INDIA in F1

Tag: MotoGP

  • Marquez takes final pole of the season at Valencia

    Marquez takes final pole of the season at Valencia

    Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez celebrates with team members after taking pole at Valencia on Saturday in season’s last GP. A Repsol Honda image.

    Marc Marquez today extended his career pole count to 73 (45 in MotoGP), with his eighth pole of the season in Valencia. After showing quick race pace and taking P1 in both FP3 and FP4 sessions, Marc was the only rider able to dip under the 1’30 barrier in qualifying, setting a 1’29.897 that proved unbeatable by his opponents.

    Marquez set a scintillating lap mid-way through qualifying at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo and that proved enough for pole for the Championship leader ahead of the #FinalShowdown – despite then taking a tumble after a front end washout on his final run. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) takes second after improving on his final lap, three tenths off polesitter Marquez, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completing the front row in another show of good pace in the season finale.

    Friday’s fastest Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) heads up the second row after a fast crash when setting red sectors – rider ok – with the five-time World Champion only a tiny margin off a top three start at the venue where he holds the pole lap, race lap and most premier class wins records. The rider with the most victories at the circuit across all classes, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), is just behind Lorenzo in fifth after ending Day 1 in P2. Ducati Team test rider and wildcard Michele Pirro completes the second row.

    Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took P7 to edge Q1 graduate Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) by only nine thousandths, with the Spaniard crashing out late on but eighth despite returning from injury and suffering with illness. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) will start ninth – and he has won from there before – but faces a mountain to climb on race day if he is to win the race and retain a chance at the crown.

    Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completes the top ten, ahead of Q1 graduate Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who went eleventh fastest but will start from pitlane due to an engine penalty. Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) takes P12 and was another to crash in the session, moving one place forward on race day as Espargaro’s penalty shuffles the grid forward.

    That’s good news for Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) after a tough day at the office for the rider from Roses, qualifying in P13 and gaining one place. He’s followed by Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), with Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) and Q1 faller Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) completing the fastest sixteen and the top fifteen on the grid.

    The #FinalShowdown is now ready to race, with the lights going out at 14:00 (GMT +1) on Sunday and the crown on the line.

    Pole: 1:29.897

    Marc Marquez said: “I am  extremely happy that today we’ve achieved our goal of starting from the front row, as the start is very important at this track. I had a crash in qualifying that frustrated me for a bit, though only for a few minutes. The fact is that I did not feel totally comfortable with the front in turn 4 during my first flying lap, and when I told Santi (Hernández) before going out for my second run he told me to pay attention to this. I kept pushing because I knew that I had to do so if I wanted to be faster, but then I fell. As I said on Thursday, the ‘Marquez style’ will be okay until after the warm up, and that I want to work in the same way as always, pushing hard during the practices. The most important thing is that we’ve worked well all weekend and that we’ve got a good pace on used tires. For the race we must make a switch and change. We must see where Dovi is, where we can finish and do our best.”

    eom/MotoGP release with inputs from Repsol Honda

     

  • Season finale at Valencia to decide MotoGP winner: Can Dovizioso stand between Marquez and a 6th world title

    Season finale at Valencia to decide MotoGP winner: Can Dovizioso stand between Marquez and a 6th world title

    Can Andrea Dovizioso do it at Valencia…. File photo from Malaysian round by Srinivasa Krishnan

    The reigning Champion vs the once dark horse will be decided in the season finale – and it may be 21 points in it, but anything can happen

    The twists and turns of 2017 have seen contenders flicker and fade; wins celebrated, cava sprayed and the wounds of defeat healed bar the points that have escaped some into the gravel.  After 17 race weekends and thousands of laps since those first forays on track at Valencia last year, there remain two contenders as MotoGP™ returns to the venue: reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who holds a 21 point lead, and dark horse turned key challenger Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – the only man in between Marquez and a sixth world title.

    Marquez’ path to the finale began off the podium in the season opener, before a crash at Argentina seemed to spell doom for his early hopes of retaining the crown. But the King of COTA returned to his throne in Austin, and the number 93 was on the podium next time out at Jerez. Then the tale twisted once more with a crash at Le Mans and a more difficult Mugello, before the fuse was lit and Marquez took five podiums in a row, including back-to-back wins at Sachsenring and Brno. Silverstone is what brought that run to an end as the Repsol Honda rider suffered a mechanical failure and retired. Losing out on the chance of a big chunk of points there, the following wins at Misano and Aragon were victories that put him back up at the front. His Phillip Island stunner then sealed his status as leader and made Sepang his first shot at an unbelievable sixth crown. But the man on his tail couldn’t be shaken off and Dovizioso turned a must win race in Malaysia into 25 points. Now, here we are.

    Dovizioso, unlike Marquez, began the season on the podium. In Argentina he was collected in another rider’s crash, and since then the Italian has avoided a single DNF. Solid mid top ten results prefaced his first win of the year at Mugello – an incredibly special victory on home turf – before the Italian cemented his status as a true threat by taking the next victory too, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. And he did it again when he took back-to-back wins at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone – the former proving one of the duels of the century. Few people have beaten Marquez on the last lap or last corner, and Dovizioso made himself one of them. Later in the season, as the battle boiled down to two, ‘DesmoDovi’ would do it again: another spectacular duel between the two lit up the Twin Ring Motegi, this time in the pouring rain – and Dovizioso went from one of the men to have beaten Marquez on the final lap to the only man to have done so when the reigning Champion began that lap in the lead. Now, it makes a statistic and a race that history will remember – then, it was the Italian simply using what he says is his key characteristic, and outthinking the opposition.

    There are only three men who have overturned a deficit in the season finale. The most recent is Dovizioso’s now-teammate Jorge Lorenzo in 2015, and Wayne Rainey did the same in 1992 to become the first. The late, great Nicky Hayden is the other man to have achieved the feat, in the famous final race of 2006. Dovizioso’s shot is long, and he must win the race to have a chance. But from dueling the same ‘Kentucky Kid’ and hopping over the kerbs at Indianapolis when the two were fighting for ninth in 2013, every shot seemed a long one for the Borgo Panigale factory. Those days are over. They have been long years of hard work for Ducati to claw their way back to the top, but back at the top they are. Sometimes motorcycle racing is decided by luck and circumstance. Sometimes it is decided by sweat. At Valencia, Dovizioso will be hoping both ring true for the red corner, and Marquez will do anything to keep the crown with him and Honda.

    A two horse race is, of course, not the reality out on track. Marquez is gunning to be the youngest winner of six titles and the youngest winner of four in MotoGP™, but there are decorated veterans for both Dovizioso and the reigning Champion to overcome. Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), their respective teammates, both have good records at Cheste – what role could they play? Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) too has good form at Valencia, and the cast from here have no interest in the title fight. His teammate Valentino Rossi has found it a more challenging track than some at times, but the ‘Doctor’ is never to be counted out. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), confirmed as top Independent Team rider, will come out swinging. More than 20 riders representing Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia and KTM will make it a race to remember, as has been the case throughout this incredible season.

    But for Marquez or Dovizioso – or both for opposing reasons – it will be more than a good memory in a photo album of 2017, or a milestone on the way to the next. It will be the day for one to continue rewriting the possible in the premier class since he took his first and rookie title at the same venue in 2013, or a doggedly-fought and definitive first MotoGP™ crown for the man who would be the oldest since Mick Doohan in 1998 to achieve the feat.

    The throne cannot be shared, but after 2017, the glory surely has been. The coronation begins on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +1).

    eom/MotoGP press release

  • Dorna Sports to bring 16 fastest players for ultimate MotoGP eSport play-off

    2017 has witnessed MotoGP make an exciting move into the world of eSports – a new venture that allows fans of the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship to experience the thrill of high-speed competition for themselves. Exclusive to SONY PlayStation 4 and running from July through to the Grand Final in November, the first ever MotoGP eSport Championship has consisted of six online qualifying periods, each of 10 days in duration, leading up to the exciting final showdown at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana.

    The Grand Final will see the 16 best gamers invited to a Live event held at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo on Friday 10th November at 17.00 CET, with  two hours of coverage broadcast worldwide to over 190 countries -both through key MotoGP broadcasters as well as on motogp.com and through YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Twitter. Founding sponsorship partners, many of whom already support the FIM MotoGP Championship, have contributed top prizes for the title hopefuls including a BMW M240i Coupé as the winner’s trophy, a KTM390, a Samsung Smart TV and the money-can’t-buy Red Bull Hangar 7 experience. It will be a five-day trip of a lifetime for the finalists, and an unforgettable experience as they compete against each other and enjoy the pivotal 2017 FIM MotoGP World Championship season.

    The MotoGP eSport Championship has already captured the imagination of millions of motorcycle fans worldwide, with more than 17 million video views and a global reach of over 58 million. The Grand Final is global too, with players from Spain (6 players), Italy (5 players), the United Kingdom (2 players),the Netherlands, South Africa and Germany all qualifying for the showdown at Valencia. During the six online challenges put to would-be contenders for the 2017 eSport Championship title, more than 2.5 million kilometers of ‘track distance’ has been raced by players  pushing for a ‘fastest lap’, and  they recorded more than 15,000 hours of game time.

    Produced by the long-standing licensee of the official MotoGP 17 console video game, Milestone, the challenges included some of the best rider/manufacturer duos in the world of MotoGP today. During the season, superstar World Champions like Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo were also involved in the eSport Championship media coverage, giving tips and tricks to potential eSport qualifiers – with the riders themselves playing MotoGP 17 on some of the tracks available in the competition.

    Pau Serracanta, Dorna Sports’ Commercial Area Managing Director: “We are delighted and somewhat surprised by the incredible reception from fans during the first official championship of eSports in MotoGP, I am also thrilled that the level of the participants during the season has been so high, and this will make the final very competitive. Even now, it is difficult to predict who will be the MotoGP eSport World Champion. No doubt we will continue working so that the future of the MotoGP eSport World Championship can continue to grow as it has done this year.”

    eom/MotoGP release

  • Andrea Dovizioso keeps calm and wins under intense pressure to keep MotoGP title race open

    Sepang: It was a must win in many ways for Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso as the paddock arrived at Sepang International Circuit, and the Italian kept calm under intense pressure to secure his sixth win of the season – and take the Championship fight down to the wire. Slicing through the rain to catch and pass teammate Jorge Lorenzo, Dovizioso was seven tenths clear of the Majorcan at the flag in a 1-2 for Ducati  – and key rival Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) crossed the line in fourth. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completed the podium after a stunning start, wrapping up the title of top Independent Team rider.

    It was Marquez who took an incredible initial holeshot from the third row, but the reigning Champion headed wide along with Lorenzo – allowing Zarco to slice through into the lead. Once there, the Frenchman lit it up to escape into the distance, and Lorenzo moved through to chase the Tech 3 rider down. Marquez slotted into third, with Dovizioso initially the man to lose out – but the Italian soon began to move through.

    Zarco’s lead began to diminish, Dovizioso passed Marquez, and then both Ducatis were able to pass the Frenchman. It seemed Marquez would have the pace to take third from Zarco, but the reigning Champion couldn’t make up the ground. At the front, Lorenzo was holding firm as the two red machines streaked away – but the number 99 then suffered a moment at Turn 15 with a foot off the footpeg. ‘DesmoDovi’ saw his chance to strike, then facing down some nervous laps as the end of the race neared. Lorenzo brought it back to seven tenths over the line, with Zarco back on the rostrum in third.

    Marquez was eight seconds further back in fourth, with polesitter and teammate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top five after a more promising showing in the wet for the former winner at the venue in similar conditions. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) put in a superstar performance in the wet as he was forced to start from the back after a technical problem with his number one bike, and moved up to take sixth over the line – a gain of over 15 places.

    Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was close to his compatriot by the end of the race to take seventh and only four tenths back, ahead of a more lonely finish for EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller into P8. Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had a tough race for ninth, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory) giving KTM another consecutive top ten finish after another impressive race.

    Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) took P11, with the points scorers completed by Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing), Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda.)

    It’s now truly everything or nothing for the two title challengers, and the Championship comes back to Europe for the final showdown at Valencia. Marquez leads by 21 points, so it’s a long shot for ‘DesmoDovi’…but never, ever say never.

    MotoGP Race Results
    1 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) 44’51.497
    2 – Jorge Lorenzo (SPA – Ducati) + 0.743

    1st Independent Team Rider: 
    3 – Johann Zarco (FRA – Yamaha) +9.738

    eom/MotoGP release

  • Franco Morbidelli crowned world champion: Moto2

    Franco Morbidelli crowned world champion: Moto2

    Franco Morbidelli after winning the Moto2 championship at Sepang on Sunday.. A . MotoGP image

    Sepang: Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) is the 2017 FIM Moto2™ World Champion after wrapping up the crown at Sepang International Circuit. Following a stunning season in which the Italian has taken eight wins, six poles and 11 podiums, the EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider becomes the first Italian Champion in the intermediate class for nearly ten years – the previous being Marco Simoncelli in 2008. From STK600 to Moto2™, Morbidelli has quickly risen to the top.

    First making a foray onto the stage in 2009 in a one-off ride at Valencia in the FIM CEV Repsol, Morbidelli would soon make a much bigger splash in 2011 as he competed in the Superstock 600 class of the Italian national championship – alongside four races in the European STK600 championship. The following year, Morbidelli was runner up in the national championship and took three wins – and took his first podium and first pole position at European level the same year.

    That laid solid foundations for an assault on the title in 2013, and Morbidelli made good on his promise by taking five podiums – of which two were wins – on his way to wrapping up his first international crown. 2013 was also the season Morbidelli debuted on the world stage, with three Moto2™ appearances.

    That was the path the Italian would follow going forward. A full-time ride in 2014 saw Morbidelli gaining traction throughout the season, with the latter half of the year full of top ten results on his way to eleventh overall. 2015 got off the ground running with five top six results in the opening five rounds, and by Indianapolis the future World Champion was on the rostrum  for the first time in third. Missing some rounds due to injury, the end of the year saw him rake in more points – but 2016 was just around the corner.

    The first real taste of the 2017 World Champion was more than evident in 2016. After a slower start, Morbidelli took some top four results and then his first podium of the year at the TT Circuit Assen. He followed that up with another at the Red Bull Ring, and was on the rostrum eight times in the last eleven races. Just missing out on the top three in the Championship by a single point, it was evident that the Italian would be a serious challenger in 2017.

    Off to a flying start with a faultless win from pole, Morbidelli was three for three by the time the paddock arrived at Jerez. Then crashing out of contention, he was back on top next time out for a fourth win in five. Then followed victory at Assen and the Sachsenring as well as another podium at Silverstone, before the Italian crashed out the lead at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Out to win next time out, Morbidelli took on compatriot Mattia Pasini at MotorLand Aragon in a stunning duel, and put everything on the line for his eighth win of the year.

    An eighth at Motegi and a third on Phillip Island saw the EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider arrive at Sepang with a 29 point advantage. Following a dramatic qualifying session that saw key rival Tom Lüthi suffer a fracture in his foot and get declared unfit, Morbidelli’s advantage at the top was enough to declare him 2017 Moto2™ World Champion in Malaysia to round out his stunning season.

    Biography:
    Date of birth: 4th December 1994
    Place of birth: Rome, Italy
    First GP: Misano 2013, Moto2™
    First pole position: Qatar 2017, Moto2™
    First podium: Indianapolis 2015, Moto2™
    First victory: Qatar 2017, Moto2™
    Starts: 70
    Victories: 8
    Podiums: 20
    Pole positions: 6
    Fastest laps: 11
    Titles: Moto2™ (2017)

    World Championship career
    2013: Moto2™ World Championship — 3 races
    2014: Moto2™ World Championship — Kalex, 11th, 18 starts, 75 points
    2015: Moto2™ World Championship — Kalex, 10th, 14 starts, 90 points
    2016: Moto2™ World Championship — Kalex, 4th, 18 starts, 213 points
    2017: Moto2™ World Championship — World Champion — Kalex, 17 starts, 288 points.

    SOME FACTS ABOUT FRANCO MORBIDELLI

    Franco Morbidelli is the first Italian rider to win a Moto2™ title and the first in the intermediate category since Marco Simoncelli back in 2008.

    Morbidelli’s title is the 23rd in the intermediate category for Italian riders.

    Morbidelli has won eight races so far this year, equaling Johann Zarco’s total back in 2015 – which is also the second-highest number of Moto2™ wins in a season after Marc Márquez in 2012 (9).

    He is the first Italian rider to do so since Marco Melandri won nine times in 2002.

    Morbidelli is ahead of Andrea Iannone on the podium and win tally for Italian riders in Moto2™, with 20 and 8. With his pole position at Sepang, he is now leading Andrea Iannone and Mattia Pasini, who have five each.

    Morbidelli is the only Italian rider who has won back-to-back races in the intermediate category since Marco Simoncelli (2009).

    Morbidelli belongs to the list of the five riders who have led more than 200 laps since the introduction of the Moto2™ class in 2010.

    He is the first intermediate class Champion who has not graduated through the 125cc/Moto3™ class since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2009.

    He is the first intermediate class Champion who has not graduated through the 125cc/Moto3™ class since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2009.

    Morbidelli took the lead of the Championship when he won the first race of his career at Losail and has remained at the head of the table throughout the rest of the season.

    ends

  • Pedrosa takes impressive pole; Marquez 7th despite early crash

    Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa took a fantastic pole position for tomorrow’s Malaysian GP—his third this year, his 31st in MotoGP, and the 49th in his career.

    After struggling in the wet on Friday, Dani was able to consistently improve his pace in today’s sunny and hot conditions, setting the third fastest lap time in FP3 and the fifth quickest in FP4 before besting Johann Zarco and Andrea Dovizioso by 0.017” and 0.024”, respectively, in the last minute of an incredibly hard-fought qualifying session.

    After ending FP3 in ninth place, Championship leader Marc Marquez found a good pace in FP4, securing the top spot. He also once again demonstrated his unbelievable bike control, saving a front-end slide in turn one, although he was subsequently unlucky in qualifying, crashing at turn 15 during his first flying lap, on which he had been setting the fastest lap as he entered the third sector.

    He immediately returned to the garage, mounted his second bike, and recorded what at the moment was the third fastest time. He improved again on his last run, but not enough, and had to settle for the seventh spot on the grid despite having the pace and speed to run at the front.

    Tomorrow’s race will begin at 3 p.m. local time.

  • Andrea Dovizioso, the MotoGP title challenger, tops timesheets in Sepang wet&dry

    Andrea Dovizioso, the MotoGP title challenger, tops timesheets in Sepang wet&dry

    Dovi tops FP session in rain and shine on Friday. Photo by MotoGP

    Sepang: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was fastest in FP1 at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, heading to the top late in FP1 in the dry – and the Championship contender backed it up in a wet FP2 to again head the timesheets. Key rival Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who goes into the weekend 33 points clear of the Italian, was fifth in FP1 in the dry and therefore overall – and second to Dovizioso in the wet. The reigning Champion had a number of moments on Day 1, but didn’t suffer a crash.

    Second overall after a last dash in FP1 was Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team), followed by Rookie of the Year Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3). Zarco suffered a crash in the afternoon, but the Frenchman was soon on his feet. Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was fourth, ahead of Marquez.

    Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) took sixth in the dry, ahead of an impressive first day for Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing). Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) took ninth after an early problem that significantly dented track time for the Little Samurai, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) completing the top ten. Lorenzo was third in the wet in the afternoon, the same half second off Marquez as Marquez was off Dovizioso at the top.

    Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) was eleventh ahead of compatriot Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) locking out the fastest fifteen.

    It was a notable first day for Michael van der Mark as he rode a MotoGP™ bike for the first time, putting the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine in P19 in both sessions. In the dry, the 2014 World Supersport Champion was only 2.8 seconds off Dovizioso at the top of the timesheets in FP1.

    As direct entry to Q2 is decided in FP3, Valentino Rossi will be the big name praying for the skies to remain dry on Saturday morning – before qualifying begins from 14:10 local time (GMT +8).
  • I need to fight and I will fight: Marc Marquez at Sepang press meet

    I need to fight and I will fight: Marc Marquez at Sepang press meet

    Championship leader Marc Marquez at the Thursday press conference in Sepang. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan for INDIAinF1.com

    Ahead of the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, the pre-event Press Conference brought Championship leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), rival Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Valentino Rossi and teammate Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) together to talk about the weekend ahead – with both the MotoGP™ and Moto2™ titles in play for the first time.

    First to speak was Marquez, as he arrives 33 points ahead of Dovizioso and has his first shot at the title: “One of the main targets is try to finish, and try to be on the same level with the same mentality but obviously you feel a little bit different and it’s a special weekend. But on the other hand, I have the same motivation and mentality and I’ll try to push in the practices to the maximum to prepare the race, and we’ll see how we can fight and finish on Sunday. A lot of riders are fast here, and we did a lot of laps here during the preseason test so it will be a tough weekend. Here in the past I’ve had some ups and downs, it’s not one of my best tracks. We will see where we can arrive this weekend. But I have a good advantage, there are two races remaining, and we’ll try to be on a good level and think about the Championship. But if I need to fight, I will fight.”

    Andrea Dovizioso similarly had some fighting talk, saying he’ll try everything to try and keep the title open: “After a bad result at Phillip Island, I went to Langkawi for three days, and I enjoyed the weather and the beach to be ready for this weekend. We know it’s difficult but the Championship is open and we’ll try everything. We have to be ready in all conditions. Last year it was an amazing victory and battle with Valentino and Iannone. I have good memories and I really enjoy riding this track. In the past in the dry we’ve never been very competitive, but I expect it will be different this year. We’ll try and get the best result, and then we’ll see what happens with Marc and the other riders. Before we approached the weekend looking to win the race, and we won’t change that.”

    With a two-horse race for the crown now, the pressure is off for Viñales. And after a big step forward at Phillip Island, the rider from Roses is confident ahead of Sepang – and could complicate matters at the front. “I enjoyed Phillip Island a lot. I didn’t expect to be on the podium because I lost some seconds when I had contact with Iannone but I pushed to the limit. But we recovered the feeling, especially with the front tyre, and that’s important for Sepang. Let’s see what we can do this weekend but I’m convinced we can do another great job. This is a track I really like, I’ve always been fast with good results, and also it’s good for Yamaha. And I feel good in the tough conditions. We were struggling all year in the wet and then in 20 minutes we found the key! Here there should be some rain so it will be good to prove we’ve made that step.”

    A lot of the riders talked about the Australian GP and the incredible battle, and that included Rossi. The most successful rider at the venue with six wins, the Italian says he very much likes the track – but it’s the hardest weekend of the year: “It was a great pleasure to fight in that race at Phillip Island, it was very fun. And it was an important result, especially for me after injury, and for the team. We arrive here in good shape but here it’s completely different. I like this track a lot, I was on a 250 when we rode here for the first time and it’s a great pleasure to ride on a MotoGP bike. But It’s like the bad weather has followed us everywhere all season! We’ll try to be competitive in all conditions. In the wet this year I’m not as strong as last year, but we hope to be strong. This is the most demanding race of the season because it’s very hot.”

    Johann Zarco, meanwhile, thinks the Australian GP marked an important step forward – and knows he arrives back in Malaysia with a lot more experience compared to testing: “When I watched Phillip Island, seeing all those overtakes…I’m happy I was part of them, fighting at the top level – and I’m happy with the weekend we had, we had a good improvement that I hope we can have here too. If I can find the same feeling, I would like to be part of the fight for the podium or even for victory. I keep some hope of being back here on Sunday! Being fast at Phillip Island was a special emotion, but here is a bit different because we tested here. And I can feel the experience I’ve gained from February to October.”

    After Marquez and Dovizioso held court to begin the Press Conference, Franco Morbidelli was the final contributor in the first round of questions. Not quite with the same advantage as Marquez, it is still 29 points – and gives him a high chance of taking the title this weekend. Calm and collected as always, the Italian says he’ll try and keep it business as usual: “I will try to face this weekend as I usually do. I know it’s going to be hard and it won’t be a usual GP but I’ll try to stay calm, do my job and set up the bike to be as fast as possible. I really like Sepang, especially with the new surfaces with less bumps. It’s really nice to ride around here. Hopefully it will be dry or completely wet, I prefer clear conditions. In Australia both KTMs were really fast, I tried to get more points and battle with Binder but couldn’t beat him at the end. But third was good for the Championship.”

    The Championship, in both MotoGP™ and Moto2™, is sure to remain the talk of the weekend. Now track action begins on Friday morning, before everything is on the line on Sunday.

  • MotoGP stars play badminton against Olympians before Malaysian GP

    Pre-Event pitches MotoGP against Olympians as a game of badminton fires up the engines for the Malaysian GP

    Ahead of the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, points leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Ducati Team’s Jorge Lorenzo faced a different kind of rivalry – on the badminton court. Teamed up with Olympic Silver Medalists Yap Kim Hock and Rashid Sidek at the Velodrom National Malaysia in Nilai, the two went head to head to see who would win the first competition of the weekend.

    “It’s quite difficult to play,” smiled Marquez, who went into the event as a rookie. “It was the first time I’ve played and it’s hard to understand the speed of the shuttlecock. I was sweating a little bit!”

    Marquez was up to speed fairly quickly, however, and was able to pull out a lead – with Lorenzo playing through the pain barrier after his crash at Phillip Island.

    “I tried but I knew it would be difficult,” said the Ducati rider, who suffered a big crash in practice for the Australian GP. “I still have some pain in my shoulder and ankle so it wasn’t easy, but we had fun with Marc and the professional players. It was a good experience…similar to tennis but a bit different!”

    After the first few games, MotoGP™ Legend Mick Doohan made a wildcard appearance near the end as he tagged in to replace the Majorcan. “It’s not easy,” explained the Australian in the aftermath. “Initially, I thought it was going to be and the first few hits were ok…but then I lost the game! But it was a fun little event and I’ve never tried it before, so it was fun.”

    Marquez was similarly happy to have taken part, and on the eve of the first race weekend on the calendar at which he could take the title, says it can be useful to switch off from the world of two wheels for a while: “It’s good to have this kind of event. It helps you to forget about motorbikes a little bit and forget about the race weekend!”

    But not forget about competition, and it was the number 93 who took the win – something he’ll be looking to repeat this weekend as the title fight hits boiling point at Sepang International Circuit.

    Lorenzo is looking forward to getting back on track, with the venue more suited to the Ducati. “It’s a very different track,” explains the Majorcan. “Hard braking and slow corners, unlike Phillip Island. It’s much wider as a track…it should be better for our bike. Phillip Island was a difficult weekend so we just hope to have a better race.”

    Marquez’ mentality remains the same ahead of the weekend despite the opportunity he has to take the title, with the focus on pushing and staying calm under pressure.

    “We will try to give 100%, focus and have a similar mentality as in other races,” affirms the reigning Champion. “Now we have a good advantage we need to be calm and finish the race. From Friday my mentality is the same – start pushing 100% and check how our level is on Sunday.”

    That Sunday sees lights out at 15:00 local time (GMT +8).

    eom/MotoGP press release

  • Can Ducati’s Dovizioso spoil Marquez party at Sepang…. MotoGP on its penultimate leg

    Ducati rider, Andrea Dovizioso won’t go down without a fight, despite the low-down of the previous round and the reigning world champion, Marc Marquez, will have a fight on his hand when MotoGP returns to Sepang in Malaysia for the next Sunday’s penultimate round.

    “You need to be more stupid than them, more aggressive than them,” said the 38-year old multi champion who is a sporting legend on his own winning and fighting with elite younger riders with the aplomb the once brought him podiums galore. While Valentino Rossi, the nine-time World Champion was quipping with his delightful quotes, Marquez said: Amazing, amazing…. it was an amazing fight! That is what we need for the MotoGP to enthuse and enlighten the fans. “During the race, I was just waiting, waiting, waiting…” he said of the apparent chance to overtake the leader for a victory. But he will be waiting for just one more round, as patiently to clinch the issue.

    But the waiting games, the dogfights and the seat-edged battles are thrilling the fans and bringing more people to the event.

    At the Phillip Island race last Sunday, in 0ne of the most stunning dogfights of the modern era, it was reigning Champion and table topper Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) who emerged triumphant from the melee after breaking away from Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) to take a well-deserved victory.  And it was a tough day out for title rival Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), as he suffered an early run off and was forced to fight back from P20; making it to thirteenth…. once has to see that if those three points will matter in the end, only if he can come back at Sepang and take the title fight to the last round in Valencia. He just needs to reduce the gap to 24 points, which means, he needs to get 9 points more than Marquez and bingo… the battle will pr0long.

    Now Marquez is 33 points clear as we touch down in the melting pot of Sepang. Searing heat, humidity, uncertain weather and a challenging and technical track make for a mammoth weekend on which the crown will first be in play, and there’s one thing squarely on Dovizioso’s side despite the pendulum having swung the other way: the Italian won there last season.

    Then, it was his first win since 2009. Now, it’s the first of six in a year – and a tough weekend at Phillip Island does little to diminish the Italian’s claim to the crown. Dovizioso won’t go down without a fight, and this is his final stand.

    The standings may be a two horse race for the title, but the race itself will surely not be. Rossi and Viñales were back on the podium at Phillip Island in style, and both will be aiming for the top once again. The rider from Tavullia has won at Sepang more times than anyone. Zarco – who won the Moto2 crown there in 2016 – is another who fought it out on the Island, and another who will be fired up to do it again. Likewise Andrea Iannone, as he looks to keep the momentum going after two top six finishes in two races – and some stunning moves in Australia.

    Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) could be a dark horse for the win. Pedrosa is the next most successful rider at the venue after Rossi, and has taken five wins – three of which have been in MotoGP™. Wet or dry, Pedrosa has reigned. He also equals Rossi’s pole position count – four – and has the pole record: a searing 1’59.053 lap of the venue in 2015.

    Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) is the race lap record holder and will want to bounce back after Phillip Island, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) continues making huge progress and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing likewise – with another triumph at Phillip Island as they took two top ten finishes and had both bikes in Q2.

    Independent Team riders Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) will be back chasing Zarco for the honour of being the first in that fight, and there will be a new name on the grid: Michael van der Mark.

    Originally called up to replace Rossi at Aragon, the Dutch WorldSBK rider will instead make his debut at Sepang replacing the absent Jonas Folger at Monster Yamaha Tech 3. The 2017 Suzuka 8H winner and former WorldSSP winner at Sepang races with no pressure, ready to get his first taste of the premier class.

    33 points separate the title contenders, two races remain and Sepang will bring it to boiling point: will Marquez hold his nerve, or can Dovizioso strike back? Action begins on Friday as the field prepare for battle.
    MotoGP World Championship Classification
    1 – Marc Márquez (SPA – Honda) 269 points
    2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) 236 points
    3 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) 219 points
    5 – Valentino Rossi (ITA – Yamaha) 188 points
    5 – Dani Pedrosa (SPA – Honda) 174 points