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Tag: Alex Marquez
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Alex joins brother Marc Marquez to make MotoGP debut aboard the Honda RC213V
Marquez brothers, Marc (right) and Alex celebrate after Alex wins Moto2 World title on 3 Nov 2019. A MotoGP image Honda Racing Corporation announced on Tuesday, the signing of double World Champion Alex Marquez. The young Spanish rider will join the Repsol Honda Team on a one-year contract.
He will move from the intermediate class to partner his brother and eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez in 2020 for his debut season in the premier class aboard the Honda RC213V.
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Alex Marquez two seconds clear for Moto2 pole
The Championship leader turned the screw in Q2 and timed it to perfection
Front row from left: Lowes, Alex Marquez (pole) and Baldassarri at Brno on Saturday. A MotoGP image Brno (Czech Republic), 3 August 2019: Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) is on pole for the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky, but there’s much more to the headline than that. The number 73 timed it to perfection on a difficult, mixed track to take two seconds out his closest challenger, Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), and pick up where he left off in Germany. Lowes starts second after a nevertheless impressive session, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) completing the front row in third…four seconds adrift.
Earlier there was plenty of drama in Q1, with Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) moving up to lead Bo Bendsneyder (NTS RW Racing GP) and Brit Jake Dixon (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) in third, with another impressive performer in fourth as Marco Bezzecchi (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) joined them to move through. Some first timers, some wet weather specialists…and everything to play for in Q2.
The rain was easing off in the second session and times tumbled. After the first five minutes, the top four were the Q1 graduates, with Marco Bezzecchi leading the way, but there was plenty more to come.
Baldassarri took the leap to dry tyres, swiftly followed by Marquez. Then Bo Bendsneyder took a light tumble at Turn 1, rider remounting, as Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) and Sam Lowes started to attack. But it was Fabio Di Giannantonio (Beta Tools Speed Up) who took over at the top at that stage, with Friday’s fastest impressing in the very different conditions, and it was clear that whoever set their flying lap last would be making some serious gains as it continued drying out.
It came down to Marquez vs Lowes, with each sector making it increasingly clear that the number 73 was about to absolutely obliterate the opposition. And that he did, although it was also true of Lowes with everyone else.
A late lap from Lorenzo Baldassarri secured him third on the grid and a front row for the first time with Qatar, although the deficit was sizeable it proved enough. Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) blasted in a lap right at the end to head up row two, turning the tables on compatriot rookie Giannantonio to just pip him on Saturday, with Marco Bezzecchi in sixth making it an all-Italian second row as he took his best Moto2™ grid position since joining the class.
Marcel Schrötter was seventh as he aims for back-to-back podiums, with Bo Bendsneyder in eighth ahead of fellow top performer Jake Dixon. Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox HP 40) completed the top ten.
So where’s Championship challenger Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP)? Down in P12 despite his previous wet weather win at Brno. He’ll be looking to move forward on Sunday, as will Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) in 14th, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 16th and returnee Mattia Pasini (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 down in 24th….
Marquez seems on an unstoppable roll of late. But race day is set to dawn dry, and the number 73 had serious company before the conditions changed. Can he do it again? Find out when the lights go out on Sunday at 12:20 local time (IST+7.30pm).
Moto2 Qualifying top-3:
1 – Alex Marquez (SPA – Kalex) 2’06.787
2 – Sam Lowes (GBR – Kalex) +2.018
3 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA – Kalex) +3.979Arbolino ahead of the curve for pole in Czechia Italian takes pole in wet qualifying to celebrate his birthday in style Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) celebrated his birthday in style at the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky, taking pole position by an impressive four tenths in the wet. He’s perfectly set up for race day after also having been fast on Friday in the dry, and he’ll be joined on the front row by 2016 Brno winner John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and 2015 winner Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse).
But before all that was decided in Q2, after the heavens opened on Saturday morning, Q1 was high risk and there was plenty of drama: Tom Booth-Amos (CIP Green Power) tumbled at Turn 13, Albert Arenas (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) suffered a highside at Turn 3, although he remounted, and Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was teetering on the edge of the top four when he crashed out. The Turk held onto his fourth place, however, joining Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team), Makar Yurchenko, (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) and Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) in going through to Q2.
As Q2 began, conditions were wet wet wet and remained so, with McPhee leading for much of the session. Fernandez was also looking strong, but Arbolino changed the benchmark with two minutes to go and was the first rider in the 2’18s. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) then shot into second place in the closing stages, but was pipped right at the end by McPhee. Antonelli then did the same to his teammate, dropping Suzuki down to fourth.
Alongside the Japanese rider is Fernandez despite a crash at Turn 3 for the Spaniard, with Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) completing the second row in sixth place as the Championship contender put himself in a solid position for Sunday. Makar Yurchenko took a career-best qualifying position with seventh, ahead of Spanish rider Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai). Japanese rookie Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) locked out the third row.
Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) completed the top ten, ahead of veteran Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers), Qatar winner Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) and youngest ever Grand Prix winner Can Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Home hero Filip Salac (Redox Prüstel GP) was just behind them, putting in a solid performance for P14.
So who’s missing from the front? Championship leader Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) had a tough qualifying, and the Italian faces a fight back through the field from P17 – qualifying just ahead of teammate Marcos Ramirez, another usual frontrunner.
How will the conditions shuffle the pack on race day? Can the Leopard duo strike back on Sunday? Tune in at 11:00 (GMT +2) local time to find out.
Moto3 Qualifying top-3:
1 – Tony Arbolino (ITA – Honda) 2’18.020
2 – John McPhee (GBR – Honda) +0.400
3 – Niccolo Antonelli (ITA – Honda) +0.802 -
Riders talk of pushing to the maximum, attack mode engaged at Brno
Riders pose after the Thursday Press Conference. A MotoGP image BRNO (Czech Republic), 1 August 2019: After the summer break, the time is finally here to hit the tarmac once again and it’s the classic Automotodrom Brno that kicks off Act II of the season. In the pre-event Press Conference for the Monster Energy Grand Prix České Republiky, reigning Champion and points leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was joined by Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), his teammate Valentino Rossi, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), home hero Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) and 2020 MotoGP™ signing Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to talk shop before the lights go out.
Marquez was first to speak, and he’s in the best position of all – leading by a good margin and ready to get back in business. “The second part of the season will be the most important. Summer break has been very good. Time to relax, disconnect but also time to prepare for the second part of the season together with my brother and yeah, it’s time to rejoin the Championship. We will try to restart the same way we finished. We will see here in Brno and let’s enjoy it on the track!”
Looking back over the first half of the year, the reigning Champion was positive, as can be expected. “The first part of the season has been interesting. At some tracks it was one manufacturer, at others it was another but the main thing is we were always there. We were always there to have a small chance of victory or second place and this will be the target for the rest of the season. Here we will see which rider and which manufacturer will be there, but our goal is to fight for the podium, try to fight for the victory until the end of the race and yeah this is the way. If that’s impossible then it’s time to survive and time to take points for the Championship.”
Up next was Assen winner Viñales, who also took a podium in Germany. He’s another on full power looking into the second half. “I am full of energy because I finished the last two races in a good way. For me, this summer break was very long because I was waiting to be on the bike, the mood I had was really good. With the same mentality, we have nothing to lose and we will try to push at the maximum from the first lap on Friday. I feel good, calm and we need to keep trying to take the maximum from the bike, try and be at the front and understand and a learnt a lot.
“I think it will be very different, we will try a different way, as the bike is different to last year. I feel like we can profit from this layout and I am curious to see and I hope in the second half of the season we can prove our potential.”
Teammate Rossi spoke next, a man who was on a more difficult run heading into the holidays. He’s now ready to start trying to unlock the secret to speed on the 2019 machine, having already taken podiums but then started to struggle a little more of late.
“For sure the break is a good chance to recharge the battery and take the right energy for the second half. The last races of the first part were very tough and very difficult. We expected to be stronger, so we need to concentrate and work better to be stronger for this second part.
“From Jerez, Quartararo and Maverick were very strong so this means the bike is competitive. We need to find another way to find the good feeling with the bike to ride at the limit.”
For Crutchlow, 2019 has also been more of a challenge at times. But the Brit dug deep and impressed in Germany to take a rostrum finish despite carrying a cycling injury, and Brno holds good memories of his first Grand Prix win.
“It’s great to be back after the summer break. I am very happy to be here in Brno and be working with the team again. I seem to favour the second half of the season over the first half, we have two podiums so far and maybe we can to that – perhaps this weekend!”
The Brit also got out on two wheels – of the pedalling sort – over the break, and it didn’t go too badly to say the least. “It was a fun and great event on the Isle of Man, I targeted to win and finished third! Maybe if I do the same this weekend, I’ll be happy again. It was typical Isle of Man weather with rain and winds but I think we will be a bit more fortunate this weekend. We will see how it goes this Sunday afternoon.”
Next on the mic was home hero Karel Abraham. He’s had a tougher year so far but Brno is always a special race…and the target is points in front of the home fans.
“It’s been a very difficult season so far, if we’re scoring points anytime that’s a success and it will be a success for this weekend as well so I think that we have done a lot of work with our team and we have improved, especially on Friday and Saturday but Sunday is where it counts. We need to get better on Sunday but if we score points, as I mentioned, it will be a nice weekend.
“You can see the field is very close and it’s very difficult for me to get better results, like top ten would be a dream but it’s very hard. We have to work very hard for it, especially to make all the laps constant which is what counts.”
Finally, it was time to hear from Binder. The South African has taken two intermediate class podiums in a row after a hard beginning to the season, and he’s also now confirmed as moving to the premier class next year.
“Looking forward from now, I am super excited to be stepping up to MotoGP next year. I know it is going to be a massive task but all in all, I am ready for the challenge and I am really excited. This year has been a bit of a disaster to say the least, but each weekend we have found a little bit more. Basically, now we have a new bike and looking forward, I hope it is what we are looking for so we can chase after more victories and get some points back.”
How many? This weekend will start to tell the tale of Act II. MotoGP™ gets back in action on Friday morning in Brno, with lights out for the premier class race on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +2). Don’t miss it!
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Marquez brothers grab pole positions; Marc masters wet Q2; Sunday Race times advanced
World champion Marc Marquez sets a wet track on fire at Sepang. Photo: MotoGP Sepang, 3 Nov 2018: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) secured an 80th career pole position after he mastered the wet Q2 conditions at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix. The 2018 World Champion was in superior form at the Sepang International Circuit to set a quickest lap of 2:12.161 to beat Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) by over half a second in P2, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) lining up on the outside of the front row in P3.
It was Marquez who led the field over the line and it was he who set the first benchmark; a 2:13.641 edged out Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) – who was just behind the Spaniard on track – by 0.027, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also within a tenth after the first lap – 0.051 splitting the top three.
Marc Marquez crashes. Photo: MotoGP With a banker lap under his belt, Marquez then slammed in a rapid second lap to considerably shift the goal posts. A 2:12.161 a full 1.264 quicker than Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) as the World Champion put daylight – and more – between himself and his rivals. However, the Repsol Honda rider then lost the front at Turn 4 and unlike he’s been able to do several times already this weekend, there was no saving this one. Down he went after setting a new session best first sector, but he was back up and in the pits with over three minutes still remaining. The aforementioned gap was 1.264 seconds, but could it be beaten? Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) shot up to P2, but he was still over a second off and then on his final flying lap, the Italian crashed at Turn 9. Iannone – following Dovi on track – had gone provisional P2 but the gap was still 0.936. A flying Frenchman then propelled himself into second; Zarco cutting the gap to eight tenths, with fellow YZR-M1 rider Rossi then leapfrogging him into second.
Johann Zarco. Photo: MotoGP In the end, no one could come close to matching Marquez and despite Zarco putting in a personal best lap to re-take P2 from ‘The Doctor’, the gap between the number 93 and his rivals was still 0.548. A masterclass from Marquez in the wet around the Sepang International Circuit, this his 80th career pole position across all classes. Zarco and Rossi join the seven-time Champion on the front row, with Iannone the only other rider within a second of pole – P4 for a second race in a row for ‘The Maniac’.
His late crash meant Dovi had to settle for P5 in Q2, with fellow Desmosedici rider Miller ending the session P6 after setting his best lap on his final lap. Behind the Australian was teammate Danilo Petrucci, with both Alma Pramac Racing riders slipping down the order after sitting on the provisional front row. Friday’s quickest rider Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) will launch from P8, just ahead of Q1 graduate Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) in P9.
Valentino Rossi. Photo: MotoGP Winner at Sepang in the wet conditions in 2012, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) qualified in P10, just ahead of compatriot and Free Practice’s fastest man Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) – P11 for the Australian GP winner. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) will line up in P12, a crash at Turn 4 in Q2 after setting the second quickest time in Q1 ended his hopes of a top ten result.
Heavy rain not only brings the Safety Car out, but even the Sunday’s schedule is advanced. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan in Sepang. Marquez reigns in the wet, but with an updated Sunday Time Schedule, the chances of the race being dry have increased. What will the weather bring for the race? Who knows, this is Malaysia after all. But either way it’s set to be a belting battle.
New Sunday schedule for Malaysian GP
Due to weather concerns after the heavy downpour seen before qualifying for the premier class, Sunday’s race times have been brought forward for every class.
The new Sunday schedule (IST) is as follows:
Moto3 Warm Up – 05:10 AM
Moto2 Warm Up: 05:40 AM
MotoGP Warm Up – 06:10 AM
Moto3 race – 07:30 AM
Moto2 race – 08:50 AM
MotoGP race – 10:30 AM
Dominant Alex Marquez storms to Moto2 pole
Alex Marquez takes Moto2 pole. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) stormed to Moto2 pole position, setting the only 2:05 time in qualifying to better closest challenger Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) by 0.488 seconds. 2:05.629 was the lap, with Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) completing the front row of the grid at the Sepang International Circuit.
From the outset, it was Marquez who looked menacing and sure enough on his third flying lap, the Spaniard set a sensational 2:05.629 to go 0.692 faster than anyone else. The gauntlet was well and truly thrown down, with Quartararo and Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) sitting as his two closest challengers in P2 and P3 – 0.026 separating the duo, with Marini just 0.009 off a provisional front row with 15 minutes to go.
Marini went from P4 to P2 with under five minutes remaining, the gap to Marquez still 0.488 though. Quartararo, after being pushed down to P3 by Marini, then set a personal best lap, but it wasn’t enough to improve his position as the standings were set.
So it was Marquez who took pole – despite a late crash at Turn 1 – to continue his dominant weekend, with Marini and Quartararo joining him on the front row. Fourth place went to Gardner, the Australian producing career-best qualifying in P4 to finish just 0.052 off the front row, with Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) lining up alongside him in P5.
Then came the two Championship protagonists. Overall standings leader Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) lines up on the outside of the second row in P6, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) starting just behind the Italian in P7 – the duo playing a little bit of cat and mouse in qualifying as tensions start to rise, with Bagnaia able to clinch the Moto2™ title on Sunday.
Marquez looks like he’s going to take some beating in Malaysia, but the bigger story is can Bagnaia seal the World Championship? The two title rivals line up in tandem on the grid, with Oliveira out to put the celebrations on hold. An intriguing encounter awaits.
Martin produces Malaysian magic to take Moto3 pole
Jorge Martin takes Moto3 pole. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan Moto3 Championship leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took pole for the 11th time in 2018 after setting a new lightweight class qualifying lap record. The Spaniard heads main title rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) by 0.032, with Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) continuing his strong weekend to take P3 on the grid.
It was John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) who led for the majority of the session and with 15 minutes remaining, despite Bezzecchi briefly taking over at the top, McPhee then moved the goal posts again – his advantage sitting at an impressive 0.584. However, this was immediately trimmed to 0.052 with Martin going second fastest, with Free Practice’s fastest man Arbolino then jumping up to second – 0.020 now the gap between the top two.
The standings remained the same before it was time for the final lap dash, with Martin and Bezzecchi both leaving it late to head out – the latter crossing the line with four seconds of the session remaining. Arbolino, Martin, and Bezzecchi all had red sectors in the opening two sectors, but provisional pole man McPhee was also looking to increase his advantage – and that’s exactly what he did. However, it was only by 0.060, with the three riders behind all on fast laps.
Martin came across the line to top McPhee’s new benchmark by 0.350, as Arbolino slotted into P2 after he also beat the Scotsman’s time. Bezzecchi then went quicker than both McPhee and Arbolino but lost out to his title rival by a slender 0.032. Nonetheless, the top two in the Championship lock out the top two grid slots to set us up for a tantalising race.
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Get the hammer down: MotoGP races into Montmeló; another thriller is store
Valentino Rossi….among the hot favourites. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Barcelona, 14 June 2018: Mugello was another history-maker of a weekend, with Jorge Lorenzo, of Ducati Team, stunning the field to take his first win in red and Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi becoming the first rider to hit the milestone of 5000 premier class points. It also made more waves in the title fight for the World Championship, and it’s the ‘Doctor’ now the closest challenger to leader Marc Marquez, the lead rider of Repsol Honda Team.
But Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati Team, also gained a full 20 points on the lead after the number 93’s crash. That hangs a lot in the balance at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, and at a venue where many of the key contenders have won.
Jorge Lorenzo. Photo: Ducati The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is modified in the final sector and resurfaced, too, but it’s the same all-time classic at heart. Graced with one of the most spectacular stadium sections on the calendar and always packed full with fans, the track is a favourite on and off track – nestled just north of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
So who’s the man with the best numbers? Rossi, as with many venues that have been such a mainstay on the calendar. It’s been seven premier class wins for the number 46 at Montmeló, the most famous of which was his duel against Lorenzo to the line in 2009 and the most recent of which was taken in 2016. Good numbers but for Lorenzo, likewise – and they both arrive with some good momentum.
The ‘Spartan’ will have the biggest swagger as the paddock arrives in Barcelona, with a victory in his pocket and a brand-new contract. He’s got four MotoGP™ wins at the track and has taken some dominant victories a la Mugello last time out. Could it be Lorenzo’s Land again this weekend? Or can last year’s winner, his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, take his second victory of the season?
Marc Marquez. Photo: Repsol Honda What was Marquez’ lean angle as he tried to save his crash? The man who didn’t feature at the finish line in Italy will have something to say about that. Marquez was well within the fight at the front when he crashed at Mugello, and it’s even more motivation for the reigning Champion to now be riding at home. He won there in 2014 and although it’s not a signature venue for the number 93, three in a row before Mugello keep Marquez as a firm favourite. Team-mate Dani Pedrosa has a great record at his home venue too, however – and with news from the ‘Little Samurai’ promised at Montmeló, how will that play out across the weekend?
Andrea Dovizioso. Photo: Ducati The home heroes don’t stop there. Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) is another who’ll have a fan club in the stands, and he wants to improve on his P8 from the front row in Italy. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) will be another wanting more with good form at the venue – including a previous pole – and he’s as close to a home rider as you can get, from Granollers just up the road.
Likewise his brother Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who took more solid points for the Austrian factory last time out. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) just lost out to team-mate Andrea Iannone in Mugello, too – can he turn the tables as the home turf becomes his? And what of the fight for top Independent Team rider? Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) took top honours last time out, but will want to fight for the overall win, as will Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) after a quieter weekend in Italy. Aleix Espargaro will want a top result, and the battle for Rookie of the Year could get close once again as Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) takes on Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).
Alex Marquez returns to home territory
Alex Marquez…..eyeing a win on home soil. Photo: alexmarquez73.com After a spectacular Moto2™ class race at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, where we witnessed Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) take his and KTM’s first win of the season, will we see another rider stand on the top step of the podium for the first time in 2018 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya?
Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was in a class of his own at the Catalan GP in 2017. The rider from Cervera, 100kms inland from Barcelona, finished 4.452 seconds clear of second place Tom Lüthi in a dominant display. This was the younger Marquez brother’s second Grand Prix victory at the circuit, with the 22-year-old also claiming victory in his Moto3™ title winning year by 3.236 seconds. So, with the number 73 having a habit of convincingly beating the rest of the field in Barcelona, can he repeat his success for a third time in 2018.
One rider who will have something to say about it is Mugello winner Oliveira, who joined Marquez on the podium at the Catalan GP last season, while currently sitting 20 points ahead of him in this season’s Championship. The Portuguese rider came from P11 on the grid at the Italian GP to claim victory by 0.184 seconds, progressing ten places in the race. This takes his accumulative tally from qualifying position to race finish position to +38 in the six rounds so far this season, proving the 23-year-old’s Sunday pace is super impressive.
The rider to just lose out to Oliveira in Italy was Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40), who secured his third podium of the season in front of his home fans. The Italian was fourth at the Catalan GP last year, his best result at the circuit in his Grand Prix career. Meanwhile, 2017 Moto3™ World Champion Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) finished just behind Baldassarri in the Tuscan hills and will be out to try and achieve his third straight podium in Barcelona. The Spaniard took the honours at this track in the lightweight class last year, can he take the fight to his teammate on home soil this year?
Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) saw his lead in the standings cut to 13 points after finishing fourth on home turf, crossing the line just over a tenth back from Mir. The Italian finished P13 here in 2017, and has never stood on the podium at the Catalan GP – his top priority will be changing that statistic.
