INDIA in F1

Tag: Andrea Dovizioso

  • `The season starts now’: MotoGP Riders ready for the second half

    `The season starts now’: MotoGP Riders ready for the second half

    Catalunya, 24 Sept 2020: With a Championship so close there’s barely anything in it, there were a good few talking points ahead of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya. Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was joined by winner last time out Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), fourth overall Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), local hero Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to talk a little about the weekend gone and the weekend coming, with a lot to play for in Barcelona.

    Here are the key quotes from those present, with Dovizioso up first on leading the way…

    ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: “I’m very surprised but like everybody is, I think. Apart from Austria and Jerez 1, I’ve never been strong and fast like in the past. I’m surprised I’m leading the championship but it’s been a crazy championship because everybody is struggling. Every race, somebody struggles. This is the reason why the average score is very low. Nobody is very consistent or strong in every race. It looks like the season starts now, more or less. We are very close and unfortunately my feeling with the bike is not the best but I think what we have to change is clear from a few races but it’s very difficult for me to change that at the moment. I think its small things and small things can affect the final race result a lot. I don’t know if we can be competitive in Barcelona because the grip will be very different compared to Misano. I love this track so I think we can be competitive but on paper everybody looks really fast so I don’t know.

    “In the way I brake in my career and especially in the last three seasons – it doesn’t work anymore. I’m not able to brake hard or brake in the way I want. I have to change that and I’m trying to change that but it’s not very instinctive, so it’s very difficult to make the perfect move and approach of the bike. But that effects everything. Still I’m not that good at that point and it’s clear that’s the point where I have to be better.”

    MAVERICK VIÑALES: “I think that the Championship is still open until the last two races, we will try to be smart and try to be conscious. We will keep building and growing as we are doing. For us it is important the consistency. We will try to build up another good weekend and then we will jump to tracks I love like Le Mans, Aragon and Valencia. Montmelo is a track where we need to take out the maximum, it is a track I love to go so we will try to push very hard. 

    “I think our main priority is to start in the front row. The sooner you take the lead the better, because sometimes you struggle. For example the last race I was able to close the gap to Pecco but I don’t know if I was able to overtake. It’s always very hard with our bike to overtake, especially on the tracks where you don’t have two or three corners in a row to get a chance to overtake. We understand (the bike) very well, now we are focusing on the good points of the bike, in the last race I used it to overtake Jack Miller on the first lap, so I understand the bike well and think I’m riding on the point with the 2020 bike. It remains the same question, if you have a bad qualifying it is hard to gain room or pass the riders. We need to concentrate here in Montmelo in sector two or three to see where we can overtake and be sure we are strong.”

    JOAN MIR: “This season it’s super important to be 100% focused on the consistency, it’s so important. I think that every one of us already knew that at the start of the season, but for some reason, we weren’t able to do it – I don’t know. Now it’s true we’ve found this consistency and I’m really happy for that. But you know, we found the consistency in the last four races, there are still a lot of races in front of us and it will be important to continue to be as competitive as we are now, here in Barcelona can be a good chance to continue doing that.  

    “In the last race I was able to study a little bit the Yamaha of Fabio, also Pol and a couple of bikes because every one of us were really close talking about race pace. In that situation you can see what areas you are better and where you’re not. I could see at the end of the race the lines to what Fabio was doing were really, really similar to mine. Looks like the Yamaha and Suzuki are quite similar. Then I was able to see also the KTM – completely different lines, going in with brakes, braking a bit harder probably and well, more like the Ducati. In Misano I was able to see those bikes a bit more. I think we have a great package, ok we have some point where the bike doesn’t work well, like everyone for sure has problems that the bike struggles in some areas. We have a bike that is really balanced at the moment.”

    POL ESPARGARO: “We are not too many points off the leader. Now is the moment when you are angry when the points are gone because of some stupid crashes in the past! Already we need to look forward, we are just at the beginning of this new championship, that is going to be the second part of the season. This race in Barcelona for sure is not one of our best, it is one of the tracks on the calendar where KTM have struggled in the past few years a lot. But you know everything has changed this year, the performance of the bike is much better, the tyres fit better than in the past and the bike performs better, so why not, we can perform similar to the Czech Republic, a track where we struggled in the past but had a great result. 

    “From the beginning we got some good strong points like braking into the corner. We brake very deep and still we are powering that part of the bike, every year it’s a little bit better which is nice. We just got this year some more stability and traction from the bottom which allows us to brake even later and stop the bike inside and make this big corner, which I really love to ride like that. I’ve been riding with Fabio and Joan the last race for sure, the last laps of the race with the soft tyre was completely used, it was destroyed, so I couldn’t really do a lot but even with that I was able to defend the position from Fabio. I knew that if I could kill their corner speed they are in a bad situation, I was just braking deep and using the strong points of the KTM and then using the power to go out of the corners, which we also improved the revs this year, so the bike is super powerful. You need to know your advantages, what you can use against the others and if you know who is behind you just be clever to block them.”

    ALEX MARQUEZ: “The season has been a little bit hard for us that’s for sure. The Misano test was really good for us, it’s the first test since the Qatar Test in preseason so for a rookie it’s always important to be on the bike, to get a lot of kilometers, to get the pace because in a normal GP it’s always difficult to try new things on the bike and make good progress. Like everyone said, the championship is a little bit crazy, so we need to take profit in some races. At the moment we need a lot of hunger to do it, especially on qualifying because on pace we aren’t bad in many races. Apart from that we need to make progress, first of all make top 10s in more tracks and from that, we need to keep going and keep improving day by day.  

    “In the end for sure we are working and we trying to improve, but the Honda has the potential that only you need to know. Where you take that potential, how to manage that potential and it’s a bike where it’s really difficult to take all the profit from the bike. So for sure all bikes have weak points, Honda has a weak point like all manufacturers but I think in the end this year, with small changes, small details make the difference because all the bikes are working really good in a different way, in different points of the tracks but all the bikes are so competitive. The Honda has the potential, the only thing we need is to understand a bit more, to profit from the potential and I’m sure we can be fast from now until the end of the season.”

    That’s it from the Press Conference in Barcelona! Tune in for FP1 at 9:55 (GMT +2) on Friday, and get in gear for a slightly later start on Sunday with lights out for MotoGP™ at 15:00 (GMT +2). 

  • Valencia Press Conference: the MotoGP season finale and goodbye Lorenzo

    Valencia Press Conference: the MotoGP season finale and goodbye Lorenzo

    Riders gear up for the final round and share some words on a great rival set to retire

    Riders pose after the Thursday press conference in Valencia. A MotoGP image

    Valencia, 14 Nov 2019: After 18 rounds of incredible racing in 2019, it’s time for the Circuit Ricardo Tormo to host the season finale. The pre-event Press Conference for the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana saw reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) joined by Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) to talk shop – and share a few words on rival Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team), who announced his retirement earlier in the day.

    Marquez was first to speak. “Malaysia was not the best weekend for us but in the end we achieved a good result in the race which is the most important thing, we finished in second. At Valencia we will see, it’s time to finish the season in a good way, work hard next week for 2020, and there’s the team Championship where we’ll fight against Andrea and Danilo, and apart from that just try to enjoy it, the last race weekend and a home GP. Last weekend in my hometown in Cervera was amazing with my brother too, and I’ll just try to enjoy this, no pressure.”

    Next up was Dovizioso, who also spoke of 2020… “We really would like to finish the season in a good way, we’ve confirmed a strong second overall, it’s not the Championship but we have to be happy with it. For sure we’ll have something to try at the test, and for sure we have to improve our situation if we want to fight with Marc so we’ll be focused on that.”

    Then, Sepang winner Viñales talked through his recent form and geared up for Valencia. “I am really happy about the end of the season because somehow I felt we’ve grown a lot, especially with the team, and also with the bike and that was the most important; that was the objective of the last races: trying to going up and up with the bike, and it’s what we did. So, we arrive here in Valencia with the same mentality. I will go for everything. I will try to push myself and the bike at the maximum and then we will see, but I will give my maximum as always.”

    Rins was next on the mic, and he’s facing down Viñales for third overall. “We have really good memories here in Valencia, last year in the rain but also in my first year I finished fourth here. So let’s see what happens, for sure I’ll try to fight, I don’t want to be focused on the final position overall, the important thing is that we’re getting information and experience for next year, so let’s see what happens. I’ll try and start tomorrow at 100%.”

    Rossi’s mammoth career rolls on…can he take another podium at Valencia?

    After the Spaniard, the ‘Doctor’. Rossi has had ups and downs at Valencia, but he definitely arrives on the up after an incredible battle with Dovizioso for the podium in Malaysia. He missed out, but it was close… “We arrive from a good weekend in Sepang, so we have to try and continue like this. Valencia is completely different: the track, the temperature and the conditions are the opposite. It will be interesting to understand our speed and try and be competitive all weekend – and be strong on Sunday.”

    Finally, we had chance to hear from Franco Morbidelli after he came home top Independent at Sepang. And it’s his first race on the Yamaha at Valencia. “In Japan and Malaysia I thought we had the speed to fight for the podium and we really don’t know why but in the race I struggled, I started to struggle a lot generally with lack of speed. So here in Valencia will be another important occasion to have good practices and try and have a good weekend until the race – and then try and maintain the practice speed on Sunday.”

    Sunday sees the curtain go up for the final premier class race of the season at 14:00 (GMT +1) local time, with the Team Championship, third overall and top Independent Team rider still up for grabs – alongside another 25 points and a goodbye from Jorge Lorenzo. Don’t miss it.

    Riders on Lorenzo: rival, and idol?

    Marquez: “It was a surprise, even for his teammate. In the team, we didn’t know and it was a surprise. Especially the way he worked in the box – then the results can be better or worse – but the way that he worked was exactly the same as his first day in Honda. Just an hour ago I was with him in his truck to say congrats, obviously for his career but especially the way to take the decision. This is something that means a lot – how is Jorge? Because he is a real champion. The moment he feels he can’t be in the top places he decided to stop. A strong character on and off the track, and yeah, a real champion. I want to say congrats to him and wish him the best for the future.”

    Dovizioso: “Jorge was my rival because I met him in the European Championship in 2001 and every year we changed class at the same moment, so we’ve always been rivals. He’s won a lot of races and championships, is I think he can just be happy about his career. Unfortunately this is the sport and sometimes it’s difficult to continue to be in that level, I think he had some crashes in the last two years, and it affected his mind, but I think what he did in the world championship is something huge.”

    Viñales: “To win the Championship five times is not easy.  He’s a great rider, a great talent. He showed every race that he was always at the top in each category, and that’s the most important. I think if he feels that now is the moment, it’s about himself, and I wish him the best luck for the rest of the life.”

    Can Rins fight back against Viñales for third?

    Rins: “Yeah for sure when I started to watch the races on TV, he was my reference. I was pushing a lot for him. For me he is an idol, he won many races. He has a very big talent. I feel good to fight with him, not a lot of races, but to share a track with him.”

    Rossi: “I think that he is for sure one of the most important MotoGP riders in the modern era. I think that we lose a very important part of our sport. He’s a great champion, he impressed me a lot of times for his speed and concentration. From when he arrived in MotoGP, he was always from the first moment very strong, from 2008, so more than ten years. We were teammates for a long time, a lot of years together we shared the same box and I think he’s, personally, one of the greatest rivals of my career. We did some of the best races together, that I remember in my history, so it’s a great shame that he finished but he’s good, he’s okay, and I wish him a lot of luck for the future.

    Morbidelli: “Yes, I remember the first time…I remember where I was when I first realized about Jorge Lorenzo, which was Rio, which he won and then he stopped because he finished his fuel, he stopped in a very particular place. I remember very, very clearly because it gave me a nice feeling, so I remember very clearly where I was and what I was feeling.  He had an amazing career, he had amazing results with a really particular style. I mean, he has his own style – riding style and also outside of the track. So, he’s definitely one of the biggest riders according to me in history. So, yeah, a pity because he stops, but if he’s happy with this decision then everybody should be happy.”
  • Riders ready to take on “iconic” Phillip Island

    Riders ready to take on “iconic” Phillip Island

    The pre-event Press Conference sees the action start to heat up Down Under

    From Left: Zarco, Rossi, Dovizioso, Marquez, Quartararo, Miller, Lecuona pose for a picture after the Thursday press meet. A MotoGP image

    Phillip Island, 24 Oct 2019: It’s Thursday in Australia and that means one thing and one thing only: animals! But more on that later. First it’s time to hear a little from the riders in the pre-event Press Conference, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) joined by Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Rookie of the Year Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), home hero Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), returning Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Idemitsu), newly-announced 2020 MotoGP™ rider Iker Lecuona and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who makes an incredible 400th Grand Prix start this weekend.

    Marquez spoke first, and he says Phillip Island is all about feel. “We are coming from another great weekend in Japan a week ago and the target here on Sunday is to fight for victory. It’s a circuit you need to feel, you need to feel that you can because it has a lot of high speed corners, this means a lot of risk. It’s a circuit that if you don’t feel, you need to stay calm, try to finish on the podium or try to finish the race. Apart from that, today we have a summer day, tomorrow we might have a winter’s day – you never know. This is where we will try to work in a good way to try and fight against Yamaha and Suzuki, I think they have a bike that works very well here, very stable in the high speed corners. It will be tough to beat them but we will try.”

    Next up was Dovizioso, who was asked if he’s optimistic returning to the Island after a solid event last season. Not quite, but almost. “Optimistic is a bit too much. Last year we did a really fast and good race, so I hope to be on the podium again. I think it will be hard because of course Marc and the Yamaha riders will be strong, Rins too, so it will be hard.

    “In the last race at the end we were quite fast and we have to understand something about that because it’s happened too many times this season, I think there’s a technical reason. But here is a completely different track. Like Marc said, the conditions are always quite strange and it will affect everyone. The tyres but also the wind, which way it’s going. We’ll wake up tomorrow morning and see the conditions!”

    Quartararo, meanwhile, arrives having already been crowned Rookie of the Year, and he’s now gunning for the honour of top Independent – against Jack Miller.

    “I think the Yamaha suits this track really well but we will see about the conditions. Like Marc said, today we have nice weather but it looks like it will be quite tricky for the weekend.

    “We don’t need focus a lot on the victory, just do the same work that we did from the beginning of the year, step by step, and feel the temperature of the tyres. It’s a track that I really like, fast corners, the Yamaha looks good, so we’ll do our best and our best will be good enough.”

    Valentino Rossi, on the other side of the spectrum of experience, spoke next. 400 is quite a milestone, and ‘The Doctor’ thinks the place is a good one to play host. “It’s a long, long time; a long road. Like you said it’s good to hit the 400 here in Phillip Island. It’s an iconic place for MotoGP, all the riders love the circuit because it’s something special compared to the rest. So it’s one of the best places. We pray, everybody prays for a weekend here like this, the blue sky and the fantastic weather, but unfortunately the good weather arrived too much in anticipation so we will have to fight the weather in Phillip Island but anyway, it’s a pleasure.

    Home hero Jack Miller agrees it’s a great place to ride – and says he’s lucky it’s his home race to boot.

    “We’ll give it a go! It’s a place I love to ride at first of all, like everyone else. I think it’s one of the best circuits on the calendar and fortunately for me, it’s my home Grand Prix. I’m looking forward to getting out there. Like the boys said, the weather isn’t going to be ideal but for me here at Phillip Island there’s no point looking at the forecast. If the wind changes, we’ll have either beautiful sunshine or freezing cold. So, we’ll wait until the morning and make a plan from there. Feeling really good, it was a shame about the race in Japan, but we had good pace there. Looking forward to my weekend at home, I’m normally pretty strong and with the form we’ve had this year I think I’ve got a chance of taking it to these guys!”

    These guys, this weekend, also includes a familiar face making a return: Zarco. The Frenchman makes the first of his three appearances replacing Takaaki Nakagami this weekend at the Island.

    “The smile is there! It’s difficult to set a target. I want to clear all the feelings I got this year. I started well in MotoGP the first two years, but this year has been really complicated, so it seemed it was finished – my MotoGP story – but Lucio called me to take these three races, and yes I’m taking it because maybe it’s my last three races. I took a big risk this summer stopping my contract for 2020, and now I can realise that racing is what I want to do. I have a short future at the moment but I can live it with a lot of intensity and that’s what I wanted to do.”

    Finally, Iker Lecuona spoke. He was confirmed earlier as riding in the premier class in Red Bull KTM Tech 3 colours next year, and that was, of course, the key talking point.

    “For sure I’m very happy to have this opportunity. For me it’s crazy, to be here with Marc or Valentino. When I was a kid I saw everybody on TV and I wanted to ride with everyone on track, finally it’s possible. I want to thank KTM for this opportunity and Herve Poncharal for giving me this opportunity to ride in MotoGP.”

    That’s it from the Press Conference, for more on the upcoming Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix head to motogp.com and tune in for another awesome race on Sunday 27th October at 15:00 (GMT +11).  In India the telecast will be at 9.30 am IST.

  • Marquez escapes the clutches of Quartararo at Motegi

    Marquez escapes the clutches of Quartararo at Motegi

    The reigning Champion brings it home for Honda, Quartararo wraps up Rookie of the Year and Dovizioso hits a century in Japan

    Marc Marquez celebrates after crossing the flag in Motegi on Sunday. A MotoGP image

    Motegi (Japan), 20 Oct 2019: The riders’ Championship may already have been decided before the paddock arrived at the Twin Ring Motegi, but the Motul Grand Prix of Japan saw plenty of milestones: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took a commanding victory to wrap up the constructors’ Championship for Honda, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) pushed him as hard as he could and took second to secure Rookie of the Year and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) pounced on Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to take his 100th Grand Prix podium.

    It wasn’t the perfect getaway for polesitter Marquez but he held his advantage into Turn 1, with Quartararo braking later to get underneath his teammate Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and start his stalking of the reigning Champion early. But that allowed the fast-starting Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) to grab P3 on the exit of Turn 2, and a frantic opening lap then unfolded as Quartararo passed Marquez for the lead only for the number 93 to pounce back at the tight Turn 10. It was a late lunge from the Honda man as the duo ran slightly wide, with Quartararo looking for the cutback but almost losing the front, foot slipping into the air. That gave third place Miller a sniff at second, but the door quickly closed and the Aussie almost hit the back of the Frenchman ahead.

    At the front, meanwhile, Marquez had pulled the pin. Eight tenths were his advantage over Quartararo as the duo started to break clear of the chasing pack, that then becoming a second as the rookie hovered close but not quite close enough. Further behind, the battle for the final place on the podium was getting intense, however, with Miller holding P3 as Morbidelli, Viñales and Dovizioso all started to close in…

    It didn’t take long for Morbidelli to lead the trio past Miller, but the group was over three seconds off Quartararo at the midpoint of the race and after staying within almost-striking distance of the reigning Champion for the first half, ‘El Diablo’ was also starting to drop back. With 11 laps to go, Dovi took Morbidelli before Viñales followed suit and it soon became Dovizioso vs Viñales for the final rostrum place, with two different machines making for an interesting concertina of a duel.

    As the final few laps appeared on the horizon, Quartararo had been dropped by Marquez but the Frenchman would need to be careful. Dovi had fended off Viñales and the Ducati man was on a charge, closing in by eight tenths in a single lap. Would it be enough? On the last lap, everything suddenly tightened up as Marquez cruised round for the win and Quartararo closed in; Dovizioso closing in on him…but the Italian couldn’t quite get close enough to make a final lap lunge. Marquez took the win, Quartararo second and Dovizioso third, all with big reasons to spray the prosecco with a smile on the podium: manufacturer glory, rookie genius and a century of rostrum finishes.

    Viñales took fourth after just being denied the podium, ahead of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) in P5 as the Brit beat Morbidelli by 0.047 on the run to the line to grab his first top five finish since the Czech GP. Morbidelli’s early podium hopes sadly faded as the Italian picked up P6 in Japan, with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) recovering from P11 on the grid to P7 in the race. Teammate Joan Mir rode a solid race to finish just over a second behind Rins in P8, with the Ducatis of Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Miller rounding out the top 10.

    One name noticeably absent from that run down is that of nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who had a tough race that then ended early in a crash, as was the situation for Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini).

    Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was 11th and got the better of impressive KTM-riding rookie Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in P12, with Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) taking 13th. Mika Kallio (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) made it three KTMs in the points in P14, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) the final man to score.

    That’s it from Japan and another weekend to remember for Marquez and Honda. Step two of three is now complete with the riders’ and constructors’ titles sewn up, can they catch Ducati in the team standings? Marquez also equalled Mick Doohan’s 54 premier class win tally at Motegi, and it’s not long to go until the riders are back out on track at Phillip Island for the eight-time Champion to try and go one better. Meanwhile Quartararo will arrive as Rookie of the Year, and he’ll also have his first shot at taking the honour of top Independent Team rider…on Miller’s home turf. Tune in next weekend for the Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

    Marc Marquez: “It was not easy, especially because we were pushing, I was pushing from the beginning because the strategy was clear. I tried to open a gap from the beginning because I felt strong in Warm Up but I started to play a lot with the switches; like you saw with fuel I was on the limit. It’s one of the worst circuits for it here so I was playing with it, then I pushed and when I had two seconds I started to play with it again. It wasn’t easy to ride that race because you have to think about a lot of things on the bike but I was able to manage it in a good way and finish the race on the limit. And the Repsol Honda Team did a great job because they found the best compromise!”

    Race Results Top-3:

    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 42’41.492
    2 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.870
    3 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) +1.325

    *Independent Team rider

  • Dovizioso unleases incredible overtaking move on Marquez at the final corner for another stunner

    Dovizioso unleases incredible overtaking move on Marquez at the final corner for another stunner

    Andrea Dovizioso stuns Marc Marquez at the last corner in the Austrian GP on Sunday. A MotoGP image

    Spielberg, 11 August 2019: Do not adjust your set: that was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) slicing past Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) at the final corner as the Italian turned the tables on the reigning Champion, the hunted turning hunter to keep Ducati’s 100% winning record at the Red Bull Ring intact. After all-out war in Austria, ‘DesmoDovi’ became the first repeat winner since the venue’s return to the calendar in 2016, with the gloves coming off early as a vintage Dovi vs Marquez duel lit up the Red Bull Ring. The Italian has won most of them, but in Spielberg he didn’t play defence. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completed the podium after another impressive ride from the rookie, equalling Yamaha’s best result at the track.

    Polesitter Marquez was lightning off the start but so was Dovizioso as the two pre-race favourites headed into Turn 1 already locked together, despite Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) heading in slightly hot and almost clipping the number 4 Ducati ahead of him. But all’s well that ends well and this was just the beginning, with the Italian and Spaniard even making slight contact on the run into Turn 3 at 300km/h. Marquez was on the inside and Dovi on the outside, but the number 93 went in hot and ran wide, the Ducati then also forced to sit up. That let Quartararo sweep through to lead, with Miller and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins then also pouncing on the exit and Marquez having another wobble as he gassed it to try and slot back into the pack.

    Dovizioso was behind Marquez after the shuffle, but he was back past into Turn 4 as Quartararo started putting the hammer down in the lead. The Frenchman was 0.5 ahead onto Lap 2, but Dovizioso and Marquez started to make up ground as they recovered from a frantic opening lap. Dovi was soon back up to second, with Miller holding off Marquez – for the time being – and fast-starting Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) not far off, ‘The Doctor’ climbing his way up to fifth from P10 in the opening exchanges and initially in the battle for the podium.

    Before long, Marquez had dispatched Miller and the top three started to edge away from the number 43, Rossi and Rins. Then on Lap 7, Quartararo was under serious attack: Dovizioso blasted past into the lead, before Marquez shot past the Yamaha moments later. The two were back in front, and the duel was just getting started.

    The pin wasn’t yet pulled, however, with the top five remaining within a second and a half before heartbreak struck for Miller as the Australian slid out at Turn 9. Just metres ahead on track, Marquez struck for the lead at the final corner, too, and then the duo started to pull clear. Not by a massive margin each lap, but Quartararo couldn’t match the pace of the Ducati and Honda as another almighty Austrian battle started to take shape.

    Marquez threatened to stretch away but the gap didn’t rise above 0.4 seconds, with the number 93 strong in the first half of the lap and Dovizioso the stronger in the second part. The laps ticked by and there was nothing between them, Dovizioso shadowing the reigning Champion. Then, out of nowhere, a move was made with nine to go. Dovizioso powered alongside Marquez, and the number 93 even looked across at the Italian heading into Turn 1. But the Ducati made the pass stick and it was now the 2017 Austrian GP winner in control.

    Tensions were bubbling to boiling point for the next five laps, with Marquez trailing Dovi by 0.1, 0.2. The question was not if, but when and where. Then, with three to go, we found out. Turn 7 was the unlikely location as Marquez stuck it underneath Dovizioso to take back the lead, and it settled back into strategic chess until Turn 1 on the penultimate lap as the number 04 went for it. Could he make it stick? Not quite, Dovizioso running wide and Marquez straight back through.

    Onto the last lap, there was nothing separating the leaders and again, Dovi went for it at Turn 1 but ran wide, so it was Marquez who led going down into Turn 3. The Italian was close but not close enough around the final lap, and it started to look like the Borgo Panigale factory’s stranglehold on the Red Bull Ring could be under threat. But it was far from over as down to the last sector, with the two glued together once again as the Ducati powered up the hill out of Turn 8. He was close, but no pass came at Turn 9. It was going down to the wire.

    Heading into the last corner, the Ducati pulled out from behind the Honda as Dovizioso pulled a Marquez – pushing his machine into the gap and on the verge of creating space rather than using it. It was roles reversed from 2017 as the Italian lunged down the inside, keeping it perfectly pinned to deny Marquez and power towards the line ahead for his second win of the season. With no chance to strike back, Marquez was forced to settle for second.

    Behind the duel, Quartararo took the chequered flag in a lonely third to claim his third MotoGP™ rostrum and bank another huge haul of points in his impressive 2019, coming home top rookie, top Independent Team rider and top Yamaha – equalling the Iwata factory’s best result at the track from 2016.

    Just behind him, Rossi had been caught by teammate Maverick Viñales and  Suzuki rider Rins as the trio battled for fourth, with Rossi ultimately able to pull a tenth or two clear of Viñales as three Yamahas sat in the top five at a tougher track for them. Rins, meanwhile, was only 0.021 off the number 12, the number 42 running it close and only just fended off.

    Behind the Yamaha train, Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) took P7 and a big haul of points after a much more positive weekend, finishing just ahead of fellow rookie Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3). The Portuguese rider finished as the best KTM on the Austrian factory’s home turf, taking a sensational P8 and some serious scalps.

    Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) will be disappointed with P9 on a Ducati-friendly circuit, with compatriot Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completing the top 10 ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and the second KTM of Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

    Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), meanwhile, crashed out of contention on Lap 2 at Turn 3, the British rider hitting the back of Tito Rabat’s Reale Avinita Racing Ducati after the Spaniard had to take avoiding action after a problem for Pol Espargaro’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) bike.

    The 2019 Austrian GP will live long in the memory after another breathtaking Dovizioso vs Marquez battle, and it’s the Italians who emerge victorious again. Can they repeat the feat in Silverstone next time out? Two weeks will tell us.

    Andrea Dovizioso: “I think this is my best victory, for many reasons…we didn’t have Marc’s speed, we had to make a good strategy, we had to fight aggressively in the first few laps and the last four…and we’re struggling a lot to fight for the Championship so this gives us a lot of energy for the future. And the work in the practice paid off in the race because at the end I had more grip, giving me the possibility to fight until the last corner.

    “To win in this battle at the last corner in the opposite way to normal is so exciting, so nice…and when you have your friends there after the first corner, seeing them go crazy, screaming, it’s so nice!”

    MotoGP Top-3 results:

    1 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) 39’34.771
    2 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) +0.213
    3 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +6.117

    *Independent Team rider

  • There are more contenders for the championship this year, says Dovi: MotoGP Press Conference

    There are more contenders for the championship this year, says Dovi: MotoGP Press Conference

    Marquez, Left, vs Dovi… The contenders at the Thursday press meet in Le Mans. A MotoGP image

    Le Mans, 16 May 2019: Ahead of MotoGP track action on Friday, the pre-event Press Conference for the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France got the event in gear as home heroes Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were joined by reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), COTA winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), third in the Championship Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who was back on the podium in Spain for the first time this season. Talk centred on the season so far, home pressure and, of course, the race ahead at the classic Le Mans circuit.

    Marquez, as the Championship leader, spoke first. “Jerez was important but it was another race, another GP and the main thing is we took the 25 points, this was the key and what we are here looking for. Also in the test on Monday we were competitive, fast and consistent; what we were looking for. Now we arrive in Le Mans, which is a completely different track, more stop and go, last year was a good weekend so we start with a good mentality and optimistic, then we will see during the weekend where we are…opponents, tyres, weather…try to find the way to be fighting for the podium on Sunday.

    “Last year Dovi was very, very fast here but he made a mistake in the race. But during the weekend he was fast, and also Yamaha riders were very fast two years ago so you never know in Le Mans. We will try to concentrate, try to find the way to be fast, we have a different kind of bike this year and we will try to find the way to be fast at each circuit.”

    Next up was Rins, who took his first win at COTA and kept it rolling with a podium at Jerez. After a positive test the day after as well – and only a point off Marquez in the standings – it could be a crucial weekend. “It’s been a good initial part of the season with good results – a victory in Austin and second place in Jerez. So, after the race in Jerez we try a lot of things. We try a different swingarm, the new ‘spoon’; it was very positive the test. We found good things, not for this race, but for the middle of the season so it was quite nice.

    So does testing get better with age? Apparently it does! Especially when you’re only a point off the Championship leader. “Maybe in my first year in MotoGP I go to the test and it was boring. but when you are there, when you are fighting for the top positions, when you are motivated it’s not a problem to ride the next day!”

    Dovizioso was the next man to speak, and he started off talking about the Championship – he led into Jerez but then just missed the podium – but he says being so close to the top is key, and that he expects bigger things from France. “This situation in the Championship is good and completely open. Like I already explained, there are more of us fighting for the championship. Yes were are at the beginning and anything can happen but I expect more people fighting for it.

    “I’m happy to be here, Le Mans is a good track for me, a good weekend, last year our speed was good so I expect to be fast. Faster than Jerez, but you know this season the competitors are a bit different. The speed is different, especially in the practice, I think more riders will be at the top so it’s important to be there. And especially with the weather, Le Mans is always like this and it looks like the weather will be unstable sp anything can happen so we need to be ready. Overall I’m happy to be here and I think we can fight for the podium and victory.”

    2017 Le Mans winner Viñales is another positive rider expecting better and better results. He just beat ‘DesmoDovi’ to P3 in Spain for his first premier class podium on home turf and now he’s ironed out some early race problems it’s game on. “Honestly for us it was really important to go into Jerez and make the most of our potential. Especially the first laps, going well that was the most important for us because we lose many seconds in Qatar, Austin and Argentina so we couldn’t show our potential. So, I think, for sure, the result in Jerez was very important. We brought a lot of confidence into the team and that’s what we needed.

    “We need to keep working, we need to try understand the way to go. We improve quite a lot on the test, so I’m really pleased. Let’s see here in Le Mans – a track I really like. We can give our best and be, at least, on the podium. In think the main objective is to be on the podium and fighting for the top places. We need try to be on the front row as I think in Jerez that was really important because the other two Yamahas were really fast on Saturday.”

    Then it was time to hear from the man of the moment in many ways: Quartararo. Now the youngest ever polesitter in MotoGP™, he saw his first podium slip through his grasp in Jerez after a mechanical problem but the Jerez test saw him shave another stunning half second off the new lap record he’d set on Saturday. After that rollercoaster, how’s he feeling ahead of the French GP? He kept it short but sweet.

    “For sure as you know, Jerez has been really good for us. We didn’t expect, first of all, to get pole, and the race was really good, it’s really difficult to overtake on the MotoGP bike in Jerez so it was good to get pole. In the race the first lap I really struggled to follow Franco and Marc but in the end I found two tenths from free practice and I was really good on the bike. Yeah what happened, happened but its really positive to have seen lots of things from Marc during the race…

    “After what happened in Jerez, the fans are a little bit crazier. For sure we need to be focused on energy and of course, enjoy the home GP!”

    Finally, Zarco took to the mic. First up the Frenchman debriefed the pre-event – where he impressed the dancers of the Moulin Rouge with a back flip – before looking ahead to the race after a tougher start to the season.

    “It was a great evening at the Moulin Rouge. An amazing show, really nice girls for sure. Nice outfits, nice decoration, everything was nice,” he laughs. Then, it was back to racing talk. “The energy from the fans, even if I’ve had a hard beginning to the season, I feel a very positive energy from them here. They really support me and say, ‘you can do it and we trust in you’ and that gives me energy. After Jerez we had two days of tests. Testing is interesting because you can keep working on the rider and you have time to try a lot of things on the bike. The job of test rider is kind of difficult, you can try 20 things, but it could only be only one working. And if you have only one thing working you must be happy. That’s what we did and now I’m ready to go. As all the riders say we must see the weather conditions. I think, I cannot say an advantage, but we’ll have less disadvantage because I tested here before. I had two days here before Jerez so it will help me to be quicker and maybe closer to the top guys. From that, I hope to build a good weekend and have a good weekend for me and all the team.”

    Will the home heroes steal the show? Can the reigning Champion keep his grip on the top? Or will someone else take the throne this weekend in France…find out when the lights go out for the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 local time (GMT +2) on Sunday.

  • Dovi wins the duel by just 0.023 but five riders battle for glory as MotoGP season begins

    Dovi wins the duel by just 0.023 but five riders battle for glory as MotoGP season begins

    Andrea Dovizioso wins the season opener in Doha on Sunday. A MotoGP image

    Doha, 10 March 2019:

     

    High expectations and a million questions: That’s what lay before the grid as the lights went out for the VisitQatar Grand Prix and it didn’t disappointment. The closest top fifteen of all time and another duel to the finish – with another trio right behind – made it a stunner of a season opener…with a familiar name on top: Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati Team). It was a familiar name diving down the inside at the final corner too, as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) rolled the dice once again – just 0.023 off ‘DesmoDovi’ over the line. Behind that classic duel that defines a rivalry came another battle but this time of three, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) pulling out all the stops to complete the podium and fend off Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and a late-charging Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).

    Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Mission Winnow Ducati) – 1st
    “I’m super happy about this win, especially because after the tests I wouldn’t have expected to be so fast. We stayed focused and we made progress in each session. Our strategy in the race was simply to preserve the tyre, and this made the difference, but it wasn’t easy because I led for most of the race and I couldn’t really study my opponents. Marquez gave it everything he could, as usual, and pushed me to the limit. We made the most of our strenghths, that is, acceleration and top speed, but we still need to improve our corner speed. This year there are plenty of quick riders and it’ll be crucial not to lose too many points on less favorable tracks. We need to keep our feet on the ground and continue working in this direction.”

    It was Dovizioso who got the holeshot from pole, he and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) grabbing P1 and P2 into Turn 1 as Marquez held position just behind. Polesitter Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) didn’t get the start he would have been aiming for as he dropped to sixth on Lap 1, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and teammate Crutchlow catapulting through to the top five.

    The race then began to settle into a rhythm, with a train of riders at the front led by Dovizioso keeping a steady pace at the front. Rins was the man on the move on Lap 4 as the Spaniard made more progress after a sharp start from P10 on the grid, the Suzuki man coming through to take the lead by Lap 5 before the Spaniard duelled Dovizioso for the pleasure. It remained a lead group of nine following each other line astern, however, with no one breaking rank just yet.

    On Lap 12 the number 04 was back at the front, and the pace then turned up a notch as he and Marquez started to create a gap back to third place Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati), who’d made his way through the group. The pace then slowed again, however, as Dovizioso went from a 1:55.3 to a 1:56.1 to bring the top eight back to within just over a second…

    With seven to go, the top eight were covered 1.2 seconds and that’s when Rossi really started to make up ground, picking off his teammate first and then Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) to go up to P6. With three laps to go the fight for the win became a five-way scrap, with Petrucci, Viñales and Mir fading off the pacesetters.

    Reigning World Champion Marquez had got the better of Dovizioso on the penultimate lap, but the Ducati struck back down the straight. Crutchlow held P3, Rins P4 and Rossi P5, menacing behind and waiting for the fireworks to begin in the lead. Pushing hard, Marquez had a slight moment with the front at Turn 3, before making a lunge up the inside of Dovi at Turn 10. He couldn’t keep it though as the Desmosedici was able to cut back up the inside on the exit, setting up another classic grandstand finish.

    It looked like a carbon copy of 12 months ago at the final corner, but it was the same edge-of-the-seat heart-in-your-mouth moment as Marquez dove through on the inside, sitting up Dovi but running wide as he couldn’t quite get it stopped in time. From there it was another classic point and shoot contest to the line as both gunned it on the exit, but Dovizioso couldn’t be caught and made it out ahead. It was closer than before though, with an infinitesimal 0.023 separating the two as the flag waved. Behind, Crutchlow kept his cool to take a remarkable podium on his first race back since his huge Australian GP crash, with Rins a valiant P4 and Rossi again proving you should never count ‘The Doctor’ out. P5 from P14 on the grid was another impressive race day showing from the nine-time World Champion.

    Petrucci would have to settle for P6 on his maiden factory Ducati ride, 2.320 behind his teammate in the end, with polesitter Viñales crossing the line 0.161 back from ‘Petrux’, in P7. Mir produced a fantastic rookie ride to finish just over five seconds off the race win in P8, with the Spaniard beating ninth place Nakagami and tenth place Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) – and just 9.636 covering the top 10 in Qatar.

    Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was just 0.011 behind Espargaro in P11 on his debut ride for Yamaha, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team), Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the point scoring positions.

    So who was the ride of the day? Far from the podium in the end and not scoring any points on his debut, an argument could be made for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) regardless. The rookie was forced into a pitlane start after issues on the grid ahead of the Warm Up lap, and set about unleashing some almighty pace and nerves of steel for a first ever premier class appearance. Fastest laps flowed from the Frenchman and he was soon into point-scoring contention…although sadly, it wouldn’t last. Too much too early in a bid to catch the group ahead saw Quartararo fade back to P16 by the flag – but only eight tenths off Zarco. Fellow debutant Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) also impressed and, for some time, was top KTM, before fading slightly, a fate that also befell Mir further forward as they all aim to gain more full-length race experience. Final rookie Francesco Bagnaia (Alma Pramac Racing) suffered a DNF, with more to come from him in Argentina for sure, and his more veteran teammate Jack Miller also suffered some bad luck. The Australian fell victim to some problem with his machine that saw him drop from podium contention to suddenly outside the top ten, then retiring before the end of the race.

    That’s all she wrote from Qatar but what a story it was. Records broken and history made, five riders in six tenths makes for an awesome opener…even before looking at the winning margin of 0.023. But then, past the stats, it’s much more than a numbers game and always has been. Dedication, precision, passion, talent, confidence, pressure, potential, evolution, rivalry…and respect. This is MotoGP™ and we’re back in business. Tune in for the Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina on March 31st for more, because we’ve only just begun.

    Top ten results:
    1. Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati)
    2. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.023
    3. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) + 0.320
    4. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.457
    5. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.600
    6. Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) + 2.320
    7. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 2.481
    8. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 5.088
    9. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 7.406
    10. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 9.636
  • Ducati presents Mission Winnow Team 2019: MotoGP

    Ducati presents Mission Winnow Team 2019: MotoGP

    From Left: Andrea Dovizioso, Claudio Domenicali, Luigi Dall’Igna, Danilo Petrucci. on Jan 18. A Ducati image

    Neuchâtel (Switzerland), 18 Jan 2019: The Mission Winnow Ducati team, which will compete in the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, was presented today at the iconic Cube, Philip Morris International’s Research and Development centre in the lakeside Swiss town. Riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci unveiled the brand-new Desmosedici GP19 machine – in its captivating red livery – in front of an audience of international media, guests, sponsors and partners. Everything is now ready for an exciting new season, with the first of 19 races scheduled for March 10 in Qatar. In two weeks’ time, Dovizioso and Petrucci will resume testing action with the Desmosedici GP19 at Sepang (Malaysia).

    Miroslaw Zielinski, PMI President Science and Innovation, welcomed the audience: “Mission Winnow is about driving change by constantly searching for better ways of doing things. Ducati is one of the most inspiring and resilient brands in MotoGP, with a 70-year history in racing. The team’s determination to do better every race, to think unconventionally and to continuously push the boundaries of technology perfectly exemplify Mission Winnow.”

    Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Motor Holding CEO, added: “Racing has always been part of Ducati’s DNA. The solutions and expertise gathered on track represent an asset that is directly tied to our product line, and the MotoGP project is crucial for us to produce models that are more performing, exciting and safe to ride for all our passionate fans. Looking back at the results achieved in 2018 on track, we can be proud because our Desmosedici GP proved to be one of the most competitive bikes, but we cannot settle and we want to make another, decisive step forward. I believe our know-how and the spirit that characterizes the people of Ducati Corse are an extra value compared with our rivals. I want to take this occasion to thank all the partners that are supporting us in this new challenge in MotoGP – including Audi Sport, which starting from this season will be main sponsor – and to send my best wishes to the whole Mission Winnow Ducati team for an unforgettable season.”

    Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager: “2018 was another important season for us in MotoGP, one that saw us grow and improve again – both from a technical and a sporting point of view – for the fourth consecutive season. We were very competitive even on tracks that have traditionally been more difficult for us, and we achieved more victories and podiums overall compared with 2017. However, our direct competitors have also improved. We must do better and improve more than what we have done in recent years, bringing new ideas and evolutions to cover all the possible areas. With Andrea and Danilo, we’re confident we have the right team to optimize the resources for the development of the bike. Our goals must be ambitious, as always, and we want to bring the MotoGP title back to Borgo Panigale.”

    Andrea Dovizioso (#04, Mission Winnow Ducati): “2018 was a very positive year for me. We started with a victory and, even if we had some ups and downs, the difficulties pushed us to look in new directions and half-way through the season we made a big step forward. I’m very happy with the work done with the team, we fought for the win basically throughout the second half of the championship and I think we’ll make more improvements in the next tests to begin the season in the best possible way. The expectations are high, I have a great feeling with both the bike and my crew, and we can count on more experience. I’m happy to have Danilo alongside me in the garage, we know each other well and I believe we can fight on track but also work together to develop the package.”

    Danilo Petrucci (#9, Mission Winnow Ducati): “Last season was very important for me, my best ever in terms of points scored. Even if I barely missed my goal to finish first among independent riders, I still finished 2018 on an undoubtedly positive note. Racing with the factory colours makes me really proud and I can’t wait to get started: I have a great feeling with my new crew, and the technical level is higher than ever. As for me, I know where I can still improve and I changed my conditioning program to make sure I’ll be in my best shape ever come the first race. I’m very happy to pair with Andrea: not only is he a phenomenal rider, but also a wonderful person. We’ve known each other for a long time, and we started to train together with one goal: to both have a really strong season.”

    The Mission Winnow Ducati team will soon leave for Malaysia where, on February 6-9 at Sepang, the first collective pre-season tests will unfold.

  • Dovizioso wins dramatic red-flagged rain dance

    Dovizioso wins dramatic red-flagged rain dance

    Italian unstoppable ahead of Rins and an incredible first podium for Pol Espargaro and KTM

    Andrea Dovizioso wins final round of the MotoGP on Sunday. A MotoGP image

    Valencia, 18 Nov 2018: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) claimed the final MotoGP victory of 2018 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, finishing ahead of an on-form Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and a stunning result for Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the Spaniard took his first premier class podium and the first for KTM in MotoGP World Championship here on Sunday.

    The dramatic race was red-flagged and restarted in heavy rain at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, and saw a large number of riders fall foul of the tough conditions – not least reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Movistar Yamaha MotoGP duo Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi. But the show had to go on – delay notwithstanding – and go on it did.

    On the original start, Rins had destroyed the field to gain a huge lead after only a couple of corners, and the rain was falling but not heavy. The conditions remained difficult, however, and a good few big names – including some wet specialists – found themselves sliding out. They included a highside that skittled Marquez into the gravel from podium contention, and a high-speed tumble for Viñales after a good initial getaway. Pol Espargaro crashed out of P4 at Turn 3 after a stunning start, but he was incredibly able to re-join. Brother Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), teammate Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) and Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also all crashed out and couldn’t get back in it, but Rossi? At that stage, he was only getting faster as the rain was getting worse.

    Eventually, however, the volume of rain was starting to beat the circuit’s ability to drain and the Red Flag came out. The race would be re-started for 14 laps, and the grid would be decided by the standings as of the last completed lap – meaning it was Rins on pole, Dovizioso second, Rossi third and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) lining up fourth in his final race. 14 laps and the end of an era for many…

    The front row held station as the lights went out for ‘Race 2’ and all 16 riders safely negotiated the opening exchanges, with Rins leading. However, Dovizioso was once again able to get the power down on his GP18 to slice past Rins heading onto lap 2 – with Rossi in close pursuit. The three leaders quickly gapped fourth place Espargaro by 2.9 seconds, and Pedrosa tucked in behind the KTM in P5.

    By then, the rain was starting to fall once again and conditions were still incredibly tough. Nevertheless, the leading trio were all lapping in the low 1:43s – two seconds quicker than anyone else as it soon became a three horse race for the final win of 2018.

    On Lap 6, Dovizioso then pulled the pin to create a one-second gap back to Rins – a 1:49.921 creating that gap, with 1.5 seconds then splitting the trio. Another fastest lap soon followed for Dovi, as Rossi made his move past Rins at Turn 4 – 1.5 down on ‘DesmoDovi’. However, with six to go, the gap was up to 2.4 and a lap later, the Ducati rider’s lead was over three seconds. But then, the drama hit again and ‘The Doctor’ was down at Turn 12 – rider ok, but lifting Espargaro and KTM up to a podium place.

    As the last lap began, Dovizioso’s advantage was four seconds to Rins as both safely waded their way to the finish line – the Italian taking his first win since Misano and Rins grabbing a fifth podium of the year to claim P5 in the Championship. Then, emotional scenes followed as Espargaro kept Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) at bay to take both his and KTM’s maiden MotoGP™ podium – phenomenal from rider and factory alike after the number 44 rider had crashed earlier, remounted and dueled both Repsol Hondas. After a difficult season for the Austrian marque with injury struggles, it made for an incredible dose of oxygen, so said Espargaro.

    Behind him and Pirro came the new MotoGP™ Legend: Pedrosa. The ‘Little Samurai’ took home a hard-earned P5 from his farewell Grand Prix ride on home soil as he helped Repsol Honda secure the triple crown. Behind the three-time Champion was fellow Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), the Japanese rookie taking home a career-best P6 as top Independent Team rider in the race, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) taking the overall 2018 Independent Team rider honours after crossing the line in P7. The Frenchman held off Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who grabbed his best KTM result on his final ride for the team.

    Replacement rider Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda Castrol) crossed the line in P9, with Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) rounding out the top ten – a great ride, but not quite enough to beat Morbidelli to ‘Rookie of the Year’. On his final Grand Prix appearance, Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) claimed a season-best P11, with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) bringing his Ducati career to an end with a tough P12 on the comeback from injury. Rossi remounted to ride to P13 and P3 in the Championship is the nine-time World Champion’s, with Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Team) and Jordi Torres (Reale Avintia Racing) claiming the final point-scoring positions. Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) crashed out of his final Grand Prix race with seven to go – rider ok.

    With that, the curtain comes down after another sensational end to the 2018 MotoGP™ World Championship – and another magnificent season draws to a close. There’s not long to wait before 2019 begins, however, as engines fire up for testing – and 2019 – on Tuesday.

    MotoGP™ Race Results
    1 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI 24’03.408
    2 – Alex Rins (SPA) SUZUKI +2.750
    3 – Pol Espargaro (SPA) KTM +7.406First Independent Team Rider
    3 – Takaaki Nakagami (JPN) HONDA +32.288ends
  • Alex Rins fastest in FP as 0.159 splits four factory riders on Friday at Sepang

    Alex Rins fastest in FP as 0.159 splits four factory riders on Friday at Sepang

    Alex Rins sets the pace in Free Practice sessions on Friday at Sepang. Photo: MotoGP

    Sepang, 02 October 2018: Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) topped the timesheets on Friday at the Shell Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix after going quickest in FP2. The Spaniard heads Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) on the combined times by just 0.089 after setting a 1:59.608, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completing a top three covered by 0.093 seconds at Sepang.

    Rins tops FP2 in Sepang on Friday. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Despite the threat of rain throughout the day, the MotoGP™ riders were able to get two full dry sessions done and dusted in Malaysia, and it was a Suzuki leading the way as the chequered flag came out at the end of FP2. Rins was the man at the summit thanks to his late FP2 time, with Dovi failing to improve on his FP1 time in the afternoon session – P7 for the Italian in FP2. It was Marquez who finished the second session in P2, but the World Champion had an eventful day. In typical  Marquez fashion, the number 93 had to save the front of his RC213V numerous times across the two sessions. Front-end improvements needed for the Champion before qualifying?

    Andrea Dovizioso. Photo: MotoGP

    There were no such close shaves for fourth place overall and sixth fastest in FP2 Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) though. ‘The Doctor’ having a strong Friday to end the day just 0.159 from Rins’ time as four manufacturers make up the top four spots at Sepang. Fifth on the combined times was Jack Miller on board his Alma Pramac Racing Ducati, the Australian setting a quickest time of 1:59.771 to end FP2 in P3 after being the first rider to dip into the 1:59s in FP2. Meanwhile, Australian GP winner Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) completes the day P6 on the overall times, the Spaniard going fourth fastest in FP2 to end the day less than two tenths off P1.

    Marc Marquez. Photo: MotoGP

    Just 0.009 behind him at the end of Friday’s proceedings sits Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), P7 overall for the Italian thanks to his FP2 time, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) improving by over half a second in the second session to end P8 on Friday. Completing the provisional automatic Q2 places were Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in P9 and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro in P10 – the latter going over a second slower in FP2 though, with his FP1 time just enough to better 11th place Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team). Returning from injury, Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) endured a tough opening day. The five-time World Champion finished bottom of the timesheets and over three seconds adrift of the fastest time. Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) had a crash at Turn 2 – rider ok.

    So its Rins that was on fire on Friday in Sepang, a fantastic turnaround after one of his bikes was on up in flames in pitlane on Thursday. The times are super close with 0.203 covering the top six, but FP3 gives the premier class riders the last chance to improve their times to see if they can cement an automatic Q2 place.

    Update: Crutchlow undergoes second surgery

    Cal Crutchlow. Photo: MotoGP

    The LCR Honda Castrol Team have given an update on their rider Cal Crutchlow after the Briton sustained a fracture to his right ankle and tibia at Phillip Island. He currently remains in hospital in Australia, but the three-time Grand Prix winner has successfully undergone a second operation on the affected area and should now be allowed to return home on Sunday.

    “Cal had his second operation on Thursday morning,” says Lucio Cecchinello, LCR Honda Team Principal. “The surgery took less than two hours and he was awake about an hour after the procedure finished. He didn’t complain about any particular pain after coming round. The surgery was performed by Dr Matthias Russ, the same doctor who carried out the first operation, and he stated that he was very pleased with how the surgery had gone. Cal has had two small plates inserted and he will be ready to fly home on Sunday night – provided there are no complications, which nobody expects. Once he’s back home he will start physiotherapy and will try his best to be fit again as soon as possible.”