. 4.    Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) 2:00.617
    5. 5.    Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) 2:00745.

     

    Ends /SIC press release/david

    A Sepang International Circuit image of Winter testing 2015. Marc Marquez is seen.
    A Sepang International Circuit image of Winter testing 2015. Marc Marquez is seen.

  • Bridgestone prepares for the first Moto GP group test of 2015

    Sepang, 3 Feb 2015: Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium & Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium (Asymmetric) & Medium (Symmetric)
    Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard
    The riders contesting this year’s MotoGP™ World Championship will get their first taste of Bridgestone’s 2015 specification tyres at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit from February 4-6, as the world’s largest tyre maker embarks on its seventh season as the official tyre supplier to the series.
    Like last year, the MotoGP regulations for 2015 provide concessions on rear tyre choice for manufacturers, depending on their class of entry, Factory or Open, and their recent record in dry races. Open class entrants, and Factory class manufacturers that did not win a race in dry conditions in the previous season, will have access to rear slick compounds that are one step softer than Factory class entrants that did record a win in dry conditions last year.
    The table below details the rear slick tyre allocation available to each team for pre-season testing and races during the 2015 season.
    Harder rear slick allocation
    Softer rear slick allocation
    CWM LCR Honda (Cal Crutchlow)
    Estrella Galicia Marc VDS
    Monster Yamaha Tech 3
    Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
    Repsol Honda Team
    Avintia Racing
    Cardion AB Motoracing
    CWM LCR Honda (Jack Miller)
    Drive M7 Aspar
    Ducati Team
    Factory Aprilia Gresini
    Forward Racing
    Octo IodaRacing Team
    Pramac Racing
    Team Suzuki MotoGP
    For the first Sepang test, the softer rear slick allocation comprises the soft symmetric and medium asymmetric rear slick, while the harder rear slick allocation is the asymmetric medium and symmetric medium compound rears. The front options for all riders at Sepang will be the medium compound in addition to the new hard compound front slick which was first introduced at last October’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Bridgestone will use the data acquired in pre-season testing to modify its tyre allocation for the 2015 season to increase safety, usability and performance.
    Twenty-five riders from eleven countries will contest the 2015 MotoGP™ World Championship; the highest number of riders since Bridgestone entered the premier class as a tyre supplier in 2002. In addition to supporting the group tests, Bridgestone Motorsport engineers will support all teams in their pre-season testing programmes before the championship gets underway at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit from March 26.
    Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
    “Just like the MotoGP manufacturers and teams, Bridgestone has been busy over the winter break as we’ve been developing new tyres for the riders to evaluate during the pre-season tests. In recent seasons we’ve focused on delivering tyres which are safer, more ‘user friendly’ and with superior levels of performance. In 2015 we will further build on these qualities to deliver our greatest ever racing tyres to the MotoGP World Championship. The Sepang tests are the first chance each season for MotoGP fans to see the riders out on track and, with the return of Aprilia and Suzuki to the series, as well as a host of talented riders entering the championship, I expect that the 2015 pre-season testing will be closely followed by racing fans around the world.”
    Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
    “Sepang is the traditional venue for the first two MotoGP pre-season tests, and given that weather is warm and mostly dry and the layout features a wide variety of corners, it really is an ideal place to evaluate tyres. It is evident from the Valencia test last year that the performance of the Open class machines in 2015 will be considerably greater than last year, and the tyre allocation we’ve brought to Sepang reflects this. Testing at a demanding circuit like Sepang will provide an even better indication of the respective performance levels of the 2015 Factory and Open class bikes, and the data we acquire here will help steer our development for the upcoming season. As always, our main priority for tyre development is enhancing the safety of the riders, however, I expect that the riders will find that our 2015 specification tyres also give better performance. I believe that this year’s MotoGP season will be the fastest yet.”
    eom/david/A Bridgestone Motorsport News

    File photo of 2014 Moto GP World Champion Marc Marquez aboard the Repsol Honda Team RC213V at the Japanese Grand Prix. A Bridgestone Motorsport image.
    File photo of 2014 Moto GP World Champion Marc Marquez aboard the Repsol Honda Team RC213V at the Japanese Grand Prix. A Bridgestone Motorsport image.

    Release

  • Mahindra Racing opens Italy Development Centre; Ties up with Aspar Team; 9 bikes in Moto3

    Mumbai, 2 Feb 2015: Mahindra Racing, India’s only constructor in World Championship motorcycle racing, reaffirmed on Monday, its commitment to the MotoGP series and predicted that it is set for a best-ever season in the Moto3 title race.

    The announcements were made at a special event at Gateway House, the Mahindra Group’s historic former headquarters in Mumbai, where Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group, welcomed Carmelo Ezpeleta (CEO of MotoGP rights-holder Dorna Sports) and Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez (CEO of the Aspar Team).

    Asper is the new racing partner of Mahindra team.

    Mahindra explained that Mahindra Racing, serves an important role within the Mahindra Group.

    “We are still at a relatively early phase of our journey in motorsport, but the technological challenge and learning that we achieve through our racing programmes are of major importance to the whole Group. The international footprint and high-profile of MotoGP helps us build the Mahindra brand globally. We are also strengthening our technical skills with the opening of a new development centre in Italy. This becomes part of our neural network of innovation along with other R&D facilities in India, Korea and the US.”

    SP Shukla, Chairman of Mahindra Racing and Mahindra Group President, Group Strategy, Defense Sector, and Chief Brand Officer, outlined a number of changes made by Mahindra Racing as it matures as a constructor in the ultra-competitive Moto3 class.

    “The 2015 Moto3 grid will feature four teams and nine Mahindra MGP3O machines, one more than last season,” he explained. “However, the main change is that we shall not run our own team, instead we have bolstered our line-up of partner teams with the important addition of the Aspar Team. Jorge Martinez – known as Aspar – is a legend of the sport having achieved multiple World Championships as a rider first and then as a team owner. Working closely with Jorge’s team should help us to develop and deliver even better results in 2015,” said Shukla.

     

    Under the new structure, the Aspar Team will concentrate on running the team and developing the riders, while Mahindra Racing will focus on developing a winning bike and better supporting its customer teams. To help with that process Mahindra Racing has recently opened a new European technical base at Besozzo near Varese in Northern Italy.

    VIP visitor Mr. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sport, was delighted to be in India and explained the importance of Mahindra’s MotoGP involvement to a growing Indian audience. “We have definitely seen a surge of interest in MotoGP from India since Mahindra joined the series in 2011. I have been very impressed by what I have seen so far from Mahindra. The Mahindra bike challenges at the front of Moto3 and many teams and riders have been interested in working with Mahindra. I think the changes put in place for 2015 should make Mahindra even more successful and that can only be good for MotoGP in India.

    India is an economic powerhouse in the world economy and a very important growth market for the sport of MotoGP. I know that I am not alone among international sports rights holders looking for growth in India. However, I do feel the ingredients are all right for us: India has a huge two-wheeler market; in Mahindra we have an Indian constructor competing successfully in the sport; and we have a fantastic product – anyone who watches MotoGP with its mix of drama, excitement, speed and characters can very easily become hooked. We won’t just rely on those ingredients, however, and are working very hard on improving our TV distribution.

    “We are also continuing to work on bringing a MotoGP race to India. And judging by what I have seen of the motorcycle riders on Mumbai’s roads today, I am sure there is also a future Indian World Champion out there somewhere!”

    Joining the VIPs on stage was MotoGP Hall of Fame inductee Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez, whose successful Aspar Team becomes Mahindra Racing’s partner team in the World Championship during the 2015 season. Martinez won four World Championships as a rider in the 1980s before founding his own team in 1992 and securing a further four World Championships as a team owner.

    The highly-experienced Spaniard was full of praise for his new technical partner. “Straight after the end of last season we started testing with Mahindra and the whole team was immediately very pleased,” he explained. “The riders found a good feeling with the bike and were able to record some very good lap times almost immediately. The bike is quick, agile and reliable and we have quickly established a very good technical and personal relationship with the Mahindra engineering team.

    “I have been involved in the MotoGP series for a long time, but I am feeling very enthused and excited by this new partnership and the season ahead. We have three talented young riders in the World Championship and some exciting new prospects in the Spanish Championship, and I am confident that, together with Mahindra, we’ll enjoy a lot of success on-track.”

    It was left to Mahindra Racing CEO Mufaddal Choonia to sum up the prospects for Mahindra Racing in 2015: “We had one podium in 2013 and three last year, including a second place. Clearly we are looking to go one better this year. I believe that we have put together a package capable of winning races and regularly finishing on the podium. We have a great deal of young riding talent aboard Mahindra machinery in Moto3 and an extremely experienced addition to our line-up of teams in Team Aspar. It’s an exciting year and I am confident that our new structure and on-going hard work will pay dividends.”

    eom/A Mahindra Racing press release

     

  • MotoGP’s top-10 by Goliath

    Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing, also known as the MotoGP World Championship, has produced some memorable champions since it began in 1949. The motorcycle drivers race purpose-built bikes with four-stroke engines that are not available for purchase by the general public, and they race them across 18 circuits in 13 different countries, including the United States, Italy and Australia, to name only a few. It is a grueling and difficult race system that requires single-minded focus and dedication on the part of the racers. Yet over the more than 60 years that MotoGP has existed, a few premier riders have risen to the top of the sport. Here is a list of the 10 greatest MotoGP racers of all time.

    10. Kenny Roberts

    Motorcycle racer Kenny Roberts was the youngest person to have won a MotoGP premier class championship in his first year participating in the event. He was also the first American to win a world title in the 500cc motorcycle championship. From 1978 to 1980, Kenny Roberts won three MotoGP titles. But it was not just the trophies and titles that he racked up that made Kenny Roberts a motorcycle racing star. His riding style was very influential and made him one of the greatest rider of all time. He was the first riders to pull off the cornering method of hanging off the bike with his knees extended, which lead to major changes in how the motorcycles were ridden in grand prix races. Source: MotoGP.com

    9. Marc Márquez

    He’s still young at age 22, but Spanish motorcycle racer Marc Marquez has already made an indelible impression on the sport. Turning professional in 2010 at age 17, Marc Marquez won the MotoGP title that year, followed by another title in 2012, and two back-to-back premier class MotoGP titles in his first two years as a professional racer, making him the youngest ever to accomplish that many wins. In the 2014 MotoGP season, Marc Marquez went on to win the first nine grand prix events of the season. Many observers of the sport say that Marc Marquez could end up as the most decorated and accomplished MotoGP rider of all time if he continues on at his current clip. Indeed, at age 22, he has many years of racing ahead of him, and who knows what Marc Marquez may accomplish. Source: INDIAinF1.com

    To be continued. Read Original article here.