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Tag: MotoGP
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Photo Gallery from Srinivasa Krishnan at Buriram: MotoGP
Buriram, 3 Oct 2019: The Photo Advisor of INDIAinF1 is currently covering the Thailand GP at Buriram and presents the following images including of Thursday press conference:
MotoGP action on Thursday at Buriram, Thailand. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan
Rossi at theThursday press conference. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan
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MotoGP hits the streets of Bangkok
Lorenzo and Crutchlow (R) on Memorial Bridge on Wednesday. A MotoGP image Buriram, 2 Oct 2019: After touching the sky on Tuesday and before touchdown in Buriram on Thursday, Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) had chance to see a few more sights in Bangkok on Wednesday – and got to ride their machinery through some of the streets of the Thai capital.
The day began for Lorenzo at Wat Pho – the Temple of the reclining Buddha – where the five-time World Champion was able to wander around the incredibly complex, taking in some history and even posing for a few selfies with fans. Crutchlow, meanwhile, began at Tha Tian Market nearby, where the Brit headed into the maze of incredible sights and smells of the place. They both came across a famous local face too, as Chantra visited the temple and the market before the trio regrouped.
To bring the event to a close, it was showtime. After displaying the Repsol Honda and LCR Honda Castrol machines at the MahaNakhon on Tuesday evening, now it was time for engines on and a real ride on the streets of the city…
The Chao Phraya River snakes its way around Bangkok, and there are a few different ways to cross – ferries, different boats…a few bridges. Or, you can leave some awestruck faces in your wake as you ride across one of the city’s best landmarks, Memorial Bridge, and that’s exactly what Lorenzo and Crutchlow got to do.
The riders got suited and booted before the two Hondas roared across in unison and did a couple of runs, with the city traffic stopped in its tracks for the special event. And then it was back to Wat Pho and the rendezvous point to cool off and get ready to ride at full speed on Friday in front of an even bigger crowd.
MotoGP™ now heads north to Buriram to really get in gear for the PTT Thailand Grand Prix, with the race set for 14:00 (GMT+7) on Sunday 6th October.
Jorge Lorenzo: “It’s always nice to be in Bangkok, I love the city and I love the people, they are always smiling. It’s been nice to discover parts of the city I didn’t know, and to do a run on the MotoGP bikes here, it’s been a good pre-event!
“Here I was very unlucky last year because I got injured after the gear problem and I missed the race, so hopefully this time I can finish all the practices and race for the first time in Thailand.”
Cal Crutchlow: “It’s been a good couple of days! We got here yesterday and it’s a privilege to be welcomed to Thailand as we are, we got to go to the tallest building in Bangkok yesterday and have a look around, and then today we got to ride over the bridge in the centre of the city as well. It’s been good fun compared to other events, and it’s great to be able to share it with the people of Thailand.
“Hopefully this weekend I’ll do better that last year, I was seventh, but I’d like to finish in the top five or six this year. But the aim is the same, to try and be near the podium and be able to fight, and I think we can this weekend. I’m looking forward to going to Buriram later today, we have another event tonight and then I’ll make my way there and prepare the weekend.”
Somkiat Chantra: “I’m very happy, today walking around with Jorge Lorenzo and Cal Crutchlow…but here in Thailand it’s very hot! It’s a special race weekend. This year I want to improve, last year in Moto3 I finished in ninth but this year I’ve been training more, in Moto2 I’m really happy and I’m happy to do my home race. I’ll try my hardest and push!”
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Operation domination: Marquez reigns MotorLand ahead of Dovizioso and Miller
Marc Marquez celebrates after winning the Aragon MotoGP by a mile. A MotoGP image Aragon, 22 Sept 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has looked unstoppable for much of the weekend at MotorLand Aragon, and that was no different come race day. In his 200th Grand Prix, the reigning Champion couldn’t be caught, escaping the pack early and managing the gap to give himself a 98-point lead heading into Thailand. In other words, Championship point…
That was despite an impressive comeback from Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), with the Italian starting tenth and made to work for it as he made his way through the pack to come home second. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) completed the podium, the Australian playing his cards to perfection for a late lunge on Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in the fight for third.
It was Marquez who got the holeshot from pole, Plan A executed to perfection as a lightning start saw the number 93 beat Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) into Turn 1, with Miller getting a good launch from P4 on the grid to take P3. Viñales slipped to P4 with Quartararo giving chase to Marquez on the opening lap, but by the time they crossed the line, the reigning Champion was a second down the road.
Meanwhile, there was drama early on for the fast-starting Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), the Spaniard overcooking a move at Turn 12 and barrelling into Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The latter crashed out, with Rins dropping to P17 as up the road, Marquez was powering clear. Miller was now the man leading the chase but the gap was quickly up to 1.8 seconds by Lap 4, with the race rapidly becoming a battle for the remaining podium places.
In that fight, Miller was holding off the Yamahas of Viñales and Quartararo, but it wasn’t too long until Viñales got the better of the Frenchman and then immediately started to reel in Miller’s half-second advantage. He passed the Australian on Lap 8 as the riders inside the top seven bunched up, with Dovizioso up behind Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) holding off Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) in sixth and seventh.
Lap 9 saw Dovi pounce on Quartararo’s Yamaha and the Italian locked his radar onto the back of fellow GP19 rider Miller, with Viñales the man up next. Soon after, Dovi made his move on Miller at Turn 1, but the Pramac rider wasn’t going to cave in easy as and the duo then started to haul in Viñales. The three were split by just a second heading into the last handful of laps and as Viñales started to fade, he was under increasing pressure.
Three to go and Viñales was still holding onto P2, but Dovizioso used the Ducati power to grab P2 down the back straight, leaving Miller to try and pounce on the Yamaha next. The Australian waited until Turn 1 on the last lap, just about getting it stopped and keeping it together for the rest of the lap for an impressive third podium of the season. Dovi had second wrapped up and coming onto the back straight for the final time, there was nothing more Viñales could do.
And so Marquez crossed the line for his fourth straight win at MotorLand on his 200th Grand Prix start to extend his lead to 98 points. Dovizioso’s recovery from P10 was completed in an ever-intelligent ride to second, with Miller impressing to complete the podium and take top Independent Team rider honours.
Viñales was left disappointed with fourth but it was a valiant effort nonetheless, with Quartararo coming home just behind the Spaniard to complete the top five and take another good haul of points after a mature ride on the limit. Crutchlow produced a solid showing to finish P6 for the third time in four races, the British rider just edging out Aleix Espargaro. The sterling effort from the Aprilia rider secured his best result of the season, and the best for the Noale factory so far in 2019.
Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was in the battle for the top five in the early stages before the nine-time World Champion dropped back to P8, with Rins fighting back to P9 after his opening lap incident and a subsequent Long Lap penalty. LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami won an intense battle for the top 10 which saw him take on Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Ducati Team’s Danilo Petrucci, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), with the group all finishing within two seconds of each other in that order. Tito Rabat (Reale Avinita Racing) took the final point in P15.
Now, it’s time for the flyaways. First up is the PTT Thailand Grand Prix and it’s almost all Marquez’ to lose. 98 points ahead, he just has to outscore Dovizioso by two points and leave for Japan with an advantage of 100 or more. Will he wrap it up? Find out in two weeks.
Marc Marquez: “It was the perfect weekend, we did an amazing job all weekend, from the beginning we started in a good way to understand how it was, we raced the setup we started with in FP1, something for the first time all year. But apart from this, the strategy of the race was clever, I was clear about my strategy and I pushed a lot in the first three laps then tried to manage the distance I’m happy, because it was a good 25 points but this guy here never gives up! He’s still pushing, but in Thailand we have the first match point and I’ll do my best.”
Race Results: MotoGP
1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 41’57.221
2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) +4.836
3 – Jack Miller* (AUS – Ducati) +5.430*Independent Team rider
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Marc Marquez takes Aragon pole
Aragon, 21 Sept 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) showed no signs of letting go of his stranglehold on the Gran Premio Michelin de Aragon on Saturday afternoon, with the reigning Champion taking his 61st premier class pole position in 122 races – taking him back to an incredible 50% ratio. It’s his fifth pole at MotorLand, although Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) kept pulses racing until right at the end of the session as he set three red sectors in a row, only losing out in the final part of the lap. He’ll start second, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the front row.
The promised – or threatened, depending on perspective – rain came down on Saturday morning, but it didn’t stay around too long. It was enough to put paid to anyone’s chance of improving their lap time in FP3 however, with the likes of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) therefore sure of a trip to Q1. And in Q1 it was a surprise to see the Suzuki man knocked out, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) taking to the top and joined in Q2 by an impressive Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini).
With Q2 underway – featuring two Aprilias for the first time in MotoGP™ – the fastest laptime cycled through a few different names before Marquez’ second lap shot him to the top, deposing Quartararo, who had deposed Viñales.
On their second runs, Viñales struck back against Quartararo but the gap to Marquez remained over four tenths…made even worse as the number 93 crossed the line only just behind Viñales’ Yamaha and improved his time even further. It seemed like all was said and done in the fight for pole after that show of pace, but Quartararo had other ideas.
On his final flying lap, the rookie was over a tenth in the red after the first split. Were we about to witness one of the upsets of the season? After the second split, the 20-year-old’s advantage was hovering around a tenth and at the third, there was nothing to choose between Quartararo and Marquez. With only the final sector to go – one that’s been tougher for the Yamaha – could ‘El Diablo’ keep those few thousandths? In the end, he couldn’t, with Marquez secure on pole – but Quartararo will line up second after taking an awesome eighth front row start of his rookie season, edging ahead of Viñales to make it two Yamahas joining the Repsol Honda on the front row.
Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) took P4 and heads up Row 2 as the highest-placed Ducati rider, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) putting in a blinder to take P5 and Aprilia’s best qualifying since Japan 2017. Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) managed to launch himself from the lower echelons on his final run, with the ‘Doctor’ taking P6 as he completes the second row.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) spearheads Row 3, the British rider leading Q1 pacesetter Morbidelli and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), with the Suzuki-riding rookie out-qualifying teammate Rins for the second time this year despite a crash in FP4.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) completes the top ten after a tougher day at the office, with Andrea Iannone battling through the pain barrier after his crash at Misano to take P11.
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, crashed in FP4 and suffered a fractured left wrist, meaning the number 44 will sadly miss the rest of his home Grand Prix. That will move Rins up to P12, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Castrol) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) just behind.
Can anyone beat Marquez in Aragon? Some of the men with the best pace start close to the reigning Champion on Sunday. Tune in for the MotoGP™ race at the slightly earlier time of 13:00 (GMT +2) to find out…
Qualifying results:1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 1’47.009
2 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.327
3 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) +0.463*Independent Team rider -
MotorLand Aragon awaits, with Marquez in the driving seat – and the crosshairs
File photo of Marquez by MotoGP Aragon, 18 Sept 2019: After the raucous seaside of the Riviera di Rimini, it’s now time to head for the unique backdrop of MotorLand Aragon. The technically challenging track is an oasis of speed nestled in the stunning scenery of the area, an outpost of racing excellence in a region where competition has serious history – and more of it is made year on year. This season, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) arrives with an aptly numbered 93-point lead, but the last three races have more than shown that the reigning Champion doesn’t always get his own way…so how will it play out on home turf?
Maquez’ speed at the circuit is something to seriously respect. The number 93 has won four times in the premier class at MotorLand, including the last three in a row, and has four pole positions to undoubtedly make him the man to beat at the track. Can he do it again this season to extend his lead even further? If he can, there’s a chance he’ll tee himself up with a chance to win the title in Thailand…
It’s never an easy ask though – even when the track has a corner named after you. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) seems a good bet as someone who will be aiming to derail Marquez’ assault on Aragon, and coming from two podiums in a row he’s on good form. He’s never won at MotorLand in the premier class, but there’s no time like the present to start creating some momentum. His teammate Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) will also be aiming for the podium, and plenty of eyes will once again be on Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT).
The rookie had a stunning race in Misano, taking the reigning Champion to the wire and putting up a fight on the last lap. In the end it was another podium and not a maiden win, but it’s the closest the fast Frenchman has come to the top step so far – and in some serious style. Can he do it again this weekend? If he does it, Rookie of the Year will start to look less like a probability and more like a formality.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), meanwhile, is looking for a comeback. The number 42 hails from mere kilometers away from MotorLand to make it a true home venue for the Suzuki rider. After defeating Marquez with his stunning move at Silverstone, Rins faltered at Misano and crashed out – so motivation will be higher than ever. He also slipped to fourth in the standings with the mistake on the Riviera di Rimini, so Aragon is a chance to get back into that top three and stake his claim on another podium at least.
The man who moved above Rins at Misano was Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) who, despite a tougher few rounds of late, has kept raking in the points to put himself back behind teammate Andrea Dovizioso in the standings. Misano was also tougher weekend than many expected for the Borgo Panigale factory though, so can they bounce back at MotorLand? Traditionally a tougher track for Ducati than some, a good few eyes will be on the two Italians in red and Dovizioso will be aiming to repeat his impressive performance from last year.
In the fight for top Independent Team rider, it’s also close, although Quartararo’s Misano masterpiece put him back above Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), and gave him some breathing space ahead of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) for now. Is another twist coming in Round 14? Crutchlow certainly will want to score big and bounce back from a crash on the Riviera di Rimini and Miller made good progress forward on Sunday in San Marino.
Making life increasingly difficult for the riders who started the season bothering the top five, top eight and top ten is Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), however. A stunning performance from the Spaniard in qualifying at Misano gave KTM their second front row of the season, and the number 44 brought it home in seventh at the flag, battling the likes of Rins and the Ducatis. Espargaro has impressed more than a few times this season, and home turf at Aragon will see him pushing to do the same. And there’s news on the other side of the KTM garage: after announcing in the summer that Johann Zarco would be parting ways with the Austrian factory for 2020, the switch has come early and it’s test rider Mika Kallio who takes over for the remaining races of this season. How will Kallio fare in a full-time seat? And can KTM profit even more from Finn’s feedback as they continue their huge development push?
At Aprilia, meanwhile, it’s also home turf for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and he’s been on the podium at the track before – his only rostrum in the premier class. Teammate Andrea Iannone was forced to sit Misano out after hurting his shoulder and could find it tougher going, although Noale factory test rider Bradley Smith will be out on track too, with the goal for all good points.
Misano is unique and MotorLand the same – in a completely different way. Can Marquez extend his lead in the final race before the flyaways? Or will the likes of Viñales, Quartararo, and Rins fight back? The outpost of speed fires up for MotoGP™ on Friday 20th September, with the premier class race at the slightly earlier time of 13:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday 22nd.
Championship standings1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) – 275
2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) – 182
3 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) – 151
4 – Alex Rins (SPA – Suzuki) – 149
5 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) – 134 -
Quartararo pushes the reigning Champion, Marquez, to the limit at Misano
Marc Marquez takes the flag at Misano after a tough duel. A MotoGP image Misano, 15 Sept 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was the victor in a Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini duel to the last lap, but the reigning Champion seriously had to work for it. The man who pushed him all the way? Rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who led for most of the race…and attacked straight back when Marquez did on the final lap. It wasn’t quite enough and the 93 was able to return the favour, but it was a classic encounter between the two and another incredible show of pace from both. Polesitter Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completed the podium.
Viñales was on pole and the Spaniard made it count, keeping the lead heading into Turn 1 as third place Quartararo grabbed P2, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) dropping back slightly from second on the grid. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) pounced for P3, with Marquez giving himself work to do after a wobble off the line. But work is exactly what the seven-time Champion did, grabbing third from Morbidelli at Turn 8 as the leading trio throughout the weekend found themselves 1-2-3 on Lap 1.
Sure enough, the three started to stretch away. The gap on Lap 2 was already up to 0.7 over Morbidelli in fourth and it was Viñales leading the way, but not for long. Quartararo was right behind his fellow Yamaha rider and getting a good run out of Turn 10, the rookie dived past to lead. Marquez wasn’t going to waste any time either, and Lap 3 saw the 93 set the fastest lap of the race as Quartararo started to pull away. Having seen that, Marquez dived under Viñales at Turn 10 on Lap 4 and locked his radar onto the Petronas machine at the front, as Viñales struggled to hold the pace. Further back, Espargaro was still able to make trouble Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and second in the Championship Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) for P5 as the KTM rider continued to impress.
Back at the front, Quartararo had a 0.8 lead over Marquez, with Viñales slipping to 1.5 seconds back on Lap 6. The Frenchman’s advantage wouldn’t stay above half a second for long though as the Repsol Honda began to reel the Petronas Yamaha in; the reigning World Champion and the MotoGP™ rookie locked in a face off. Viñales then seemed out of range nearly three seconds back, but late race pace has often been a calling card for the number 12…
In the battle for sixth, Rins was given a long lap penalty shortly after finally dispatching Espargaro’s KTM, but soon it didn’t matter for the Silverstone winner. The Suzuki man was suddenly down at Turn 4, leaving his third place overall in the standings under attack.
Rossi pressured Morbidelli for fourth, Viñales was at a fairly constant gap, and Quartararo remained nigh on faultless at the front. There was no sign of the 20-year-old buckling under the pressure, with the gap between the two hovering at two tenths.
The laps ticked by and still there was no change, with the Frenchman holding firm. Marquez was fierce on the brakes coming into Turn 10, but ‘El Diablo’ was a demon at picking the bike up onto the straight. There was simply nothing splitting the two, and Viñales was then starting to close the gap…
Onto the final lap, the number 93 was about to strike. Marquez had the run on Quartararo and led into Turn 1, but Quartararo got a good run out of Turn 2 and Turn 3 to bite straight back. Into Turn 4 they went, Quartararo was back in front, but the back straight and Turn 8 provided a golden passing opportunity and Marquez got it stopped into the left-hander – slicing back into the lead. Now it was Marquez’ to lose, with no way through for Quartararo at Turn 10, although the Yamaha got a good run down through Turn 11 and 12. As the tight left of Turn 14 approached, the Frenchman was right behind the Spaniard. Marquez went defensive and was slow mid-corner, Quartararo tried to cut back…but there was no way through as the Yamaha almost touched the rear wheel of the Honda. Subsequently, Quartararo had to sit up, and that was sadly game over. The reigning Champion returned to winning ways after two consecutive second places, winning in enemy territory and overtaking Mike Hailwood’s Grand Prix win record in the process – 77 is now his tally. And his points lead? 93.
Quartararo’s second, however, made him ‘the real winner’, according to Marquez, and the Frenchman is the top Independent Team rider once again. Viñales didn’t quite have enough on Sunday afternoon for the men ahead of him in the end, but a fifth podium of the season continues his consistent form of late to edge clear of teammate Rossi in the Championship.
Speaking of ‘The Doctor’, it wasn’t a home GP podium Rossi would have been looking for, but a great fight with Morbidelli and a third consecutive P4 is a good turn around for the nine-time World Champion since summer break. For Morbidelli, a strong and consistent weekend ends with a fourth P5 of the year – a nice way to celebrate his 100th Grand Prix race. All four Yamahas inside the top five at Misano is also promising for the Iwata factory.
Ultimately Dovizioso could do no more than sixth at the venue he won at last season, with Pol Espargaro next up in P7 as a solid reward for his – and KTM’s – impressive weekend. Upon his return from injury, Joan Mir was the sole Team Suzuki Ecstar finisher in P8, with Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller recovering from P16 on the grid to grab ninth ahead of fellow GP19 rider Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) in P10.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), teammate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), wildcard Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) and Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the race – riders ok.
Marquez vs Quartararo: something we should start getting used to? Misano could be just the first installment of an all-time great rivalry. For now, Marquez has the bragging rights and the number 93 heads to his home Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon with 93 points over his rivals. But Quartararo is coming. Can anyone beat Marquez on Spanish soil next week?
Marc Marquez: “Honestly speaking I knew it wasn’t necessary to win because I saw Rins was out and Dovi was far. But yesterday was extra motivation, an extra push for the race. What I did was just try to stay there and stay there, I wasn’t sure…but then I decided I would just try on the last lap. I knew that Fabio was really fast in T3, so I tried to overtake him before there, close the door through each corner and be smart. It’s really nice to win and it’s even nicer to have a 93-point advantage in the Championship!”Top-3 MotoGP Results:1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 42’25.163
2 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA- Yamaha) +0.903
3 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) +1.636*Independent Team rider -
Viñales snatches pole as drama erupts in Misano qualifying: MotoGP
Rossi and Marquez get dicey, KTM split two Yamahas on the front row
Maverick Vinyales takes pole. A MotoGP image Misano, 14 Sept 2019: Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) continued his phenomenal weekend at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, taking his second pole position of the season and breaking some hearts at KTM as he knocked compatriot Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) off provisional P1 on his final flying lap. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completes the front row, but the headlines don’t end there. Some drama erupted behind the three men in Q2 as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) almost clashed at the final corner.
Before all that, it wasn’t the start to Q2 Espargaro would have been looking for as his RC16 stopped at the end of pitlane but, luckily, he was able to get away fairly sharpish with a bit of help from a mechanic. Meanwhile on track, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) backed out of his first flying lap and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was the first to set a benchmark time. Just after that though, his rookie teammate Quartararo would go and set the quickest lap of the weekend despite a mistake in Sector 1 – the Frenchman slamming in a 1:32.686 to lead the way. Morbidelli responded to go just 0.024 off but Quartararo then improved to go over a tenth clear, with Marquez jumping up to third on his first quick lap soon thereafter.
Heading back into the pits, the top four of Quartararo, Morbidelli, Marquez and Viñales were split by just 0.2 seconds. Home hero Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was sitting fifth ahead of Espargaro, with second in the Championship Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) only tenth. Viñales switched bikes quickly, in and out like a flash, and on his next flying lap took third off Marquez to make it an all-Yamaha front row with three minutes to go…but there was plenty yet to come.
Morbidelli was setting red sectors before a huge slide coming into the third split ruined his lap, but what about provisional pole man Quartararo? He had Espargaro for company on his final lap but the Frenchman ran onto the green at the fast Turn 11 and voided his lap, leaving him unable to improve. Espargaro was still setting personal bests though, and as the KTM rider took the chequered flag it suddenly became apparent quite how stunning his lap was as he took provisional pole by 0.011. The fairytale wouldn’t quite prove perfect, but the performance remains superb.
It wasn’t perfect for the Austrian factory because Viñales was coming. Red sector after red sector, one of the men who has been blisteringly fast all weekend crossed the line to go pole by nearly three tenths, and there were only two riders left to try and topple him: Marquez and Rossi.
Marquez, shadowing Rossi, was also on for pole. However, after overtaking the number 46 into Turn 11, the Championship leader ran wide. And, as it turned out, Rossi had also already exceeded track limits. But it boiled up to a final corner almost-clash, with the Yamaha slicing up the inside of the Honda as the duo came close to touching at Turn 14. Neither improved and both were summoned to a hearing with the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards to discuss the incident but no further action was taken. Marquez will start fifth, Rossi seventh.
That was that and the front row of Viñales-Espargaro-Quartararo was decided, with Franco Morbidelli taking his best grid position since Mugello and Catalunya to head up the second row. He’s just ahead of Marquez, with Dovizioso forced to settle for sixth on home turf. The Italian has, however, been a lightning starter of late…
Joining Rossi on row three are the Suzuki duo of Alex Rins and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), with Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory) racing having been eighth fastest in qualifying but the Frenchman needing to serve his three-place grid penalty given at Silverstone.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was P11 in qualifying but will start just ahead of Zarco, with Ducati test rider and wildcard Michele Pirro just behind the Frenchman on the grid in 12th. Further back, some big hitters will be starting down the order: Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) will launch from P14, with the Ducatis of Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) starting from 16th and 17th respectively.
In addition, Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) will miss the remainder of the weekend after hurting his shoulder in a crash.
After a dramatic Saturday it’s now time for race day on the Riviera di Rimini. Viñales looks fast, a seventh front-row start for Quartararo sets him up for Sunday, and Pol Espargaro will be one to watch off the lap. Meanwhile Marquez, Dovizioso and Rossi are all looking to attack from the off…
Tune in for the San Marino GP LIVE at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday and get ready for a classic.
Top 3 MotoGP Qualifying results:
1 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) 1’32.265
2 – Pol Espargaro (SPA – KTM) +0.295
3 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.306*Independent Team rider
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Viñales vs Quartararo keeps Marquez at bay: Day 1
Misano is GO, with a Marquez amongst the Yamahas in the top five on Friday
Misano, 13 Sept 2019: Friday at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini belonged to two men: Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). Split by just 0.057 on the combined timesheets, the two topped a session each as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ended the day in third and over three tenths down. It was a sunny first day on the Riviera di Rimini, and it was pretty sunny for Yamaha too as the Iwata marque had all four bikes in the top five. Home hero Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was just behind Marquez, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in fifth to leave the number 93 the sole non-Yamaha in the top five.
After Quartararo kicked things off in FP1 to edge out the reigning Champion, it was Marquez who was the early leader in FP2 as the Championship leader got straight down to business, closing down the rookie’s FP1 advantage to just 0.018 on the combined timesheets to head the afternoon session by over four-tenths. The likes of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had jumped into the overall top ten in the early stages of FP2, with Morbidelli and Rossi also improving on their FP1 times.
The afternoon then went quiet in terms of personal best times, the riders getting some valuable work done on different tyres to see what their preference will be for Sunday’s race. But with just over ten minutes remaining – and after a couple of close front-end moments – Quartararo was yet to improve his FP1 time and so was Viñales. The traditional FP2 time attack was forthcoming, however, and with eight minutes to go, we had plenty of movement.
Rossi moved into P3 overall on his first flying run on the soft rear, but teammate Viñales would move the goalposts at the top as a 1:32.775 saw the Spaniard leap over three tenths clear. Quartararo was on a personal best behind, but the rookie sensation wasn’t quite able to match Viñales’ time as the 20-year-old went a tenth off. The Ducati Team riders had a quiet morning but both Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso then found a way into the top ten., with Viñales looking like he had P1 in the bag as the flag dropped.
Quartararo, however, was on a fast one. Personal best sectors were set by the Frenchman but at the line, it wasn’t quite enough as he ended the day 0.057 in arrears – barely anything splitting the two Yamahas. Marquez failed to improve and stayed P3, with Rossi and Morbidelli completing the top five.
Sixth was a headline in itself as Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) impressed in P6 in both FP1 and FP2, ending the day ahead of Ducati Team’s Michele Pirro. The Italian slipped from P4 in FP1 to P7 at the end of play after failing to go quicker in FP2, but the test rider remains the fastest Ducati on track so far. Petrucci sits just behind him in P8, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) – P5 in FP1 – claiming P9 on Friday thanks to his morning time. Last year’s winner Dovizioso occupies the last provisional automatic Q2 place in P10 heading into Saturday – not an easy day for the man second in the Championship.
It’s Silverstone winner Alex Rins and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) who just lost out on the top ten on Friday, but it’s just 0.6 that splits Dovi in P10 to Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) in P21. It’s all to play for in the fight for an automatic Q2 place in FP3, so make sure you tune in for that at 09:55 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday morning. Will Yamaha continue to reign at Misano on qualifying?
Friday’s fastest:1 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) 1’32.775
2 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.057
3 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) +0.396
4 – Valentino Rossi (ITA – Yamaha) +0.695
5 – Franco Morbidelli* (ITA – Yamaha) +0.749*Independent Team rider -
Riders revved up for “intense” Misano: MotoGP
Top riders pose after the press conference ahead of the Misano race. A MotoGP image. Misano, 12 September 2019: Ahead of the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, it was time to talk shop in the pre-event Press Conference, with reigning Champion and points leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) joined by his closest challenger, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), as well as Silverstone winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), UK podium finisher Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), hometown hero Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Moto3™ Championship leader Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing).Marquez was first to talk, with that incredible British GP first on the agenda before talk turned to the recent Misano test.
“Yeah of course it was not the best last corner for us, but anyway I’m happy because Silverstone was one of the circuits we struggled at a lot last year and this year we were there. The Misano test was quite interesting, we will check this weekend. Race pace was not so fast compared to last year but we were competitive, especially Yamaha riders were very fast, Dovi was not 100% fit but he will be fast, and he’s the winner from last year. Apart from that we have a good advantage in the championship, we need to be calm, try to finish races and see what happens in the future.
“The key is it’s difficult to be consistent every lap. 2 or 3 hard brake points it’s hard to be consistent, also sector 3 with all the fast corners…to be consistent there all the race is difficult. It’s a race track that I like, we will start in a good way, we have new things from the test we need to check. Anyway in our box we don’t need to be crazy. Find the best of what we have and take points every weekend, that’s what’s important.”
2018 winner Andrea Dovizioso spoke next, beginning with how he feels after the big crash at Silverstone.
“I feel good fortunately, we worked hard at home and we were able to complete a test, it was important to make a test before the race. The feeling wasn’t perfect but it was important to do some laps. I feel good, I’m happy, I’m 100% fit, I did some motocross just to be sure and I’m ready. Last year was good for us, we had a special race, but I’m expecting a different weekend this year. The competitors are very strong, in the test a lot of riders have good pace but the weekend is always different. And the conditions are maybe a bit different, we have to see the grip we can find because at the test it was different than last year. So we have to see, I think it will be important for every bike.”
And overall? 78 points is his deficit to Marquez, but he says it’s the bigger picture. “I think my best way to make the best result is the same way I’m racing now. For the Championship 78 points is a big gap, but it’s a bigger gap if you think about recovering the points to Marc. It’s not just about 78 points, there’s not a big reason to think about the Championship. Especially because in some races we were quick and some not, so we have to improve those things.”
Fresh from his second premier class win, Rins took the mic next. And that was, of course, where the Suzuki rider began.
“It was unbelievable to get the victory in Silverstone, especially for the battle with Marc. I saw the race six or seven times. After the victory I think we are a little stronger in the race, in the race I’m able to fight, and we arrive here after a good test. We found some things, two days of testing and our setup is more or less clear. But things will be difficult because all the riders are there and it’s a small track, so it will be a fun weekend.
“During all the Fridays we are trying to improve, to see the setup, do a lot of laps on the tyres. Now I’m ready to do one lap at the end of the Championship, from this year it was more difficult. Silverstone wasn’t enough, we were in Q1, so I will try to be more in the top positions.”
Viñales spoke next, fresh from his rostrum finish in the UK where he came home third and almost in touching distance of the duel ahead.
“For sure we need to try and keep the momentum. I feel really good on the bike and especially with myself. Confidence is really high, so we’ll try to push the maximum, try to keep a good level all weekend and during the race be at the front. The test has been really successful for me so we will try to do our best.
“I focused a lot to improve myself on the bike for this race, so I focused a lot on that side.”
Rossi, meanwhile, will be doing his best to take back fifth in the title fight from Viñales, with the two having been locked close together for a good few races. But first, the nine-time World Champion talked about the pre-event on Tuesday that saw him take to the streets of his hometown of Tavullia on the Yamaha M1.
“It was a great moment because it was a dream I had when I was a child. We know very well that road because we always go up and down with our scooter, the road is fun with a lot of corners. So I said ‘one time it will be good to try my M1 in Tavullia’. It was like this and it was fun. I have a good feeling and on the road, I expected it to be more difficult, but the bike was ok!”
And the Grand Prix itself? The ‘Doctor’ sounds ready to fight near the front on home – truly home – turf.
“For sure here in Misano it’s always a special Grand Prix, it’s really my home Grand Prix. In the last races I was a bit better but in Silverstone after a solid weekend, in the race I wanted to fight for the podium but I was not strong enough. So we will try another time here. We did some testing, important testing, my pace was quite good, I feel quite well with the bike so we try, we are ready and we will see if we are strong enough to fight for the podium.”
Finally, lightweight class points leader Dalla Porta took the mic. Last season the venue saw him take his first win, this year he arrives as Championship leader.
“Last year I took my first victory here and it was very important for me. Very impressive because I didn’t expect it. This year I have had some good results so far, I’m trying to have good races only. I’m so excited to start this weekend and try to have a good race!”
And the future? It’s looking bright as the Italian spoke about his move for next year: “Italtrans is a fantastic team. For me it will be to experience first, but I’m so excited to ride the bike, I never tried a 600 bike before! I want to try the bike as soon as possible, but for now I have to be focused on this season.”
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Hometown hero, Valentino Rossi revs through Tavullia ahead of the GP week-end
What do you get when you add a nine-time World Champion, his Italian hometown and a Yamaha M1? One hell of a parade
Full capacity crowd! Rossi makes his way through the streets of his hometown. Photos: MotoGP Tavullia, 10 Sept 2019: Even when you’ve ruled the world nine times, broken records and raced in the premier class for two decades, there remain some dreams to be realised. For Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), that was to ride his Yamaha M1 through the streets of his hometown, Tavullia, and before the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, it came true.
Beginning at the Ranch – the seminal home of the VR46 Riders Academy and training grounds developed and designed man himself – this was more than just a parade lap, it was an event. And so, after getting suited and booted and gearing up for the road ahead, the nine-time World Champion set off from the quiet, vine-lined hillsides of the venue and rode out towards his hometown.
The story began on the very same streets, but back then Rossi and his friends were on scooters, not one of the fastest prototype motorcycles in the world. A lot has changed since then, but plenty things remain the same – and one of them is most definitely the passion the area has for motorcycling and for their most famous son, which was most definitely on full display once the number 46 arrived in the town centre.
Setting off for Tavullia in style Packed to the rafters, the piazzale lined by fans and a sea of yellow stretching down the streets, the scene was a sight to behold as the ‘The Doctor’ made his way into the crowd, greeting the fans and turning dream into reality for both himself and many of those who flooded the town to see him. But this was just the beginning, with a couple more stops yet to come.
The next one was VR46 headquarters, located just outside the town centre of Tavullia but still very much on home turf. And from there, of course, there was only one place to end up: the classic Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
A meet and greet with a difference.. Once at the track, speed was back on the agenda and the race weekend on the horizon. Misano is the first track Rossi rode, just a stone’s throw from his hometown, and the blast around on the M1 was a fitting end to the homecoming lap of honour – as was the wheelie pulled all the way down the main straight, bringing the event to a close before the switch soon flicks to race mode.
Tune in for the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini on the 13th to 15th September, when Rossi gets back on track – this time to race. The lights go out for MotoGP™ at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday.
