INDIA in F1

Tag: Jorge Martin

  • Bagnaia holds off Binder as high drama hits Sprint race

    Bagnaia holds off Binder as high drama hits Sprint race

    Spielberg, 19 August 2023: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) converted pole position into Tissot Sprint victory number four of 2023 as the Italian fended off an early Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) challenge at the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) picked up P3 but the Spaniard was heavily involved in the drama that unfolded right from the get-go, as well as another dose later in the Sprint.

    Key contenders crash at Turn 1
    Bagnaia got away well from pole well with Binder – as always – launching like a rocket ship from the outside of the front row as well. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) got a sluggish start from P2, however, and dropped like a stone as Turn 1 played host to high drama.

    Martin was on the inside line, with contact made with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), which then started a domino effect. Viñales was involved as he was sandwiched between Quartararo and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), and the latter went down along with Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team). Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was also caught up in the incident. Martin was later given a Long Lap penalty for Sunday’s race after being found to have been riding irresponsibly. Hear all their perspectives in the video below.

    Bagnaia untouchable on Saturday
    Back at the front, Bagnaia led from Binder. By the start of Lap 5 the duo were over a second up the road from Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), with Martin running in P5. On Lap 6, Miller went from P3 to P5 as Marini and Martin pounced though, and more drama involving Martin then unravelled – this time at Turn 2A. Martin was up the inside of Marini but contact was made as the duo tipped it into the apex, with the latter crashing out unhurt.

    Meanwhile, Bagnaia’s lead was up to a second over Binder, who in turn had three seconds in hand to Martin. With six laps left, Pecco was 1.3s ahead of the leading KTM, and the gap kept on climbing. Binder was a safe second, the #33 was 2.7s up the road from Martin, and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was a lonely P4 as we got confirmation that no further action would be taken regarding the Martin-Marini clash.

    Bagnaia made no mistake to bring his Ducati home for Austrian GP Tissot Sprint victory to extend his title lead, with Binder claiming P2 in KTM’s backyard. Martin took the bronze medal from P12 on the grid. A spirited – albeit slightly controversial – comeback ride. Alex Marquez held on to fourth, with Miller taking P5.

    With a host of other expected frontrunners further down the order facing a fight back after that huge Turn 1 shuffle, there was plenty going on there, including a charge from GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3’s Pol Espargaro. He took an impressive P6, highly commendable as the Spaniard competes in just his second Tissot Sprint of the season.

    Aleix Espargaro finished P7, 0.144s further back, and had some serious pressure from teammate Viñales. The number 12 produced a great fight back to take P8 and nearly, nearly pounce on the final lap. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) held off Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) for the final Saturday afternoon point.

    Meanwhile, Quartararo had some extra drama after the Turn 1 incident too. He clashed with Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing), and was given a Long Lap to serve in the Sprint, which he did.

    As the dust settles, it truly was drama aplenty in the Austrian GP Tissot Sprint. Now, the big points are on offer on Sunday, with plenty looking to fight back. Tune into the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 local time (GMT+2)!

  • “It looks easy on the outside. It’s not!”: Thursday talking points

    “It looks easy on the outside. It’s not!”: Thursday talking points

    Hear from Bagnaia, Martin, Binder, Aleix, Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez

    Spielberg, 17 August 2023: The MotoGP bandwagon is headed across to the spectacular Red Bull Ring for the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, to be held on Sunday.

    The first Press Conference on Thursday comprised Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), before the second saw Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) joined by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Here are some key quotes…

    FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: “I’m happy to be here it’s always a great circuit for us. Last year we were competitive, we were struggling a little bit during the weekend but then on the Sunday we felt better. So let’s see, this year it won’t be easy because we know the step that KTM have done in terms of braking and acceleration and Aprilia this year are the ones that have improved in most. In the last races, they’ve been on the podium and then they won the last one, so there are many riders that could be competitive for this race. Also the other seven Ducatis, so let’s see.”

    Do you expect to fight for the win here?
    “Yeah, we know perfectly well the potential that our bike has in braking and acceleration and on the straight. It’s always important to take as many points as you can in circumstances that are great for you. I think that we can have an advantage at this track this year. The gap is maybe less than other years, but I feel that if we start well and we start the race weekend well we can improve the situation and have a good potential to fight for the win. For sure it will be important to take them the maximum amount of points to finish the weekend.”

    JORGE MARTIN: “For sure it’s one of the best race tracks for me and normally I’m quite competitive. We never know but for sure I will be fighting for top spots. It’ll be an interesting weekend, trying to get back to the podium positions because the last two weekends for me were, I feel like Saturdays were complicated, so I hope we improve Saturdays to be more ready on Sunday.”

    Jorge Martin photo from MotoGP media release

    What is it about the Red Bull Ring that plays to your strengths?
    “Stop and go corners are really good to me but also the third sector I’m quite competitive. It just feels like everything comes easier here. Last year I was struggling with the bike but I could fight with Jack for the podium position even if my race was difficult so I feel like this weekend will be a bit better.”

    Big weekend needed?
    “It’s not just one weekend but it’s a lot of weekends for the rest of the season. There’s still a long way to go, I feel competitive. There’s not been a track where I’ve been slow, this is important, and hopefully I can keep this consistency for the season and hopefully here I can fight for the victory.

    What’s your favourite battle here?
    “Yeah mine was 2021 also because I remember going into the final corner… I thought everyone had stopped and I thought I was still second. Then I saw my pit board and I was 11th going onto the last lap, then I finished on the podium. The last lap was like playing bowling!”

    Do you feel more pressure here?
    BRAD BINDER: “Well, I mean, I think it’s the closest thing I’m going to have for a home Grand Prix for a while. For me it’s important always to have a strong weekend at home, so obviously with this weekend being a home GP for Red Bull and KTM of course, it’s an amazing feeling to win here. I’ve done it in GP once and in Moto2 before and yeah, I really enjoyed it and there’s no better place to get the result right. So yeah, I’m going into the weekend with a lot of confidence. I feel like my bike’s been working exceptionally well lately, my team has done an incredible job, and yeah, I’m ready to give it a send and see how this weekend pans out.”

    Could this be your weekend to get the Sunday win?
    “Yeah, it’s about time I get another one right. It’s been cool to win two Sprints, but yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve won on the Sunday. I feel like many times this year we’ve been fighting for the podium, even if I’ve made small mistakes, made a lot of them, and thrown away a few. I think we just need to put some small things together. We’re not far, but yeah, with those small tweaks, I think on the right day we can definitely be in for a shot at giving it a good go.”

    On KTM’s evolution:
    “Yeah, I’m extremely proud to have raced for almost 10 years now for such an incredible manufacturer. To see the effort that they’ve put into this MotoGP project and the changes that they are making, and how big the whole thing has become over the years is incredible. To be a part of this whole story has been amazing. It’s awesome to see, it gives me a lot of extra motivation to try and get the job right. I think with all the massive effort that they’ve put in, they really deserve good results. We’re short of a win, so we better get it right sooner rather than later.”

    ALEIX ESPARGARO: “We know we have an important challenge ahead of us this weekend because this track is quite difficult, not just for Aprilia but for my riding style. I will try my best to try and keep the momentum, as you mentioned not just for the victory at Silverstone but for the podium and the consistency in the last rounds. Important to see how we’ve improved from last season at a difficult track.”

    Why have you found it difficult here?
    “The Aprilia and my riding style, I pretty much created this bike. What Aprilia want is to ride on the apex, to be fast mid-corner and fast in long corners, tracks like Qatar, Argentina and Silverstone, but the stop-and-go is difficult for us. We’re struggling a little bit to stop the bike and also we are looking for better traction and more torque. It’s a good place to see how much we’ve improved the 2023 bike. As we saw in America we were a lot more competitive than in the past so I’m really positive sincerely.”

    New parts?
    “Yeah at Silverstone they brought me some new parts in terms of aero and cooling system in the fairing and it was quite good actually, the bike turned a bit better and it was more agile, we have some new updates as well here so hopefully we can test it tomorrow morning.”

    MARCO BEZZECCHI: “In Silverstone as you said on Sunday I unfortunately made a mistake which made me crash. It was a shame, but the speed was there and my confidence on the bike was good. So overall I cannot say that was not a positive weekend, so I can’t wait to jump on the bike again. This is a track that I really like and I hope the weather will be good. I just can’t wait.”

    Marco Bezzecchi at the Press Conference on Thursday in Spielberg. MotoGP image

    What do you like about the track?
    “Well, it’s a particular track. It looks easy from the outside but is not because of the different banking on the track and the very hard braking. I like hard braking with the MotoGP bike and also for our bike, it’s a strong strong point where the Ducati can work very well, so overall because of this I like this track.”

    Future discussions…
    “Well, as you already know my my plan A would be to stay in the Mooney VR46 team. The Academy and my management is trying to work to find the best solution for me. I think in Barcelona I can give you a precise answer on the decision that I will take.”

    How good is it to already have the contract signed?
    ALEX MARQUEZ: “Very happy to announce officially the announcement, super happy to continue in the Gresini family next season. I felt at home from the first day in Valencia and the relationship with the team is fantastic, so it was my objective. Always the first year with a new team and bike I struggle a bit more but with this bike and this team I felt at home. So what’s better than to continue together and be more competitive in 2024, make better results and be more consistent!”

    How much you looking forward to the Red Bull Ring?
    “When you arrive in Austria you see the straights short… but when you arrive with another bike you see long ones. Last year I was happy with the chicane, but this year I’d prefer to go straight. Apart from jokes I’m looking forward to being competitive, I have a bad feeling inside from Silverstone’s technical problem, I think it was a great opportunity to have another great result. But it’s like this, this is racing, and we need to look forward and try to make a good result here in Austria.”

    Targets to find more consistency?
    “Yeah if we speak about my mistakes, I did just two: Jerez Sprint and also in the race at Mugello. The others were just racing and racing incidents, so yeah for sure I want to be more consistent in the top five, try to be from this point more in the top five with good speed, learn from the top guys in Ducati and next year make another step. This is the objective for this season, for sure if we have the opportunity to be on the podium or fight for a win again we will try, but we need to have in our head to be more consistent in the top five.”

    MARC MARQUEZ: “Austria is one of the circuits where I’ve never won in the past. I don’t think this will be the year to win at this circuit. But yeah, we’ll try to approach it with a low profile. We’ll just try to understand our level on Friday and from that point understand if we can improve during the weekend.”

    You’re testing almost as much as racing…
    “Of course it’s a difficult approach, but it’s easy to understand.  When I try to analyse the first half of the season, I broke three bones and I tore a ligament. So it’s easy to understand that you must to change your approach on the races. The only change we made at Silverstone was to try was trying to forget about the result and just focus on finding the limits of our package and that’s what I did. Of course, at some points in the weekend, like in the FP2, Qualiyfing and the races you are taking risks. My target is Silverstone was to finish the weekend without any crashes and I was able to do it. Unfortunately, in a race incident, I crashed on Sunday but the most important thing is that I revealed the confidence at the Silverstone Grand Prix. And yeah we will see, of course we’re working. I’m working on myself. Honda is working, as you’ll see tomorrow we will be trying a new aero package. So yeah, let’s see if step by step we can improve tenth by tenth.”

  • To the WIRE! Just 0.064s decides Martin vs Bagnaia at the Sachsenring

    To the WIRE! Just 0.064s decides Martin vs Bagnaia at the Sachsenring

    Sachsenring (Germany), 18 June 2023: One of the closest ever German GP finishes sees the number 89 take his first GP win since 2021, with Pecco just inches behind and Zarco completing the podium as Binder crashes out in the seventh round of the World Motorcycle Racing Championship here on Sunday.

    What do you get when you add the two riders at the top of the standings to a record crowd at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland? One hell of a show! In one of the closest ever finishes at the Sachsenring, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) came out on top against reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in a duel that went right to the wire, ultimately decided by just 0.064 seconds as the two crossed the line almost in tandem. It’s Martin’s first win since Styria 2021 and consolidates his second place in the standings, now just 16 behind Bagnaia, and it’s the first time the number 89 has done the double – Tissot Sprint and GP win – and taken three GP podiums in a row.

    Taking three Grand Prix rostrums in a row for the first time is now also true for Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) as the Frenchman completed the podium following a crash for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and that shuffles the standings yet further. So where do we start…

    The first place to start is Warm Up, as eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) suffered another big crash and, although declared fit, decided to sit out the Grand Prix race after a difficult weekend. That left Bagnaia heading a grid that didn’t contain the 11-time winner… but there was one thing, at least, that remained increasingly predictable: Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took the holeshot.

    Behind the Australian, Bagnaia and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) slotted into P2 and P3, at least until Turn 11 the Australian had a huge moment on the rear as they flicked it onto the cold side of the tyre. That allowed Bagnaia, Martin AND Marini to carve past.

    Lap 3, Turn 12 – a change of the lead. Martin pounced on Pecco and with it, the Sprint victor set the fastest lap of the race. Just behind, Miller was holding teammate Binder at bay, with the latter enjoying a mini battle with the fast-starting, soft rear tyre-running Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). But Binder grabbed P4 off Miller at the end of Lap 4 and set his sights on the top three, with Martin quickly building a 0.7s lead at the front.

    Zarco was soon past Miller too – the same place he dispatched Binder at in the Sprint, Turn 11, this time with a little more space – and on Lap 7 the Frenchman set the fastest lap of the race too. Soon, Martin’s gap was down to 0.5s with the top five just two seconds apart. Lap 10 saw Binder pounce past Marini for P3 too, and soon Zarco was also past the Italian. By then, the gap between Binder and Bagnaia was up to 1.7s as the top five began to spread out.. and the top two to get closer together. 

    Martin and Bagnaia looked like they were out of reach for the chasing pack. Binder was 2.9s adrift with 17 laps to go, and Bagnaia starting to put pressure on the shoulders of Martin. With 12 to go, it looked like Martin was starting to respond though. Bagnaia had been right on Martin’s coattails but the gap edged back to half a second.

    In the podium battle, drama then unfolded. Binder lost the rear heading into Turn 8 and that forced him to run wide and into the gravel, and the South African crashed out of third. That promoted Zarco to P3, and the Frenchman had some breathing space as Marini had teammate Marco Bezzecchi to contend with in a VR46-friendly fire duel.

    Did the decisive moment of the Grand Prix come with 10 laps to go? Bagnaia decided it was time to take the lead at Turn 12, and did so, but how would Martin respond? If Bagnaia had been planning to put the hammer down and thought he could escape, after two laps that plan was gone as the #1 couldn’t shake off the #89. Then, at the same corner with six to go, Martin returned the favour. The top two in the title chase were embroiled in a fascinating fight in the Ring, now it was Bagnaia’s turn to show what punches he had left.

    Two more tense laps later and it remained as you were, but close as ever with Martin leading Bagnaia by 0.2s. On Lap 27 of 30, it literally couldn’t get any closer between the pair at points on the track. Martin defended well down the hill to not allow Bagnaia through into Turn 12, and as they entered Lap 28 they were absolutely locked together.

    Penultimate lap time. Martin vs Bagnaia. A King of the Ring crown up for grabs. Martin went defensive into Turn 1 as Bagnaia nearly ran into the back of Martin at Turn 3, with millimetres in it. And round the final corner for the penultimate time, those millimetres evaporated. Contact! Bagnaia tagged the back of the Pramac ahead, with no harm done but some metres lost for the reigning Champion. The race was really, really on now.

    By halfway around the lap, the impossible looked plausible once more as Bagnaia got within 0.3. The climb up the hill was crucial but the #1 wasn’t close enough into Turn 12. And so, just 80 seconds after the contact last time around, it was down to Turn 13. Martin went defensive. Bagnaia opted for a wider, sweeping line up the hill. For the final time, it was Martin vs Bagnaia on the run to the line.

    Martin edged it by a slender 0.064s as a wonderful battle lit up the Sachsenring, with the Spaniard cutting Bagnaia’s title advantage to 16 points. It’s the closest finish at the track since the 0.060 margin in 2003.

    6.9s away from the victory scrap, Zarco claimed P3 for the third race in succession, and the #5 nearly crashed at Turn 1 on the final lap, too, pushing for his best run of rostrums.

    The battles through the pack
    Bezzecchi picked his way through the pack to a solid P4 after a tricky weekend, the Italian finishing 3.4s ahead of teammate Marini after the two went head-to-head earlier in the race. Miller was 0.2s him to finish P6, as Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) rounded out the top 10, the ortuguese 

    P11 went the way of Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) who finished ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo, all three of whom remain the only three riders to score in every GP race so far this season. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) picked up the final points in P14 and P15.

    Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was forced to retire after his RS-GP encountered an issue in the early stages of the Grand Prix, and teammate Aleix Espargaro faded to 17 after struggling for grip late on.

    So that’s that. An instant classic and a maximum of 37 points means it’s a perfect weekend for Martin in Germany, and it also means the title picture changes ahead of a trip to The Cathedral of Speed: Assen. 16 points split leader Pecco to Martin as we head to the always-fantastic Dutch TT. Buckle up!

  • Quartararo, Bagnaia quotes before title-decider: MotoGP

    Quartararo, Bagnaia quotes before title-decider: MotoGP

    Martin takes pole ahead of Marquez, with Miller third and Quartararo just 0.066 off the front row as Bagnaia faces down a date with destiny from eighth

    Valencia, 5 November 2022: This is it. The stage is set for the #TheDecider. On pole it’s Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) followed by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) to make some interesting front row dynamics, while Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) pushed as hard has he could – and then some – to earn P4 on the grid at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

    JORGE MARTIN

    “It was a difficult day, I felt good in terms of pace but for a time attack I didn’t have that extra this morning but this afternoon I found something and with the hard front I feel much better in braking. The first stint was great which I didn’t expect because normally you need 2 or 3 laps on the right side, on the second stint I thought I could improve but I had some moments on the rear, but finally pole position, third in a row and fifth of the season. I’m happy but the important thing is tomorrow and I’ll give it everything!”

    FABIO QUARTARARO

    Can you win from P4?
    “Yes, I think we have the possibility. Our pace looks much better than the position we start on the race and yeah, looking forward to starting tomorrow.”

    How much did you have to push?
    “Yeah over the limit, but you know it’s a race where I need to be at my maximum to try to be on top and to have the possibility to fight for the victory tomorrow was super important to be on the second row.”

    Are the first 2/3 laps going to be crucial?
    “Yeah it’s going to be crucial and it’s also going to be super important to not make any stupid mistakes, but I’m feeling ready and I feel like we are doing a pretty good job.”

    FRANCESCO BAGNAIA

    Did today go to plan?
    “No absolutely not. Starting from yesterday we are struggling a bit with new tyres and also for the time attack, me and other two or three riders with the Ducati are having the same issue. We have to consider the positives and I think our pace with used tyres is quite good, with new tyres we’re struggling a bit more compared to other riders but I think from 8-10 laps we can be competitive and start to be at the front.”

    How nervous are you for the first few laps?
    “On this moment I’m just thinking of what to do to improve my bike with my team, I think the ideas we have are good. I’m just thinking on that, I know if I start thinking ‘ah I’m starting eighth, I have to do this, this and this,’ it’s the worst. So I will try to start well for sure but in this moment I just want to focus on my bike.”

    Qualies

    Importantly for Yamaha’s title contender, he will start a full row ahead of World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who qualified eighth – with everything still very much possible in this title fight…

    As was the case a fortnight ago in Malaysia, Martin was on the pace immediately in Q2, setting a 1:29.621 which would still be fastest at the end of the first runs. Miller was second on a 1:29.834 and Quartararo fourth on a 1:30.135, while Bagnaia was back to pitlane after a single 1:30.766 which left him 11th when the track went quiet.

    Miller’s hopes of one last pole for Ducati then disappeared when he crashed at Turn 2, while an under-the-weather Marc Marquez jumped from ninth to P2 when he fired in a 1:30.049. Bagnaia then moved to sixth, ahead of Quartararo, before ‘El Diablo’ leapfrogged his title rival by clocking a 1:30.027.

    There were more yellow flags when Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) had a spill at Turn 6, while Bagnaia toured the run-off at Turn 8. Quartararo was still on a hot lap and, fortunately for him, it was unaffected as he sought to elevate himself further up the grid. He did indeed move up two spots more to fourth with a 1:29.900 before running into the Turn 2 gravel trap on his final lap of the session – although that was in fact a moot point with replays showing FQ20 also running onto the green at Turn 1 beforehand.

    Martin had no improvement during his second run but still bagged pole, ahead of Marc Marquez and Miller, who kept his berth on the front row despite the tumble. Quartararo heads up Row 2, next to Q1 graduate Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and the pace-setter in that earlier qualifying session, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing). Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was classified seventh, ahead of Bagnaia, Zarco, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

    Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had moved into second place in Q1 with a 1:30.193 but Rins hit back and then Bastianini’s chances of advancing to Q2 were dashed when he crashed at Turn 2 – rider okay. ‘La Bestia’ is set to start 13th and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who topped FP4 and then threatened to upstage both Viñales and Rins late in Q1, from 14th.

    On Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +1), the 2022 World Champion will be decided. Two riders, 23 points and one single crown puts everything on the line in one final showdown for the year – and era. Do. Not. Miss. This.

    The top-grid;

    1 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 1’29.621
    2 Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – +0.205
    3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.213

    4 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.279

    8 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.428

  • Ducati domination: Martin grabs last gasp pole from Miller

    Ducati domination: Martin grabs last gasp pole from Miller

    A 1-2-3-4-5 in qualifying makes some history for the Bologna factory, with Marquez ninth on Saturday

    Austin (USA), 9 April 2022 (IST10th morn): Jorge Martin’s (Pramac Racing) stunning Saturday afternoon form continued at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, with the Spaniard coming through Q1 to claim a sensational second pole position of the season. It’s four front row starts in a row for Martin too, with the Spaniard beating Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) by just 0.003s this time around. The 2:02.039 the Pramac rider set is also a new all-time lap record.

    Indian fans can tune in to EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD to catch all the live action from the 2022 MotoGP championship, with the MotoGP 2022 – Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas Main Race scheduled from 21:30 Hrs (09:30 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, April 10, 2022.

    Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) claimed P3 to make it a Ducati triple threat on the front row and, just behind, two more Ducatis line up P4 and P5… making it the first ever front five lockout for the factory, and the first for a single manufacturer since Honda in 2003 at Motegi.

    Q1
    Q1 was – as we’re used to seeing given the sheer competitiveness of the class – a star-studded affair. World Championship leader Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia Racing teammate Maverick Viñales fancied their chances of progressing, but so did Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Martin and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™).

    Rins was the early pacesetter, the Suzuki rider putting in a 2:02.723 as the benchmark. Martin soon took over at the summit with eight minutes to go though, which saw Aleix Espargaro kicked out of the all-important top two. Then, chasing a time on his second run, the number 41 was down. Hopes of a Q2 place were gone for the Spaniard and the best he could hope for was a P13 grid slot. Luckily, P3 in the session and P13 on the grid was where he stayed, as Martin and Rins progressed and no one else could leapfrog.

    Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team), chasing big brother Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), crashed at Turn 3 unhurt in the early stages.
    Q2
    Q2 then got underway and it was Miller who was the early pacesetter, with fellow Ducati rider Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) off to a tougher start as he crashed at Turn 15. The Italian was able to pick his GP21 straight back up though, and immediately set off chasing a pole position lap time – no damage done.

    Then, another crash. This time it was Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) at the penultimate corner. Rider ok and 100m Olympic sprint mode activated, but it was now a race against time for the Frenchman who was provisional P7.

    After that and at the end of the first set of runs, Miller was leading Bagnaia by 0.008s, with Martin and Bastianini making it a Ducati 1-2-3-4. Quartararo managed to make his way back to the garage with just over four minutes to go though and straight away, the number 20 was back on track on his second YZR-M1.

    Pecco came out of the blocks flying on his second fresh soft rear tyre. 0.140s was his advantage through the third split and by the line, the number 63 went top by 0.160s over teammate Miller. The latter, though, was also setting red sector times. Through the third split, Miller was 0.236s up on Pecco’s effort and sure enough, the Australian returned to P1.

    Then, there was another Ducati rider lighting up the timing screens – Martin. The qualifying specialist lost time in the third split but a wonderful fourth sector saw Martin pip Miller by the slimmest of margins: just 0.003s. Was there anyone else challenging? Not by the looks of it. Quartararo was struggling to respond, seven-time Texas winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had a quiet session pushed down to P9 and Rins and 2020 Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) jumped up to P7 and P8.

    In the end, Martin’s 0.003s advantage was enough to take it, with Miler and Pecco joining him on the front row. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Bastianini, in P4 and P5, made it a historic Ducati demolition on Saturday in Texas.

    The Grid
    Behind the five Ducatis is Quartararo lining up in P6. How much did that crash affect the reigning World Champion’s pole position hunt? He’ll want more on Sunday.

    Rins and Mir head up the third row ahead of Marc Marquez, the eight-time World Champion under the radar so far. Fellow Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) rounded out the top 10 to equal his best of the season so far, with Argentina front row hero Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and an under the weather Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) just behind, set to launch from P11 and P12 respectively.

    It was a frantic and ferocious pair of qualifying sessions in Austin, and we now turn our attention to race day. Can anyone stop Ducati from claiming victory in Texas? And what can the World Championship leader muster up from P13? Time will tell. So tune in at 13:00 local time (GMT-5) to find out!

  • Ducati triumphs at Valencia with its first historic podium lockout in MotoGP

    Ducati triumphs at Valencia with its first historic podium lockout in MotoGP

    • The Ducati Lenovo Team clinches the 2021 MotoGP Teams’ World Title

    At the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana, the final Grand Prix of the 2021 MotoGP season held this afternoon at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Cheste (Spain), Ducati secured a podium lockout, as with Pecco Bagnaia’s win, the second place of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing Team) and the third place of Jack Miller, three were the Desmosedici GP bikes that rolled into parc fermé in today’s race. For the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, which was crowned 2021 MotoGP Constructors’ World Champion just seven days ago in Portimão, this is another historic achievement that has never been reached before in the premier class.

    Pecco Bagnaia scored another sensational win today, the fourth this season and the second consecutive after last week’s win in Portugal. As he was starting from second on the grid, the Italian rider was able to keep the same position after the start, behind Jorge Martin, who started from pole position. With 12 laps to go, Bagnaia made his decisive move on the fellow Ducati rider, taking the lead, where he remained until the chequered flag.

    Behind Jorge Martin, in third, was Bagnaia’s teammate Jack Miller. As he departed from the third spot of the grid, the Australian rider dropped back into sixth place in the early stages of the race, but as soon as he found his rhythm, he could close the gap on his rivals and get back into the podium fight. Third, with nine laps to go, Miller got closer and closer to Martin but could not overtake him, eventually finishing the race in third place, confirming his fourth position in the Championship.

    With both riders on the podium, the Ducati Lenovo Team secured the 2021 MotoGP Teams’ World Title. For the Italian team, this is the second title since the first one taken in 2007.

    Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
    “I’m thrilled with the victory today. To win wearing Valentino Rossi’s helmet was incredible and the best way to celebrate his last race. Today’s success was incredible, and now we know we are ready to fight for the riders’ title next year. During this season, we have improved the bike’s setup race after race, and at the end of 2021, the Desmosedici GP has become very strong, as well as its riders. We have a very good base for next year, and I hope to start as we finish. We have gained a lot of experience, and we have grown a lot! The team is unbelievable, and the atmosphere inside the garage is amazing! I’m really happy, and I thank Ducati for all this”.

    Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd
    “I’m delighted, even though I would have liked to have achieved something more today. Unfortunately, I lost some time at the start and had to recover to get back in the fight for the podium. It was a good race, and I had a lot of fun. Valencia is a track I really like, and it’s nice to finish the season like this. It’s the first time three Ducatis have finished on the podium, and it’s great to be part of this important achievement. I’m sure our bike will be even better next year, so I’m looking forward to the 2022 season and trying to fight for the riders’ title. This year we finish fourth, and it is my best result ever in the MotoGP Championship, so I hope to do even better next year.”

    Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
    “Today’s result is really an important milestone for us, and this is a historic day for Ducati. To have three of our bikes on the podium is a dream, especially because it was a race with very close gaps. Pecco, Jorge and Jack did an incredible job and to get the team title like this is great. I’m really happy, and I thank all the people at Ducati Corse for their commitment and dedication this season. Getting this far has required a huge effort from everyone! We will continue to work hard to bring the riders’ title back to Borgo Panigale next season”.

    With the 2021 season over, the Ducati Lenovo Team riders will only have a few days off as on 18th and 19th November, they will already be back on track at the Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto to face the first two days of winter testing in preparation for the 2022 season.

  • Martin beats Quartararo to record-breaking Austria pole

    Martin beats Quartararo to record-breaking Austria pole

    Styria (Austria), 14 August 2021 : It’s back-to-back premier class pole positions for rookie sensation Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) as the Spaniard goes from Q1 to P1 with a new Red Bull Ring lap record. A scintillating 1:22.643 in Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich qualifying saw Martin oust World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) on his very last lap by just 0.034s, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) claims P3 for Sunday’s outing.

    Q1 to P1: Martin produces yet more Saturday heroics

    Ahead of the pole position shootout, Styrian GP winner Martin found himself in Q1 after a late crash in FP3 cost him a top 10 shot. The likes of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were expecting to head into the Q2 fight, with FP4 second place finisher Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) also looking strong.

    It all came down to the final flying laps for the top two places in Q1. Martin led Rins by 0.2s but Oliveira and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) were all setting red sector times, with the Portuguese rider eventually cementing P2 by just over a tenth from Rins, with Martin sailing through as the fastest rider with a 1:23.197.

    Pitlane then fell silent, Queen rang around the Red Bull Ring speakers as we waited to see who the King of qualifying would be in Austria. Johann Zarco’s (Pramac Racing) 1:23.984 was the initial benchmark time but that would be beaten on the next set of laps, as teammate Martin launched his GP21 went P1 by over three tenths.

    However, Quartararo was lighting up the timing screens and the Frenchman soared across the line to set a brand-new, blistering lap record: a 1:22.677. An unreal effort from El Diablo saw him hold a 0.360s advantage over Martin as the riders pitted for fresh Michelin rubber. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) went P3 with just over four minutes to go, before Bagnaia placed himself into P3 with his first accountable lap time of Q2.

    Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) climbed to P4 on his last lap but attention then turned to the two Pramac Racing Ducatis: Zarco and Martin. The latter was clinging onto the coattails of his teammate and through Sector 3, the rookie sensation was 0.176s under Quartararo’s time. Zarco took the chequered flag first and moved ahead of Marquez to P4, but Saturday afternoon belonged to Martin once again in 2021 as the Martinator claimed pole and a new lap record by 0.034s. A magnificent effort from Martin to beat Quartararo, the two finishing well clear of Bagnaia in third.

    How the other Q2 contenders finished

    Zarco was smiling back in the garage and will launch from the spearhead of Row 2 in fourth place, the Frenchman is joined by 5th place Marc Marquez and sixth place Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). World Champion Mir lines up in P7, 0.7s away from pole, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Oliveira complete Row 3. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will be hoping to pull another Sunday masterclass out the hat from 10th, the Hondas of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will start from 11th and 12th respectively.

    If Saturday is anything to go by, then Sunday’s MotoGP™ encounter is shaping up to be a stunner in the Styrian mountains. Can Martin make it two poles and two wins at the Red Bull Ring? Find out when Round 11 from Austria gets underway at 14:00 local time (GMT+2).Top 10:               1. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) – 1:22.6432. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.0343. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.4204. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.4775. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.5846. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.6777. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.7358. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.7809. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.85610. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.92

    Action from MotoGP LIVE – MotoGP Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 14:15 Hrs (02:15 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 15th August, 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery+ app.

  • Martin reigns the Red Bull Ring for magnificent maiden win

    Martin reigns the Red Bull Ring for magnificent maiden win

    The wait is over for Pramac Racing as the rookie puts in a stunner for his first premier class win and the team’s first with Ducati

    Spielberg, 8 August 2021: On Sunday MotoGP saw a new winner! From injury to pole position to top step of the podium, comeback stories don’t get much better than Jorge Martin’s (Pramac Racing) first weekend back from the summer break. The Spaniard broke the lap record for pole on Saturday and then put in an imperious performance to outpace reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on Sunday, taking his first premier class win and becoming the first Independent Team rider on a Ducati to win a MotoGP™ race. And for Pramac Racing, the wait is over as that victory with Ducati finally comes their way.

    Mir took second and his best result of the season so far, with Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the rostrum to do some impressive damage control in the standings at a tougher venue for Yamaha. 

    The first race start of two saw Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) take the holeshot as Mir and Martin slotted in behind, but it wasn’t long before a huge moment of drama would interrupt proceedings. A couple of laps later, MotoGP™ Legend and wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) slid off out of Turn 3 – and his bike was then struck by Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). Both riders were up and ok after the crash, but the bikes burst into flames and the Red Flag came out immediately – leaving a clean-up job to do.

    Savadori headed for a check up and was found to have fractured his right malleolis, therefore out of the restart – but Pedrosa was able to get back out. After a considerable wait for the track to get cleaned and race ready, a new distance of 27 laps was set and the grid lined up again.

    But again, more drama hit – this time for Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the number 12 couldn’t get away on the Warm Up lap and was forced into pitlane. That left a gap on the grid, and the lights then finally went out for the second time.

    This time around, Martin took the holeshot but Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) struck at Turn 3, with Mir slotted into third and a gap back behind the trio already. Quartararo was on the chase, with another – after the same in the first start – moment between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) slightly shuffling the pack just behind as El Diablo took the inside line and the room ran out.

    At the front though, Miller led Martin led Mir, but Quartararo was homing in – and closest Championship challenger Zarco was the last man going with the front group. Bagnaia, meanwhile, had dropped behind both LCR Honda Castrol’s Alex Marquez and LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami. Another rider of note was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as the South African started to ignite his Sunday charge, up into ninth and looking like little would stop further progress.

    Up ahead, by the braking zone for Turn 3, Martin was into the lead and past Miller though, and Quartararo and Zarco switched and switched back. Mir then got past Miller to get on the chase for victory, and a gap started to open up behind the leading duo. By 21 to go, Quartararo moved past the Australian too, and Miller responded at Turn 4 before El Diablo elbowed his way back through. With that, the gap to the lead duo only grew…

    Quartararo managed to hold on in third, but then more drama hit behind him to assure it. Martin and Mir had disappeared in the distance and Miller was starting to put the pressure on the number 20 in the fight for the podium, but disaster hit for the Australian with 10 laps to go. Suddenly sliding out at Turn 7, his rostrum hopes were over and the Yamaha ahead was released into some solid breathing space.

    From there on out, the key question became: Martin or Mir? But as the laps ticked down, the answer became clearer. The number 89 was edging away, and then a mistake from Mir at Turn 3 just took the gap over a second… and that was that. If Martin could keep it clean, his first premier class win was there for the taking.

    Keep it clean he did. Mir did too from there on out, but it wasn’t quite enough as the Pramac Racing rider in the lead just pounded on. Over the line, the comeback fairytale was complete and Martin took the flag with a second and a half in hand, making some incredible history with an emotional victory, from a pole position lap record no less. Mir was forced to settle for second but was right back in the hunt – and moved up to third in the standings – with Quartararo a distant but valuable third as Ducati territory didn’t play out that way for his closest challengers in the points.

    Fourth place, meanwhile, looked set for much of the race. But Brad Binder had other ideas, and the South African absolutely smashed the final lap. Beginning it behind both Nakagami and Zarco, the KTM rider wanted more than sixth and that’s exactly what he got. Dispatching the Japanese rider AND the Frenchman in just one lap, the number 33 took fourth and the honour of top KTM on home turf. Sunday rider can also be a compliment!

    Nakagami then snatched fifth and Zarco was forced to settle for sixth, losing out some ground to Quartararo. Alex Rins slotted into seventh, with Marc Marquez able to salvage eighth after some dramas for the number 93 on Sunday. Alex Marquez faded in the latter stages to ninth but still took a valuable top ten… as did Pedrosa, in the end. Bagnaia was given a time penalty for not taking a Long Lap – he exceeded track limits – and that puts the number 26 back into the top ten in Grand Prix racing. An impressive achievement for any rider, but especially more than two years after retirement.

    Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) took P12 and managed to stay ahead of Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who in turn held off Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia). Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing), after a stronger start, completed the points in P15. 

    So that’s all for Styria… but not for the Red Bull Ring, the stunning venue welcomes MotoGP back for more next weekend for the Austrian Grand Prix, and there’ll be a new premier class winner lining up: Jorge Martin. Will the deck shuffle again or can he go back to back? We’ll start to see some answers on Friday!

    MotoGP Podium:

    1 Jorge Martin – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 38:07.879
    2 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +1.548
    3 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +9.362

    *Independent Team rider

  • Pramac delight as rookie Martin storms to maiden MotoGP pole

    Pramac delight as rookie Martin storms to maiden MotoGP pole

    Doha, 4 April, 2021: The Losail International Circuit hosted yet another mesmerising MotoGP qualifying session and coming out on top, in just his second-ever premier class qualifying session, was rookie sensation Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing). The Spaniard set a 1:53.106 to beat teammate Johann Zarco by 0.157s who in turn edges out third place Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) by 0.004s. An incredible Q2 dogfight in the desert.

    Ahead of Q2 in Doha, a nail-biting Q1 session got underway and for the second time in two weeks, reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was involved. After the first runs, Mir was three tenths clear of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), but the second set of flying laps saw some real changes. Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Esponsorama) sat P2 as red splits lit up everywhere, but the Italian would lose out to Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by just 0.008s, as Mir improved his time to safely make it through to Q2 by a couple of tenths. Job done by the Suzuki star in a brilliant Q1 session.

    The Losail International Circuit then fell silent for a handful of minutes, before the 12 fastest premier class riders so far this weekend rumbled out of pitlane for the eagerly anticipated pole position shootout. Confident rookie Martin was the fastest rider from the get-go and set a 1:53.892 straight out the traps, immense from the Spaniard. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) leapt up to P1 but once again, shadowing Mir, Martin was back on top of the pile. Now, his time was a 1:53.597 as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) slotted himself into P2, just 0.017s behind Martin’s early benchmark.

    After the first couple of flying laps, Martin, Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was the provisional front row. Morbidelli and the Ducati Lenovo Team duo of Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller were on the second row with just over five minutes remaining, with World Championship leader Viñales nine tenths off in P9 – just behind Mir in P8.

    Pushing hard, Viñales came out for his second run with the grit between his teeth. A couple of moments didn’t hamper the number 12’s lap time and Viñales went P9 to P1 with under two minutes to go. And then, Viñales was over a quarter of a second up on his next flying lap. Viñales nailed Sector 2, then nailed Sector 3 and taking the chequered flag, Viñales extended his advantage to 0.330s.

    Now, attentions turned to a rookie on fire. Martin was up by 0.015s in Sector 2 on his final flying lap, with every other rider setting orange sectors. What came next was utterly sensational. Out of nowhere, Zarco gained over two tenths in the last split to snatch provisional pole by an absolute whisker – 0.004s. However, step up Martin. Doing it all on his own without a tow, the MotoGP™ new boy stormed across the line and went P1 by a tenth and a half. Incredible scenes! It wasn’t quite over yet though because Miller and Quartararo had clocked red sectors. Firing their way to the chequered flag, neither penetrated the front row but both improved their times to grab P4 and P5 respectively, but the headlines went the way of Martin.

    To earn pole position in your second MotoGP™ qualifying session, his first in Q2, is unreal. The ‘Martinator’ shows us exactly why he’s nicknamed that as he reigns on Saturday in Doha, with Zarco making it Saturday Night Fever for Pramac Racing. Viñales once again lines up P3 at Losail, he’ll be praying the Ducatis get a rare bad start but as we saw last Sunday, dropping a couple of positions isn’t the end of the world now for Viñales.

    Spearheading Row 2 is Miller who, at the end of the session inside the box, didn’t look best pleased. The Australian will of course have been aiming for the front row at least but seeing two Ducati rivals ahead of him on grid will hurt. Nevertheless, it’s one better than last week and Miller has every chance of stealing the holeshot from P4. Quartararo’s fifth place was less than the Frenchman would have expected too, but it’s far from a disaster. Like Viñales, he’ll be worried about the Ducatis off the line though.

    One of those will be last week’s polesitter Bagnaia. P6 is the best the Italian could manage this time around at Losail, however, that front holeshot device could work wonders again and see him sail forward from the off. An interesting start awaits for the leading six riders, it’s a Ducati vs Yamaha affair from the front couple of rows.

    Leading the third row is Aleix Espargaro after another fantastic performance. With the Yamahas and Ducatis looking strong in Qatar, starting P7 – one place higher than last week – is yet another job well done for the Noale factory. Joining the Aprilia star on Row 3 is a couple of Suzukis. Alex Rins sits 0.040s ahead of Team Suzuki Ecstar teammate Mir as the GSX-RR duo finish 0.6s shy from pole position. Not bad from the Suzuki riders, especially with Mir navigating his way through Q1, but there’s again work to do at the start of the race on Sunday. They’re in the mix though, and that’s what counts.

    Rounding out the top 10 was Morbidelli, the Italian was just 0.009s from the third row in a quiet session, as leading Honda rider Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) and fastest KTM Oliveira complete the Q2 results in P11 and P12 respectively.

    What a qualifying session, and what a day for Jorge Martin. We don’t see things like this happen very often, but now his and Pramac Racing’s attention will quickly turn to focusing on how to convert pole position into a great Sunday result. If Martin gets anything like the start he did last Sunday, then he’ll be into Turn 1 way ahead of the pack. Zarco looks set for another awesome Sunday, but Viñales is lurking on the Yamaha. In short, it’s going to be an unmissable MotoGP™ race in Doha.

    Q2 results:

    1. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) – 1:53.106

    2. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.157

    3. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.161

    4. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.197

    5. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.363

    6. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.548

    7. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.599

    8. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.639

    9. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.679

    10. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 0.688

    11. Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) + 1.118

    12. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 1.990

    Action from  MotoGP Tissot Grand Prix of Doha Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 19:15 Hrs (07:15 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 4th April 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.

  • Bagnaia, Martin crowned World champions in Sepang; Marquez scores after leader Rossi crashes!

    Bagnaia, Martin crowned World champions in Sepang; Marquez scores after leader Rossi crashes!

    Marc Marquez flanked by 2nd-placed Alex Rins (left) Johann Zarco, 3rd, at the Sepang podium on Sunday. Photo Srinivasa Krishnan

    Sepang, 4 Nov 2018: On a dramatic afternoon at the sun-drenched Sepang International Circuit, Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) and Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) were crowned World champions in Moto2 and Moto3, respectively, even as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) claimed his 70th career win after taking victory at the Shell Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who led for much of the race, crashing out.

    Marquez, the 2018 Champion looked set to lock horns with nine-time World Champion Rossi, but the race would end in disaster for ‘The Doctor’, as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completed the podium. Marquez’ win also saw Honda sealing the Constructors’ Championship with a round to spare.

    A proud moment for Honda as they seal the Constructors’ championship. Photo: MotoGP

    Rossi got off to a stellar launch from P2, with pole man Zarco slightly sluggish off the line. ‘The Doctor’ got a comfortable holeshot, with Zarco managing to brake late to slot into P2. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was able to leapfrog Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) into P3 at the start, with Marquez making up one position in P6.

    The premier class riders then settled, but this came after Marquez and team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) exchanged paint on the opening lap. The 2018 Champion would soon start to make his way forward though, despite a hairy last corner moment at the end of the opening lap that led to Iannone crashing out directly behind the seven-time Champion.

    At the front, Rossi and Zarco were off as Yamaha had a 1-2 in the opening exchanges, but Marquez hunted them down after making his way past Miller. The Honda rider soon slipped past Zarco’s M1 machine to have arch-rival Rossi in his sights.

    Valentino Rossi crashed out. Photo: MotoGP

    But the number 46 was in an excellent rhythm as the gap between the duo hovered at 3/4s of a second, with Zarco beginning to lose touch at the halfway stage of the race as Rossi continued to press on – 1.1 now the gap to Marquez as 10 laps ticked over at Sepang.

    With four laps to go, it was disaster for ‘The Doctor’. A return to victory after 26 races went begging as he lost the front of his YZR-M1 at Turn 1. You could hear the hearts of thousands break as he picked up his stricken Yamaha in front of the official Rossi grandstand. This left Marquez with a lonely ride home in P1 while Rins edged past Zarco for P2.

    It was a subdued race for one of the pre-race favourites Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). The winner here for the last two seasons couldn’t replicate those results as he took P6, but after Rossi’s crash, the Italian has sealed P2 in the Championship.

    FRANCESCO BAGNAIA SEALS TITLE WITH P3

    A memorable moment for Francesco Bagnaia. Photo: MotoGP

    Bagnaia clinched the 2018 Moto2™ World Championship after finishing P3 at Sepang. The Italian finished behind title rival Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to seal the title, with team-mate Luca Marini, the brother of Rossi, making it a memorable day for SKY Racing Team VR46 as he secured his maiden Grand Prix victory.

    As the lights went out, both Bagnaia and Oliveira got off to a flyer. Marini it was who led coming out of Turn 1 after a messy opening corner for his fellow front row starters, Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) and Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) both running in hot. This allowed Bagnaia and Oliveira to slip through up the inside to get into P2 and P3. Pretty much the perfect getaway for ‘Pecco’, who slotted in behind teammate Marini.

    Luca Marini. Photo: MotoGP

    Marini then got himself into a rhythm at the front, with Bagnaia and Oliveira battling away for P2 – the title firmly in Bagnaia’s hands at this early stage of the race, even with Oliveira making a pass stick at Turn 4 with 12 laps to go. The Portuguese rider locked his radar on race leader Marini, who now had a one second lead, with Bagnaia slipping into the clutches of compatriot Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), with pole sitter Marquez and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) also in hot pursuit of the Championship leader. With six laps to go, it seemed the battle for the win was between Marini and Oliveira, with both Baldassarri and Marquez losing touch in the fight for the final podium spot – Pasini though remained 0.4 behind countryman Bagnaia. In sweltering Sepang conditions, Marini soaked up the pressure from the KTM behind and with two to go, a 0.7 gap had appeared. Going into the final lap, Marini had the biggest lead he’d had for a while, with Bagnaia sitting comfortably in a Championship clinching P3 – over a second was the cushion back to Pasini.

    A STUNNING SEASON FOR JORGE MARTIN

    Jorge Martin crowned Moto3 world champion on Sunday 4 Nov 2018 at Sepang. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan

    Martin took the title after a stunning season. 7 wins, 9 podiums and 11 poles and the Spaniard weathered the ups and downs of a tense season of competition to come out on top against key rivals Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3).

    Jorge Martin (No.88). Photo: MotoGP

    Martin made his debut on the World stage in 2015 with Mapfre Mahindra, moving up after taking the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. He scored his first point in the season opener in Qatar and became a regular top 15 contender, ending his rookie year in 17th overall. The following season, the rider from Madrid took another step forward – including his first podium in the wet at Brno – but he also missed a couple of races through injury, therefore ending the season just one place further forward in 16th overall. The 2017 seaso saw Martin cement his place at the front as he moved to Del Conca Gresini Moto3, beginning the year on the podium in third at Qatar. He took seven other podiums that season and nine pole positions before scoring his maiden win in the season finale at Valencia to finish fourth Overall in the standings.

    600th Victory For Spain: Today, Martin sealed the championship after claiming a stunning victory, with main Championship rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) slipping down to P5 on the final lap to hand the title to the Spaniard. Martin’s success was Spain’s 600th victory, with Italy (802) the only other country to have claimed more wins than Spain. In total, 43 Spanish riders have stood on the top step of the podium at least once across the 50cc, 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, Moto3™, Moto2™ and MotoGP™ classes.