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Tag: Joan Mir
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It was a dream to achieve the Championship: Joan Mir
2021 starts now! The Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar has officially got us underway at Losail International Circuit, with the pre-event Press Conference welcoming reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) at the helm. Joining him were new Repsol Honda Team rider Pol Espargaro, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller fresh from going fastest in testing, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo as he settles in, nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi; now in Petronas Yamaha SRT colours, and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro after impressing for the Noale factory in pre-season.
Joan Mir: “So happy to be here again. Last year we did a really good season, a dream to achieve the Championship. We are here in Qatar, everyone starts from zero and it will be important to feel great here. The test was not bad but we have work to do. Looking forward to this season, we have a great challenge ahead of us defending the title and we’ll do as good as we can so let’s see.
“The engine is the same and the bike also. There’s not a big change on the bike, it will be really important to keep the consistency but improve the speed to win more races, this will be the main goal.”
The number 36 was also asked about the departure of former Suzuki Ecstar Team Manager Davide Brivio:
“I think Davide did a great job putting every piece in the correct place in this team. We showed that we are able to win. Mainly, Suzuki aren’t moving anybody and not trying to replace Davide. We don’t miss him and I hope he will have a lot of luck in F1.”
Pol Espargaro: “It was a difficult beginning to the season because we just had four days of testing. For the rookies it was even worse but also for the guys who changed bikes, it was not the best preseason. Anyways even with those four days, the final day I felt comfortable and I could do something interesting with race pace, at least to start to think about where to be on the race. On one lap we weren’t far from Jack Miller, we know he is very fast, also Fabio and Maverick but still I think we have a lot to learn and it will be a little bit difficult, but we will enjoy the first race of the season.
“In the past when I heard someone saying this bike is very difficult, I was always thinking the same thing, for me, one bike with one manufacturer can be very difficult and for one rider with a riding style better to this one it can be easier. So, for me, the Honda for sure is not the easiest but I don’t agree it is the most difficult bike on the grid. You just need to match the riding style of the bike and it feels like I did that a little in the test. I don’t know how much I matched because it is difficult to evaluate after four days how much I’m connected to the bike. I would take out this idea the bike is difficult, and I want to start to be positive, to be proactive and try to make things happen. Starting here in Qatar it is not the best place for Honda or even me, but the test was quite positive, but we are going to go for it and see what we can do in the first races even if we are still rookies with this bike.”
Class of 2021, a MotoGP image Jack Miller: “I feel ready as I’ll be, we didn’t get that big of a break, I went back to Australia for a bit but not as much as I’d like. The pre-season went good, I didn’t have a massive move it was just one garage over, I already knew a lot of the guys so we got on straight away. The times were good in testing but we can’t look into it too much, the conditions were perfect. We’ll start again from zero here, it will be a bit different with Dunlop rubber on the track from Moto2 and Moto3 so we’ll come in with an open mind.
“For sure I think there is a lot more hype than if I topped the times last year with Pramac. For sure there is extra pressure there, we haven’t had much time to feel it, everything has been relatively good so far, it hasn’t been difficult so we’ll see when it gets difficult how the pressure sinks in but apart from that, everything feels a step up. Having more stuff is nice to have, you don’t feel the full benefit of it coming to a test with four days at the same track. Just in the first couple of exits I noticed, with the people around me, we were able to adapt and overcome other problems that took more time in the past.”
Fabio Quartararo: “I think that last year and the end of the season was difficult, but I think I have learned many things that can bring me a lot of experience for the future and this year. It feels like it has been high and low, but I feel ready for 2021 and I think that is the most important thing.
“Your first year you think about winning but your goals are to fight for the top five, but when you are with the factory your goals cannot be to fight for the top five, it’s clear that everyone here wants to fight for the Championship. Last year I had a factory bike, but you see a little bit more people in the team and more responsibility to develop the bike, but in general I’m feeling good. The test was great, we tested many things and everything went well. More than feeling pressure now I’m just super excited to start the weekend!”
Valentino Rossi: “The atmosphere on Thursday of the first race is always the same, like the first day of school. It’s always exciting, also for the pictures together on the grid, you have the feeling that in some hours we start. I changed team after a long, long time, but I feel good. The atmosphere is good and the test was not so bad, now we have to see in a real race weekend.
The Hero still wants to continue racing… Valentino Rossi “In the factory team but also in the Petronas team everyone gives the maximum, so you have the pressure. The difference is the amount of people around the bike, but for me the atmosphere was also good in the factory team, it’s not a big change. I’m very happy to have Franco as my teammate because we’re good friends, we stay a lot of time together in Tavullia for training but also free time, and he is one of the best riders in MotoGP at the moment like he demonstrated last year. So for me, it’s good, it’s great motivation to fight with him.”
Aleix Espargaro: “I hope it is like this, but you never know, a test is a test. Races are completely different, and after Moto2 and Moto3 the track will change. We will not start from zero but somewhere we will have to change some things. The test was good, the RS-GP 21 looks sincerely promising, but we have to race and compare with the others. I’m sure everyone will improve for the race. It’s not going to be easy but I’m very motivated and feel I have the chance to fight with the best and it gives me positive energy and I can’t wait for FP1.
“I’m very happy. In these last years we’re making steps to get closer to the top bikes and Aprilia have made an important step which will be very helpful for the future. And Dovizioso, apart from being a talented and a fast rider, he can be a very good test rider. He did a great job with the Ducati. The last seasons he was winning races and fighting for the title so he will be able to give us good feedback and help us a lot. I can’t wait for him to try the bike in Jerez and to see his reaction and how he likes the bike and sees the weak points, because I will be six years with this bike, and he will be fresh and new and give a new point of view.”
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My main goal is to defend my MotoGP title, says Joan Mir
Joan Mir Mayrata, having won his maiden World title in MotoGP last season, hopes to ride on the newly-gained confidence and successfully defend his crown. The 23-year old Spaniard, astride the Team Suzuki Ecstar machine, shrugged off a rather wayward start in the pandemic-marred 2020 championship, and performed with stunning consistency to top the leaderboard on the back of one win in Valencia apart from a string of podium finishes that underlined his undoubted class and talent. “My main goal in the 2021 season is to defend my title,” he asserted during a one-on-one interview with INDIAinF1.com (Courtesy EuroSport India) ahead of the season-opener in Qatar this weekend. EuroSport India will broadcast MotoGP races in India this season.
The excerpts:
Anand Philar: Congratulations Mir, on winning the 2020 World Championship.
Joan Mir: Thank you very much.
AP:Before the season, you had to go through the pandemic and the lockdown, and when the season started, you had a couple of hiccups in the first three races.How did you get through all these challenges?
JM: Well, it (the pandemic) is something that we are not able to control, no? It is important not to think too much about it, just focus and train everyday, and be well-prepared for the first race. At this time last year, we did not know where and when will be the first race. But we have to train, it is our work.
AP: When the season started, you did not have a very good first three races. What went into your mind at that stage?
JM: It was a difficult situation. I was strong and I was fast, but I was not able to show my potential. And it was so frustrating. But we did a great job from then onwards and I was able to fight for the podium later for the entire season. I was confident from then on.
AP: Can you please talk us through your first win in Valencia, and what it meant to you?
JM: In Valencia, the victory was the key to win the Championship. Because I was able to win in the moment of huge pressure and I was not scared of the pressure. I handled it well and was able to make a win out of the pressure. So, it was a super special moment because the season was coming to an end, and I was not able to win a race despite leading the championship. So I thought, how is it that I am not able to win? For some reason I was not able to win. So in the end, it came. I made it possible. Yea!
AP: Was there a lot of pressure at that point to win?
JM: Yes, yes. There was a lot of pressure. But I managed to be myself. I was not scared of the pressure. It did not scare me, but it inspired me.
AP: From your Red Bull rookie days to the present, how much have you evolved as a rider?
JM: A lot! I always used to take the opportunity even in the days of Red Bull… I was listed and it was difficult for me to manage big Moto3 bike and every year, I was able to improve and go up… and go up. This means that we all adopted so quickly to the new categories (Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP).
AP: So did you make changes in your riding style and technique?
JM: Yeah, yeah. In the end, the style is always the same, but you improve the positions, sitting on the bike, you sit more in the front or in the back, how you position yourself, the hands, these changes you can see… in these I try to improve.
AP: Is there any one difference that helped you in 2020 season to win the Championship? What is it, one factor that made the difference?
JM: It is the consistency. It is the one factor that made all the difference for me to win the Championship.
AP: What is your target for 2021 season?
JM: My target is to defend the title. To win the Championship again!
AP: And you have the bike for that? Did you make any major changes in the bike for this season?
JM: I think yes. I feel great with the bike and it is not a big difference from the bike of the last season. It is the same. There are small things that we changed and we will be able to do it. Let us see…
AP: So you feel this new season (2021), the bike is much more quicker, much more improved?Did you make a lot of improvements?
JM: My bike is the same. It is not much more quicker because the engine is the same, but we made improvements in small areas. But I am a little more comfortable on the bike. But we know that the Ducatis are stronger and also Yamahas, Hondas… Let us see.
AP: Now the new season starting this week-end, do you feel a lot of pressure? You are World champion and there are a lot of expectations from fans, from the team?
JM: No. Somehow, I am comfortable and I feel no pressure for some reason. But yes, as last year’s winner, some pressure will be there, but I am happy and ready to go because it is the pressure that made me give something more. So I am happy.
AP: Do you go through any special routine to deal with this kind of expectations in terms of your mental preparation and approach?
JM: I have something that I always follow. I will always be focussed…When I change, when I put the leather on, there are some things that I always follow. I always start with the right. Right boot with the right leg, then with the right hand, that is right arm, and the right glove…This is something that helps me to go with less pressure, to focus and concentrate and puts me in race mode. Apart from that, at home, I try not to think of too many things and I try to focus.
AP: What is your target for this season?
JM: To fight for the title. My target is to defend the title, to win the Championship.
AP: And how confident are you?
JM: I am fully confident. I think the title last year gave me extra confidence and will fight for it this year.
Telecast: The MotoGP 2020 season will start with a triple-header beginning with the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend at the Losail International Circuit, which will also host the Tissot Grand Prix of Doha, on Easter Sunday. EuroSport India, will telecast all the rounds this season in India. Dish TV Channel 630 (SD) and 639 (HD); D2h (India) Channel 410 (SD); Tata Sky Channel 496 (SD) 495 (HD); Sun Direct 517 (SD) 989 (HD); Airtel Digital TV 304 (SD) 305 (HD);
Disclosure: EuroSport India facilitated the interview with World Champion Joan Mir.
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Joan Mir seals 2020 MotoGP world crown with a round to spare
Valencia, 15 Nov 2020: Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is the 2020 FIM MotoGP World Champion. After six podiums and a victory in the Europe GP, the Majorcan was 37 points clear coming in to take two at Valencia and nothing could shake the Suzuki rider. A seventh-place finish defended to the final corner assures him the crown, with Mir becoming the first Moto3 Champion to win the premier class title and the first to win it for Suzuki in 20 years.
Mir’s path to glory began in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2013, where he took a podium as a rookie, before 2014 saw the Majorcan end the year second overall after a number of wins. In 2015 a full season in the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship awaited, where he came fourth overall but took four wins and a further three podiums as he fought for the title to the end. Late that same year, Mir also made his debut in the Moto3™ World Championship – qualifying fifteenth and then fighting for sixth as an injury replacement at Phillip Island. The Majorcan crashed out, but had already made an impression.
He joined Moto3™ full time for 2016 and immediately began to impress. Points first time out, a top five in his third ever Moto3™ race and then a first victory in Austria – from a first pole – saw Mir end the year fifth overall and as Rookie of the Year. That made the Spaniard a firm favourite for the title the following year and he didn’t disappoint, coming out guns blazing in 2017 to take the first two victories of the season.
More wins at Le Mans and Catalunya prefaced three victories in a row in Germany, Czechia and Austria, before another in Aragon set up the Majorcan’s first shot at the crown at Motegi. It wasn’t to be as Mir failed to score for the first time all season, but at Phillip Island he bounced back in style.
Upon his return to the venue where he made his debut only two years earlier, Mir was untouchable as he took his ninth win of the year and wrapped up the crown, becoming the 2017 Moto3™ World Champion.
Lap of honour: Mir heads for parc ferme with the number 36 replaced with a number 1 after winning the world championship on Sunday. A MotoGP image Mir then moved to Moto2™ with the EG 0,0 Marc VDS team. As a rookie in the intermediate class, the Spaniard continued to impress as he took four podiums and ended the season in sixth, his trajectory and success having already called the attention of Suzuki. The Hamamatsu factory offered him a seat in MotoGP™ for the following year, and Mir accepted to join the premier class in 2019.
First time out in Qatar, the number 36 impressed on his debut and took eighth before some tougher races followed. By Mugello he was back in the points in 12th, and at Catalunya he took sixth to begin a run of solid top eight finishes. That ended at Brno with a crash before the Majorcan also crashed at the post-race test in the Czech Republic, subsequently side-lining him from the Austrian and British Grands Prix through injury.
Upon his return at Misano, Mir started scoring again and ended the year without a further DNF, taking a best result in his rookie year of fifth in Phillip Island and setting himself up for a sophomore year at the front – right at the front, as it would turn out.
ajorcan bounced back with three podiums in a row in the San Marino, Emilia Romagna and Catalan GPs, gaining traction in the Championship, before another tough race in Le Mans briefly halted his momentum as Mir took 11th, lacking experience of the conditions. With key rivals Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also fighting in the fringes of the top ten though, all was far from lost.
MotorLand Aragon was up next and Mir was immediately back on the podium, taking two third places. With the first he also took the Championship lead and arrived into the Gran Premio de Europa as now the clear favourite for the crown, but there was something missing.
That something was a first MotoGP™ win which, despite getting close, the Majorcan had not yet taken. That changed when the premier class headed out to race in Valencia for the first time in 2020 as Mir put in a sublime charge to the flag; cool, calm and collected to take a valuable 25 points and a MotoGP™ winner’s trophy – putting him 37 points clear heading into the penultimate race weekend of the season.
It was a tough Saturday in the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana as he qualified 12th, but as the lights went out for his first match point, the Majorcan soon got to work to move into the top ten. Next it was the top eight, and he only needed a handful of points as his closest challengers ended up off the podium. Mir kept it pitch perfect to assure himself the crown, taking seventh place and crowning himself the 2020 MotoGP™ World Champion.
MIR in STATS
Joan Mir (right) celebrates with Team Suzuki Ecstar manager Davide Brivio: MotoGP image Mir has stood on the MotoGP™ podium more than any other rider this season (seven times), including a win at the European GP. This is this first time that a Suzuki rider took seven (or more) premier class podiums since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000 (nine).
He’s the first rider to clinch the premier class world title riding a Suzuki since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000 (and the first ever in the MotoGP™ era). This is the seventh title for a Suzuki rider in the premier class.
Mir became the 10th different rider in the history of Grand Prix racing to win a Championship with Suzuki, along with: Kenny Roberts Jr. (500cc: 2000), Kevin Schwantz (500cc: 1993), Franco Uncini (500cc: 1982), Marco Lucchinelli (500cc: 1981), Barry Sheene (500cc: 1976, 1977), Dieter Braun (125cc: 1970), Hans-Georg Anscheidt (50cc: 1966, 1967, 1968), Hugh Anderson (125cc: 1963, 1965; 50cc: 1963, 1964) and Ernst Degner (50cc: 1962).
Mir became the first rider to clinch the premier class world title having previously taken the Moto3™ Championship, and the first former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup rider to win the premier class crown.
He is only the fourth different Spanish rider to take the premier class Championship, along with Alex Criville (1 title), Jorge Lorenzo (3) and Marc Marquez (6). Mir is the seventh-youngest rider to clinch a premier class World Championship, aged 23 years and 75 days old on race day of the Valencia GP, between Valentino Rossi (22 years and 240 days old) and Jorge Lorenzo (23 years and 159 days old). At the French GP, Mir took his third podium in three successive premier class races, becoming the first Suzuki rider to do so since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000 (from Malaysia to Spain).
At the European GP, Joan Mir took his only win of the season so far, becoming the first premier class World Champion with the lowest number of wins during the season. Prior to Mir, the premier class Champions with the smaller number of wins were Leslie Graham (1949), Umberto Masetti (1950, 1952) and Nicky Hayden (2006), all of them with two wins.Joan Mir is the first premier class World Champion without a single pole position during the season since Wayne Rainey back in 1992.
JOAN MIR: “I will probably need a shower to understand the situation! It’s something I’ve been fighting all my life, since I was ten years old I had this dream and I never stopped until I got this title. So what can I say? I can start saying thanks to a lot of people who’ve stayed with me, not only this year but also in the past, to make me who I am and achieve this result. I want to thank first my family, and then Suzuki and the opportunity they gave me in 2018, and now in 2020 two years later I’m the World Champion! I didn’t expect it honestly, I expected it further in the future! But we’ve got the title and now it’s ours, so I’m happy!”
How did he feel before lights out?
“The important thing is that I was looking calm, and looked without pressure, but I wasn’t calm and without pressure I was just super nervous, which is not a bad thing! The truth is that this year was especially difficult because we didn’t just have pressure on track but also at home to not get the virus. It was especially difficult to manage, and thanks to all my crew who managed it in the perfect way.”
When did he start to believe he could win the Championship?
“Styria was the first race where I was really competitive, fighting for the victory. Probably after Misano and Barcelona, then I thought, ‘wait, maybe I’m not only fast in Styria and I’m able to maintain this feeling with the bike!’ For me that was the moment I realised I could do it.”
And how does it feel to become the first Champion for Suzuki in 20 years, joining an incredible history?
“For me, this was the reason to sign with Suzuki. For me, to win a title with any manufacturer is unbelievable and the main target, but I was quite brave in that moment to go with Suzuki because I didn’t expect this potential with the bike in the second year, I expected it further forward. For me to win with Suzuki has something extra, not just this year, but to get a title with Suzuki means something more than normal.”
And what if, in his Moto3™ rookie year, he’d been told he’d be MotoGP™ World Champion just four years later?
“I would have said you were crazy! Race by race, year by year I was getting faster and getting used to the bike quickly and it made my progression so fast, and that was the key to take the MotoGP title in my second year. We probably sacrificed a year in Moto2, I would have liked to spend two years there but that wasn’t ideal so we took the correct decision to come up to MotoGP after my first year in Moto2.”
BIOGRAPHY of MIR
First Grand Prix: Australia 2015, Moto3™
First pole position: Austria 2016, Moto3™
First podium: Austria 2016, Moto3™
First win: Austria 2016, Moto3™
Grands Prix: 85 (30 in MotoGP™)
Wins: 12 (1 in MotoGP™)
Podiums: 27 (7 in MotoGP™)
Pole positions: 2 (0 in MotoGP™)
Fastest laps: 6 (0 in MotoGP™)
World Championships: Moto3™ (2017), MotoGP™ (2020)World Championship career:
2015: Moto3™ – Honda – 1 race – 0 points
2016: Moto3™ – KTM – 18 races, 144 points – 5th
2017: Moto3™ – Honda – 18 races – 341 points – WORLD CHAMPION
2018: Moto2™ – Kalex – 18 races – 155 points – 6th
2019: MotoGP™ – Suzuki – 17 races – 92 points – 12th
2020: MotoGP™ – Suzuki – 13 races – 171 points – WORLD CHAMPION -
Morbidelli fights off Miller for pole, Mir faces first match point from 12th
The Italian balances risk vs reward for a second MotoGP™ pole, with Quartararo 11th, Mir 12th and Rins 14th after a Saturday shake-up
Valencia, 14 Nov 2020: Franco Morbidelli left it late, but the Italian pitched it to perfection to take his second MotoGP™ pole position at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. Friday’s fastest Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was pipped to the post by less than a tenth, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completing the front row once again – both men candidates to become that record-breaking tenth winner of the year and starting from the front. There were some big headlines slightly down the order too as Championship leader Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took 12th, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) 11th and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) only 14th as none the top three in the standings managed to make it onto the first three rows… setting up another rollercoaster Sunday.
It began in a tense Q1 packed full of key players, including the men second and third in the Championship – Quartararo and Rins – as well as Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Big drama hit on the timesheets for Rins as he ended the session fourth and therefore 14th on the grid, and big drama hit on track for Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the Spaniard had a huge highside right in front of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Thankfully the South African took quick evasive action and the number 73 got to his feet, even able to head back out on his second bike.
Binder, at the time, was top of the pile too and no one could overhaul his lap. He moved through along with Quartararo, with Rins left in 14th, Rossi 16th and Dovizioso 17th after a difficult session at the office for a good few famous faces.
After the first runs in Q2, it remained advantage KTM. Binder was on provisional pole and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in second as Mir languished down in tenth, but there was more to come. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) added to the KTM party next as he slotted into second once the final shootout was on, before Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) then suddenly shot straight to the top.
Still, it wasn’t done. Mir had got himself up to seventh but the man on the move was Miller as the Australian slammed in a lap that saw him take over on provisional pole, backing up his Friday speed with another impressive Q2. That was with two minutes to go and it seemed it could be his – but one man wasn’t quite done, and that man was Morbidelli.
The number 21 said Saturday, on an overcast day after some minor rain earlier on, was a balance between risk and reward and the Italian walked the tightrope to perfection. Right at the end of the session, his red sectors kept rolling and he eventually crossed the line to deny Miller by less than a tenth, taking his second MotoGP™ pole position ever and of the year. Nakagami then took his second front row in a week, slotting into third, making a front row with three different manufacturers, and not one of the top three in the title fight in sight…
Fourth went to an impressive Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) as he moved up to take over as the second Ducati in the session, with Pol Espargaro – last week’s polesitter – forced to settle for fifth. Sixth is where Viñales was eventually shuffled down to, but it’s a lot further forward than the Yamaha rider’s pitlane start for exceeding his engine allocation last weekend. What can he do?
Seventh saw Aleix Espargaro put his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini machine in the mix to head up the third row, ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) as the Italian continues to show solid speed at Valencia. Binder completes Row 3, the South African getting shuffled down late on, as did Miguel Oliveira as the Portuguese rider completes the top ten.
So where are the key players in the title fight? Rins’ work was over early as he didn’t make it out of Q1, but it couldn’t have been much better news for the number 42 as the flag flew for Qualifying 2. Mir is only two places ahead of him, in 12th and last in Q2, with Quartararo only managing one better. But then we’ve seen many a Suzuki comeback on Sunday as the Hamamatsu factory slice through the field…
A podium would be enough for Mir to lift the crown. Past that it’s a maths game – and everything will be on the line as the top three blast away from 11th, 12th and 14th. Miller and Nakagami, meanwhile, have the chance to become that tenth winner from the front row – as do Zarco and Pol Espargaro right behind them. What will Sunday bring? Tune in to find out as MotoGP™ chase more history at 14:00 (GMT +1).
MotoGP Top-3:
1 Franco Morbidelli* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – 1:30.191
2 Jack Miller* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.096
3 Takaaki Nakagami* – LCR Honda Idemitsu – Honda – +0.222
*Independent Team riderFranco Morbidelli: “It’s been a great weekend so far, we’ve worked very well, we were able to immediately improve the rhythm compared to last weekend’s race. The qualifying was a bit of strange one because the conditions weren’t so easy and it was important to have a good amount of risk in order to make the laptime. I managed to do it, because I feel great with the bike I managed to risk it. I’m happy, now it’s important to get a good start tomorrow and make a nice race, in whichever position we are, and try to collect some points!”
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All or nothing: the MotoGP Thursday press meet begins a pivotal weekend
The Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana is set in motion as Mir faces down a chance at the crown
Valencia, 12 Nov 2020: There’s a lot on the line in the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, not least the MotoGP World Championship as Joan Mir of Team Suzuki Ecstar arrives with his first shot at the crown, 37 points clear and looking to wrap it up at the venue that just hosted his first premier-class victory. Ahead of track action, he was joined by closest challenger Fabio Quartararo of Petronas Yamaha SRT, third overall Alex Rins of Team Suzuki Ecstar – although he’s equal on points with Quartararo – Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in the pre-event Press Conference to talk about the weekend ahead.
Here are a few key quotes!
JOAN MIR: “I feel great, it’s a special weekend because we have a chance at match point so it means we did a great job during the season, like you said we have a good advantage in points but for sure it’s not done, there’s still a lot of work to do in the second race, for sure a lot of riders will improve performance because it’s the second weekend at the same track so a lot of people will improve. I also hope to improve. I think we have a bit of margin, and well… let’s see.”
And what about Suzuki’s incredible season, with the Triple Crown in sight?
“For sure I didn’t expect it, I think it is not just the work from this year it is work from all the years that we’ve been doing, and the bike is getting better and better, this means that the work from last year and the work in the previous years was super good, it’s this. A competitive MotoGP bike is not made in one year. It’s a lot of effort, work and information and at the end, in my case, I didn’t expect this potential of the bike at the start of the year. I felt great and in the tests in pre-season, I could see the performance, but you know these results are super good and competitive, consistent. We have a great team.”
FABIO QUARTARARO: “It was tough times like you said but I think we need to enjoy it, that’s the most important thing because when you enjoy it everything comes easier. The last few races were more about struggles, so I think it’s important to have a good mindset, think about Sunday and qualifying better, and fight for the victory, if we want to take it to Portimao it’s the only solution.”
What is lacking for Yamaha?
“I think the grip is something important for us and we can see in qualifying when we put in a new tyre everything comes easier. The best example of that is in Aragon where I was struggling all weekend, I put in a new tyre and I found two seconds. It looks like the competitors are much less affected, so the grip is important. The consistency too. When the bike is good, we’re fighting for victories but it’s all or nothing. We need to find something in the middle where we can fight every race, maybe not all the time for the win but for good results. I think consistency and something about finding a good way to be there in every race, something Suzuki has and it’s a key for them to be on top. It’s been a strange year for everybody, but we need to use this year to learn for next year.”
ALEX RINS: “For sure if we want to reduce the advantage to Joan, I think the only thing is to get first position. He has demonstrated he’s very consistent, let’s see. First of all let’s try to improve my setup, we were struggling a bit in the last part of the race. And then let’s try to enjoy it, try to do a great race.”
Rins also talked about the incredible season for Suzuki:
“The work we did in the past, these previous years means a lot now, it looks like we’re taking the fruit from the tree and that’s very nice. To get the triple crown in the standings, for Suzuki for us would be super nice. Let’s try to get it, to work for that, and for sure we are also waiting for the time to go Japan and celebrate with all the team in Suzuki headquarters.”
MAVERICK VIÑALES: “I think that the most positive thing from the race was that I had a clear answer to the guys of where we need to improve, that was the clear thing from the weekend. In the wet you can’t see a lot of things on the bike, so it was very important to concentrate during the race on where we need to improve and riding on my own, I was able to understand everything clearly. We have some direction now.
“For sure, the Championship is now won. Joan only needs a few points and for sure he will do it. Right now, our mindset is on improving for next year, because we can’t continue with these irregularities on the bike. One weekend with grip we win, the next we struggle a lot, so it’s important for us to improve that. We have two races at two different tracks, so I think it’s a good opportunity to make an improvement and with it being race time it’s the best time to improve and test, it’s not like at a test when the grip is high and everything is working well. We always see that when the Yamahas have grip it’s hard to beat us but without grip, we struggle a lot, more than our competitors, so we need to focus this weekend and try to find these improvements. These two races will be without grip for various reasons so it’s crucial for us to stay focused and work hard.”
And what has been the key issue for Yamaha?
“I’ve been facing these adversities for many years. It’s not that we want to change it in just one race, we need to understand things. We still haven’t found the correct point. We need to learn and explore areas and see if we can find it. We won’t find it in one day, we need laps. Unfortunately, we can’t change the engine next year which would help a lot but we can touch in other areas that I think can still make an improvement.”
POL ESPARGARO: “My target is to beat Taka in the Championship, and Honda before I go there! (laughs) But honestly talking, we are really strong in the second race, after Misano we struggled a lot and in the second one we were on the podium. In Aragon we struggled a lot and in the second one we were close to the podium. I don’t know what’s going to happen here, normally in the back-to-back races we struggle and then improve, but this is a different situation. We were good behind the Suzukis, on the limit but good behind them. The situation is much different but we need to improve, the improvement isn’t very big but I don’t feel we have a huge margin, let’s say it like that. we are seventh in the Championship, super close to Taka and I feel Taka is going to be very fast this weekend. Let’s see if we can beat him and keep going up in the Championship which is very good at the end of the year.”
And what about looking for that first win, before saying goodbye to KTM?
“About the victory, I’m not really super nervous to get it. In the Czech Republic before Johann took us out, I was there for the victory. In Styria I was there until the last corner fighting with Jack and in the first Austria race I was running away before the red flag. We had a lot of match points but for one reason or the other, we couldn’t get it. But we could, that’s what I know inside me. For sure I want this victory, 100%, but I have a feeling we haven’t had the easy chance like we did in the Czech Republic, that we had a really clear advantage on the bike – setting, tyres, whatever was working. And also in Austria. Here, last weekend, I was really on the limit behind the Suzukis, and I never had that feeling I could win the race – I always had the feeling they had something else. When they were pushing I was really on the limit to follow them, I had no chance to overtake them. Having said that, I will try. This weekend and next weekend in Portimao, it’s not going to be easy. And from leaving KTM for Honda, that was a choice before the start of the season and I took it, because I knew it was a great opportunity. Most of the guys in the paddock want that opportunity. I saw the opportunity in front of me, I couldn’t say no. I’m really looking forward to finishing this year in the best shape possible, but also to start the next one beside the best rider in the world, riding the best level on for me, the best if not one of the best over the past years. It will be a pleasure for me to see me in the mirror dressed with a Honda jersey, so lets finish this year with good results and lets see how we can face the next one and if we can adapt fast, see the results coming as fast as I want.”
TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI: “Normally this season in back to back races we’re able to improve from the first to the second weekend so the strategy we don’t need to change. Try to start in FP1 with the race bike from last Sunday, as always try to understand the conditions and how I feel on this bike, and then try to, session by session, develop the bike and setup. Last Sunday was not enough dry sessions for everyone, we struggled and I was taking too much care of the tyre life because the last six or seven laps to go I realised I had a lot of grip to close the gap, I was really fast at the end of the race but that’s a key point to bring forward to this weekend.
“For us the first priority is to finish the race and if I have the opportunity to win the race, of course, but if not then the podium. That’s the first priority and the second is in the Championship. If I can beat Pol we are more than happy but first priority for me is if we can win the race.”
And what’s the secret to his impressive step forward this season?
“We had a bad race in Jerez 1 and after the first race, I was thinking this is really bad… I need to change for the second race, and then I thought ok I need to check Marc’s data because Marc’s always able to adapt, I don’t know how but he gets the maximum performance from this bike, and the first time I read it it was difficult to understand how he rides this bike, but I had to change my style and step by step we tried, and even now, we try to always look at his data, I try to compare to his data from last season because we use the same bike so this is the key point, to try to improve myself. Then the first moment I felt it was much better the feeling on the bike and I’m able to bring the performance easier… then after that I thought this is the way to improve the result with this. And as you can see on TV I have great support from HRC and the engineers, and they are also always trying to improve, after the session they’re always by my side with some tips and that’s it. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a podium but definitely we’re improving from last season or even during the season, for the progress I’m quite happy but we’re missing something for a podium. This is racing sometimes, but we never give up, always some bad results or luck, we are always looking to the next one and this is the key.”
That’s a wrap from the Press Conference. Now all that remains in Valencia is to race – with everything on the line. Tune in on Sunday as the MotoGP™ class do battle at 14:00 (GMT +1)!
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Joan Mir makes history to put one hand on the MotoGP crown
Valencia, 8 Nov 2020: Another race, another chapter written into the history books: Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is now a MotoGP™ race winner. The Suzuki rider was pitch-perfect in the Gran Premio de Europa to make his first visit to the top step in the premier class, putting one hand on the crown in the process as he stretches his advantage in the Championship to 37 points. Mir is also the ninth different premier class winner of the year, seeing 2020 equal the record of most winners in a season, and the number 36 sets a new record as the fifth different maiden winner this year. With teammate Alex Rins following him home in second, the day also marked the first Suzuki 1-2 since 1982 and the Hamamatsu factory now leads in the fight for the riders’, constructors’ and teams’ Championships. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) kept Rins honest as the number 44 took third though, back on the podium at the scene of both his and KTM’s first premier class rostrum finish in 2018.
It was close as the premier class riders roared away from the line, with both Rins and Pol Espargaro getting away well from the front row but the KTM ultimately taking the holeshot. Mir got away well from fifth too and was up to P4, just behind Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). But not long after that, eyes would turn to some serious Lap 1 Championship drama.
Heading into Turn 8 at the end of the back straight, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was suddenly down and out of contention, the Frenchman reacting to Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) alongside him as the two both slid into the gravel. No contact was made and pure bad luck reigned, but it was monumental for the Championship. Luckily for Quartararo, he was able to pick the bike up and get running again but El Diablo re-joined behind Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who had started from pitlane due to exceeding his engine allocation. Early doors, it was advantage Mir near the front as some of his key rivals scrabbled to make up lost ground.
Pol Espargaro led the first one and a half laps but it didn’t take long for Rins to pounce at Turn 11, the Suzuki slotting through to take the lead and a couple of laps later, Mir – who had passed Nakagami on the opening lap – copy and pasted his teammate’s move on KTM as the Hamamatsu factory made it formation flying at the front. Oliveira was now also past Nakagami as two KTMs chased the Suzukis before more drama hit further back – once again for Yamaha.
On Lap 5, the returning Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was shown stopped on track at Turn 5, the Doctor’s comeback from Covid-19 sadly over after just a handful of laps. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) then crashed unhurt not long after, bumping Viñales up to 15th and Quartararo on the verge of the points. How much more progress could they make?
Meanwhile, the front group remained in a tense as-you-were. An intriguing game of chess was beginning as Rins led teammate Mir, with Pol Espargaro and Oliveira not far off and Nakagami and Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) still in fairly close pursuit to boot. After a slow start, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was regrouping and chasing Zarco down as well, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) going the opposite way as the Italian was shuffled back.
With 15 to go, there remained nothing to choose between the two Suzukis in the lead. Lap after lap, Rins and Mir were exchanging 1:32.1s. A few laps later, Mir was visibly closer and homing in, but a move wasn’t coming yet as the gameplan seemed to hint towards patience. But that was assuming it would all come down to tactics, and instead, it was about to come down to a small but costly mistake for the man in the lead.
Rins, heading through Turn 11 with 11 to go, was ever-so-slightly wide – and a door ajar will soon become a door opened in MotoGP. Mir needed no second invitation, sweeping through to take over at the front and face down 10 laps with a lot at stake. Next time around, the Mayorcan set the fastest lap. By seven to go, his lead had crept to over half a second.
Two laps later, Mir was over a second clear it that made it clear: a mistake was likely the only thing that was going to stop the Mayorcan finally taking to that top step. Rins was still getting hounded by an impressive Pol Espargaro, and Nakagami was lurking just behind with some great late-race pace as well. Suzuki Team Manager Davide Brivio could barely watch, but it all came down to this: one more lap.
With 1.4 seconds in his pocket, just 4km stood between Mir and a historic maiden MotoGP™ win, as well as a whole load of Championship advantage. And the number 36 held firm, keeping everything calm and collected to the line to finally make it a reality: his first premier class win, taken in some style. Monkey off the back, one hand on crown and debate silenced, all he needs next time out is a podium – regardless of anyone else’s results.
Rins held off Espargaro by six tenths in the end, enough to create that milestone Suzuki 1-2 and moving into third overall – equal on points with Quartararo. Another impressive podium for KTM was also Pol Espargaro’s fourth rostrum of 2020, putting him just nine points down on Dovizioso in the Championship.
Nakagami banished the Aragon demons with a great ride to P4, less than a second away from a first premier class podium and top Independent Team rider to earn a trip to parc ferme. Oliveira slipped back into the grasp of Miller but the Portuguese rider just got the better of the Australian for P5, relegating the Queenslander to sixth.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, took a superb P7 despite a long-lap penalty served for his Aragon mistake, and the South African regains a points advantage in the battle for Rookie of the Year after Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) crashed out. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) lost more ground in the title race after a P8 finish, but the Italian beat fellow Ducati rider Zarco by 0.7 seconds after the Frenchman’s pace dropped off in the latter stages. Ducati Team’s Danilo Petrucci completed the top ten, the Italian gaining an impressive eight places.
Morbidelli’s Sunday was a contrasting one to Teruel. A difficult day and P11 for the Italian sees him drop to 45 points behind Mir in the title race after a tough weekend on the whole for Yamaha. Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) crossed the line 12th after another good ride from the HRC test rider, just ahead of Viñales who, despite his pitlane start, was just over a second behind the German.
Quartararo took the flag in P14, his opening lap crash putting a serious dent in his title chances. He remains second overall, however, and looking to hit back against Rins too. There are still 50 points in play…
Tito Rabat (Esponsorama Racing), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) crashed out, riders ok.
And so the curtains come down for another week, with another chapter safely filed in the annals of history. Valencia will host again as the paddock returns to action next weekend, and everything will now be on the line as the first match point appears on the horizon. Nine winners, five first-timers, and one of them on the roll of his life. Can Mir make it a coronation? With a 37-point safety net, all he needs is a podium.
MotoGP Podium:
1Joan Mir –Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki 41:37.297
2 Alex Rins –Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki +0.651
3 Pol Espargaro –Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM +1.203
Joan Mir: “It’s amazing. I don’t have words to describe the moment, it’s amazing that the victory came at the perfect moment. Obviously I would have liked to win in Austria too but it wasn’t the day. Today was the day! I’m happy but I was already happy before the race because we did a super good weekend. On Friday we worked on the bike, on Saturday I found something good in the rain to have a good qualifying in those conditions. It was pretty good, I made an improvement, and then in Warm Up we worked so well and the pace was not bad! That was the key to the victory today, I had something more than the others and I could show it. I’m also especially happy for the team, Suzuki, first and second is amazing. I have no words.”Joan Mir (left) and
Alex Rins celebrate the Suzuki milestone on Sunday. A MotoGP image -
Riders ready to write more history in Valencia
Valencia, 5 Nov 2020: Here we go! The final triple-header of the season is about to kick off and ahead of track action for the Gran Premio de Europa, it was time to talk shop in the pre-event Press Conference. Championship leader Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) headed the line-up, joined by closest challenger Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), third Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Teruel GP winner and fourth overall Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), as well as Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar).
Here are a few key quotes!
JOAN MIR: “For sure feeling a little bit more pressure because the Championship is getting older, so every one of us feels like this it’s going to finish soon. Just enjoying the moment, we will see what position we will finish on Sunday. I’m confident of doing a good job, giving my 100% and at the end we will see where we are.
“Honestly I didn’t care about the others, I just care about my feeling. That’s something I have enough of, have a great feeling on the bike and give 100% every weekend, and at the end we are in this position, with three races to go it’s not a bad position. It’s important to continue like that. For sure we can see there are a lot of title contenders, more than normal, but it is what it is. I don’t care about the others, I care about getting the feeling.”
FABIO QUARTARARO: “It was tough to reset because when you have two races at the same track, and in the end, in the second race you go backwards and don’t make any improvements and then you see your teammate and he is doing one of the best races of the season. Honestly, it is tough to understand when we were there but I have pressed the reset button and we have arrived at a track that I really like, last year was a super good race for us so yeah, I am fully motivated and I think it is the correct mood to arrive in for the last triple header.
“You know, most of the season I’ve been in front of the Championship and I was feeling no pressure but now that I am second I feel that I had a little bit of pressure. Right now I feel much better, the confidence is here and of course we have a lot of contenders and in the end we saw this year with the amount of races we haven’t got as many points as previous years, so anything can happen, 75 points in the game. I think all of the riders that are here can win the Championship easily, we have to stay focused and don’t lose it and take it race by race is the only way to think about fighting for the Championship.”
MAVERICK VIÑALES: “For me and for us the last two races haven’t been bad honestly. We take some points on the Championship which is good. We also made a lot of mistakes, so we understand many things during the last three races. Now we have three races where we can enjoy a lot, it’s a track I love and also Portimao is a track I like. We have three weekends where we can do really good. The potential in the bike is there, Franco did a great job in Alcañiz, so this gives us a lot of energy and positivity to come here to Valencia and put on a good performance. We’ve won this year, we know how to do it, so we need to put everything in a row and hit a good lap time. It’s important for us to hit some consistency, the first four laps in Aragon were really good but after that it was a nightmare. I couldn’t push on the bike and it was very difficult. So we need to understand that and we need to work. I hope the team has something to work on and to give us an extra feeling to be competitive here in Valencia.
“I think our strategy is very clear: finish ahead of those two guys. That will be the main strategy to close the gap in the Championship. For sure it will not be easy but we want to put in the maximum level to finish in front of them.”
FRANCO MORBIDELLI: “I feel great, I have a great feeling with the bike especially in the last race, I enjoyed riding it a lot and I felt great. Maybe Alex and I joined the party a little late, but we are trying to catch up anyways. I will speak for me, but I will give my everything in these last three races in order to get the Championship because we are here now fighting for that, and we need to aim for that and to have no regrets at the end of the year. Whichever way it will go, it will be a positive Championship for me and a nice Championship anyway, but at this point, three races from the end and 25 points behind and having the momentum we have, we have to aim for something big.
“I think that being in a fight for a Championship is a particular feeling, it is a strange feeling and a strong one. It is a feeling that I had in 2017 and that most of these riders had in the past. Having that feeling again is for sure nice, but bad at the same time, but I am sure I am one of the guys that is feeling that ‘bad feeling’ less, because I am behind, I am 25 points behind and I need to catch up, I need to do everything perfectly to get that (the lead), so basically I have nothing to lose. I am a little bit, and I think the guys that are behind, are in an advantageous position this way but a disadvantageous position from the point of the view of the points. We are behind so we need to do everything perfectly but maybe we have less pressure so we can force a little bit more compared to the front guys.”
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: “If it were wet we would have to use that chance in an intelligent way, but like you say we have to be faster on the dry to think about and fight with them. It looks like they are in a really good situation and with good confidence at the moment, something we don’t have and it is difficult. But you know every race is a different story and this is a different track so we will see, we will try our maximum in the remaining three races, we will do everything. It will be tough, but we will try.
“In the end it is the way I ride, it really doesn’t work with this tyre. We couldn’t find anything really good because if you see the season of the Ducati riders, more happened for the competitors and this created a really difficult situation. It was very difficult during the season to work and improve because it was every race was up and down and more down than up, so this is the reality. But this is a different track. We will start on the wet tomorrow for sure so the weekend will be different than the previous races so we will see. We will have to stay calm and try to find something.”
ALEX RINS: “For sure I’m happy to have the chance to still fight for the Championship in the last three races. This season I was very irregular in the final position in the races, with the shoulder injury and small mistakes in the races. I’m happy I still have the chance to fight for the Championship. Our target needs to be fighting for the podium like we did in Aragon. I’m 32 points behind so we don’t have the pressure, so we will try to ride free.
“We will never know. If I didn’t have that unlucky crash in the qualifying, we won’t know. I’m quite happy to be here fighting for the top positions. And I’m happy to see the Suzuki on top because it means that we’ve done a good job in the past, it’s perfect – we are top of the teams Championship and Suzuki are happy for this. It means we are doing a good job!”
That’s it from Thursday’s Press Conference! Gear up for the triple-header and tune in for the Gran Premio de Europa MotoGP™ race at 14:00 (GMT +1) on Sunday.
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Can MotoGP reach cloud nine at MotorLand?
Teruel, 21 October 2020: Eight winners in eight races, and eight so far, is quite a stat. So as the paddock returns to MotorLand Aragon for the Gran Premio Liqui Moly de Teruel, there’s one obvious question: can 2020 equal the record of nine? Set in 2016, it’s the most premier class winners we’ve ever had… and now we’re one away, with a few candidates still waiting in the wings to take to the top step.
The first must be Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The number 36 is now the Championship leader despite not yet winning, having shown incredible consistency to take podium after podium. He wasn’t quite able to replicate the late pace of teammate Alex Rins in the Aragon GP – with Rins becoming the eighth different winner after a stunner on Sunday from tenth on the grid – but it would be hard to bet against the Mayorcan moving forward second time around at MotorLand. That would bring him even closer to the top step. It would be easy to say he’ll balance risk vs reward too, but he’s said for some time the target is to win a race before it’s to focus on the title. Rins will likely be hard to beat once again, though, so could the Teruel GP come down to a Suzuki duel? And can Mir come out on top this time around?
The man who came closest to denying the number 42 last time out was Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), however. The rookie is on an absolute roll taking two second places in a row, and he cut his gap from the winner from just over a second in the wet at Le Mans to just 0.263 at Aragon – in the dry. In a Jaws music-accompanied bit of news for his rivals too, Alex Marquez has been a key improver from one race weekend at the same track to the second. With the deficit he had on Sunday sitting at less than three tenths… can Marquez bring Honda’s winless streak to an end and take his first premier class victory?
Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) is another man who’s come close to winning in 2020 but hasn’t done it yet, but MotorLand has been a tougher venue for Ducati so far this season. Austrian GP winner Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was the top Borgo Panigale factory rider on race day last time out and edged out Miller and another man who has known the top step but not in 2020 yet – Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) – but plenty has turned on a dime this season. And what about Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu)? The Japanese rider is fifth overall, only 29 points off Mir, and is the only rider to score in every race. He’s also been in the top ten in every race, but has knocked on the door to the podium a few times.
A new winner isn’t guaranteed though. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) only just missed out on pole and was incredibly close to beating Mir to the podium in the Aragon GP, and he can’t be counted out. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) had some solid pace but will want to move forward… and then there’s his teammate, Fabio Quartararo…
Despite a crash in FP3 at the Aragon GP that left him a little bruised, Quartararo snatched pole from Viñales on Saturday and, initially, was up there in the fight. But a tyre pressure problem is what the Frenchman cited as the reason he then went back through the order down to P18 – his worst result yet and outside the points. That gave his three key contenders an open goal and Mir’s podium saw him take the lead, Viñales’ fourth saw him gain and Dovizioso once again stole back some of the ground he’d lost with his early crash in Barcelona. What can Quartararo do back at full power in the Teruel GP? He’s the true unknown quantity on the grid, but we’re about to find out.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will also want to move forward into that top ten battle and beyond, with the Austrian factory having a tougher time of it in the Aragon GP to take P11 with rookie Brad Binder as their top finish. His teammate, Pol Espargaro, was right behind him too. The number 44 will want to get back ahead, and Binder will want a lot more points this time around – he’s now tied on 67 with Alex Marquez in the fight for Rookie of the Year. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro was close behind the two top KTMs too – and he’ll want to try and flip that in Teruel as it’s a venue he’s had some good form at.
Another week, another MotoGP™ race… and we already know it’ll be another stunner. Will we get that record-equalling winner number nine? Or can the likes of Quartararo, Viñales and Rins reign again? Find out on Sunday at the earlier time of 13:00 (GMT +1). The MotoGP race on Sunday in India will be at 4.30pm live on EuroSport channel. And the MotoGP qualifying session 1 will be at 6.20 IST on Saturday telecast live by the same channel in India.
MotoGP top standings:
Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 121
2 Fabio Quartararo* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – 115
3 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 109
4 Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati – 106
5 Takaaki Nakagami* – LCR Honda Idemitsu – Honda – 92
*Independent Team riders -
MotoGP pre-race Press Conference: Riders talk of Barcelona and beyond
Riders pose before the pre-race Press Conference in Barcelona. Photo: MotoGP Barcelona, 14 June 2018: Selected quotes from riders who attended the Press Conference ahead of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya:
Marc Marquez. Photo: MotoGP Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team): “Mugello was a difficult weekend for us, but it normally is a bit. We were struggling a lot with the front tyre there, and I wasn’t able to manage it well or in the right way in the race. Here in the test, I felt good and confident. I know it’s not one of the best tracks for me, but still I’ve finished on the podium a few times from 125 to MotoGP.
It will be a big change inside Honda (when Lorenzo moves to Repsol Honda from Ducati next season), a new team-mate and new riding style. I’ve learned a lot from Dani (Pedrosa) when I arrived, he was riding the Honda so well. But Jorge is a strong team-mate and we’ll try to learn from him because he’s a completely different riding style. But I’m happy I’m INSIDE the team, although he’ll be tough to beat!
Valentino Rossi. Photo: MotoGP Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP): This is a track that I love, but in the last years I’ve had very different results. 2016 it was a victory and then last year it was one of the most difficult races of the season and I struggled a lot, and we didn’t expect it after the year before.
After Assen as well we started to have a lot of problem in the second half of the year. But it’s important, and the track has changed a lot with the new layout and new track surface without the bumps, and that could help us and our performance,. It will be important to understand our level.
Jorge Lorenzo. Photo: MotoGP Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team): My goal and my first priority was to stay at Ducati, until Le Mans, where I realised that maybe they wanted to swap me…then we started to plan another future. Until then, I wanted to win with Ducati. Races, the Championship if possible. Now, everybody is looking at me…I entered the Championship when I was 16, I know how fast I can be on different bikes. I won with Derbi, I rode for Honda, Aprilia, Yamaha…Ducati. I work a lot of hours, millions of hours and I have this capacity. I know what I want to do with the bike and for sure it will be a challenge, but that’s the future. I am a person of the now and I still have a lot to do with Ducati. Like I did with Yamaha – until the last race I tried to win and do the best for the team.
We are in a sweet moment with Ducati, it’s a good package and we try and improve it every month. It’s good for all riders, on our side we got some pieces that helped me keep a constant pace and we arrive at a good track after a good test a month ago here.
Andrea Dovizioso. Photo: MotoGP Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team): For sure this is one of the best tracks in our Championship. It’s nice to ride the bike here and we won last year, but this year is a different story with new asphalt and less bumps. I think we have to work very well during the weekend to understand the tyres – a bit more because of the new asphalt. I expect a lot of fast riders with different bikes but I’m confident, in the last two races I’ve fought for the podium and the victory but every weekend it’s a different story so we have to keep calm and work in the right way like we have been doing. I’m happy, because I have a good relationship with Danilo and he knows a lot about our bike. That’s positive because we can work together to try and improve the bike. There are some big changes next year and I think that’s good for our Championship.
Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing): Mugello was a very difficult race. After Le Mans, where I was on the podium, and at Mugello, last year I was on the podium, so everyone expected it…we worked very hard, in qualifying made a small mistake but then in the race my start was good but then I had contact with Marc, went wide and tried to recover, but my rear tyre was tired with four or five laps to go. I pushed at my best and my target was to save the tyre but I was back in ninth…anyway, I did my best and I was happy about that. But for sure I dreamt of an all Ducati podium until five laps to go! I have no regrets and now we’re focused on this race.
Cal Crutchlow. Photo: MotoGP Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol): Mugello wasn’t too bad. I aimed for the podium at the start of the weekend and I didn’t get it but we have to be happy because it was a very difficult race and tough to manage. We tested there and felt fantastic but in the race weekend it seemed more difficult for us. It was tough in the battle at the time and I couldn’t pass because I didn’t want to risk not finishing. I settled for getting some good points. But Mugello was a step in the right direction for here.
Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Moto2™ rookie and reigning Moto3™ World Champion who will move to MotoGP™ next season with Team Suzuki Ecstar: I’m really happy to join MotoGP next year. It’s like a dream for me. If you said to me three years ago that I would be racing in MotoGP next year I would have said you were crazy! But I’m really happy about the progress so far, we’re growing quickly and I just hope to keep going on this line and I hope to improve more in Moto2. That’s my priority, and then in MotoGP to keep learning. Now we’re scoring points and podiums, but we need the victory. But we’re working well!
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Leopard Racing’s Joan Mir is the 2017 Moto3 World Champion; wins Phillip Island Grand Prix
Joan Mir wins the Moto3 World Championship with two rounds to spare at Phillip Island on Sunday. A MotoGP photo After an incredible year, the Majorcan takes the crown at Phillip Island
Leopard Racing’s Joan Mir is the 2017 Moto3™ World Champion, taking the crown at Phillip Island after a stunning year that his seen him take nine wins so far. Mir, from Majorca, began in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and was runner up in 2014 behind Jorge Martin, before moving up to the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ Junior World Championship for 2015.
Fourth in the standings that season as he competed with the Leopard Racing junior programme, Mir was on the podium in each of the races he finished with the exception of being crashed out in Valencia – ending the year only 36 points off Nicolo Bulega’s title-winning tally.
At the same time, the Leopard Racing team called Mir up for duty in the World Championship as an injury replacement for Hiroki Ono in Australia. Qualifying in fifteenth and then fighting for sixth in close company with teammate Danny Kent – who would go on to take the crown – the Majorcan crashed out but had already made an impression.
Mir then readied himself to line up full time for the first time in 2016. Hitting the ground running, the Spaniard’s first win was a stunning performance from pole in Austria – an impressive feat followed by two further podiums in Misano and Valencia. Mir was fifth overall, and took the title of Rookie of the Year.
At the beginning of 2017, the Majorcan’s Leopard Racing team switched from KTM to Honda machinery, and Mir took the victory in the season opener in Qatar and the second race of the season in Argentina. Texas was his worst result in the first half of the year when he came eighth, but Mir bounced back on home turf at Jerez to take third, only a tenth off the win – and was quickly back on the top step at Le Mans.
He won again at the Catalan GP before stringing together wins at Sachsenring, Brno and Austria. Silverstone was a more difficult race and he lost some ground to key rival Aron Canet, before a calm ride in the rain to second at Misano. Aragon saw him back on top, setting him up perfectly with his first chance at the title at Motegi. In torrential conditions, the tale took a twist as key rival Romano Fenati took the win – and Mir didn’t score, coming home in P17. But at Phillip Island it was a different story, as the Majorcan took his ninth win of the year and his tenth overall to equal Fenati on all-time wins – and take the 2017 crown in style.
BiographyDate of birth: 1st September 1997
Place of birth: Palma de Majorca, Spain
First GP: Phillip Island 2015, Moto3™
First pole position: Red Bull Ring 2016, Moto3™
First podium: Red Bull Ring 2016, Moto3™
First victory: Red Bull Ring 2016, Moto3™
Starts: 35
Victories: 10
Podiums: 14
Pole positions : 1
Fastest laps: 5
Titles: Moto3™ (2017)World Championship career2015: FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ Junior World Championship — KTM, 4th
2015: Moto3™ World Championship — Honda, 1 race
2016: Moto3™ World Championship — KTM, 5th, 18 starts, 144 points
2017: Moto3™ World Championship — World Champion — Honda, 16 starts, 296 points.SOME FACTS ABOUT JOAN MIRJoan Mir has won nine races so far this season, becoming the first to do so since the introduction of the Moto3™ class back in 2012 and the first in the lightweight category since Marc Márquez in 2010.
Mir has won ten Moto3™ races in his career so far, equaling Romano Fenati at the top of the table of most wins in the class.
Mir took the lead of the Championship when he won the first race of the year at Losail and has remained at the head of the standings throughout the rest of the season.
Mir belongs to the list of nine riders who have led more than 100 laps since the introduction of the Moto3™ class in 2012.
Mir clinched the title without a pole position. This is the fourth time it has happened in the lightweight category after Emilio Alzamora (1999), Loris Capirossi (1990) and Ángel Nieto (1984) – since 1974 when full pole positions were recorded.
This is the third successive year that a rider who comes from the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup has won the world title, after Danny Kent (2015) and Brad Binder (2016).
Mir is the second Moto3™ rider, after Alex Márquez (2014), to have clinched the title after his rookie year.
ends/MotoGP press release
