Michael Scott | November 17, 2019
2019 Valencia MotoGP Results and News
MotoGP – Marquez Unstoppable
World Champ Marc Marquez ended the 2019 MotoGP season on a high note with a victory in Valencia. (Gold & Goose photo)
The unstoppable Marc Marquez sealed off his record-breaking season with yet more of them in the final round at Valencia. His 12th win of the year not only netted a new lap record, a record points score and a record winning points margin. He had also, virtually single-handed, won the teams’ prize against the two race-winning Ducati riders, giving the Repsol team and the Honda factory a third successive triple crown.
He tied up the riders’ title with four races to spare, and the constructors’ one race later in Japan. The final prize went to the climax … but with Andrea Dovizioso fourth and Ducati team-mate Danilo Petrucci one of many to crash out in treacherously cold conditions, and with retiring team-mate Jorge Lorenzo contributing a final three points, the Repsol team ended up 13 points ahead.
The only race to run full distance saw Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) lead off the line, and pole qualifier Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha) take over at the second corner. Marquez followed him through, and stalked his new rival for the first seven of 27 laps. Then he pounced, and though Quartararo and Miller stayed close to the end, there was never any question over the ultimate winner,.
“The goal this weekend was to win the race and the championship. It’s been a perfect season, and it will be difficult to repeat it,” said Marquez. “But now is the time to celebrate.”
For Quartararo, second was further vindication. “Everybody said I didn’t deserve this seat, and I wanted to prove them wrong,” he said.
Third for Miller was his fifth podium of a strong year, and further proof – as he kept Dovizioso at bay throughout, of his growing maturity.
Dovi had his hands full all race long with Alex Rins’s Ecstar Suzuki, on his back wheel to the finish.
Malaysian GP winner, Monster Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales, was a lone and distant sixth, only inheriting the position after Petronas Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli fell in front of him.
A couple of seconds away, Joan Mir’s second Suzuki was better than ten seconds clear of a disillusioned Valentino Rossi (Monster Yamaha). The Espargaro brothers Aleix (Aprilia) and Pol (Red Bull KTM) completed the top ten.
With Danilo Petrucci (Ducati), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Johann Zarco (LCR Honda), Andrea Iannone (Aprilia) and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM) also crashing, a cautious Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda) finished a lone 13th in his final GP, to a tumultous receptions from the pits and the fans.
Marquez (420) and Dovizioso (269) were already set for the title. Vinales did enough to retain third from Rins, 211 to 205; then Quartararo (192) was fifth.
Moto2 – Binder Pushes On Through
Brad Binder was victorious in the Moto2 race at Valencia. (Gold & Goose photo)
Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder took a third race win in a row and his fifth in the last eight races, to secure second in the championship ahead of long-time race leader Thomas Luthi.
And with new World Champion Alex Marquez (EG VDS Kalex) falling and remounting to finish out of the points, it was only just too late for the South African, who finished only three points adrift in the final standings.
There were four riders in the front battle, with Dynavolt Kalex rider Luthi taking the lead off the line and holding it until the last two of 16 laps of a race shortened from a planned 25, because of the truncated time schedule.
Binder twice nosed ahead only to run wide directly. “He was so good on the brakes, so when I got the move to stick I made sure I did a very clean lap to get soe space over the line,” he said.
Luthi had to be happy with another podium, and a new lap record.
Inches behind, Stefano Manzi was narrowly denied a first podium in 40 years for the MV Agusta marque, after a strong finish to the bike’s first season. He’d closed up for a final attack on pole starter Jorge Navarro (Speed Up), but the Spaniard managed to fight back into the final corner.
Some seven seconds behind at the end, second Red Bull KTM rider Jorge Martin was clear of Augusto Fernandez, whose sixth place secured the teams’ prize for Sito Pons’s Flexbox HP40 Kalex squad, four points clear of the Dynavolt Kalex squad.
Vierge, Marini, Di Giannantonio and Lowes completed the top ten; American Joe Roberts was 18th, barely half-a-second out of the points. Beginner/replacement Sean Dylan Kelly crashed out of his first GP.
Marquez’s 262 points were just enough, with Binder on 259 and Luthi 250; with Navarro securing fourth and Fernandez fifth.
Moto3 – Rookie Parade
Sergio Garcia topped the Moto3 race in Valencia. (Gold & Goose photo)
Sergio Garcia was too young to race in the opening round. The EG-Honda rider claimed his debut race win at the closing race in Valencia, in a thrilling five-bike battle that closed off a shortened race, cut from 23 to 15 laps after a multi-bike crash in the first attempt.
Garcia made it by inches from pole starter Andrea Migno (Mugen KTM), in his 100th race.
Another sensation came from Xavier Artigas, a 16-year-old Spaniard in his debut race, on a Leopard Honda. Fresh from the European championship at the same track, Artigas set several fastest laps, led for several laps, and fought back past Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Honda) for a debut podium.
Another rookie, Filip Salac (Redox KTM) had closed up for a career-best fifth.
Dropping out of touch by the end, Aron Canet (Sterilgarda KTM) got back ahead of early leader Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Honda) for sixth.
Although conscious, SKY VR46 rider Denis Foggia was the worst hurt in the first multi-bike crash, triggered by wild card Carlos Tatay, and also taking out Antonelli, Yurchenko and Alcobar. Foggia landed in the middle of the track, and there was a long delay before he was able to be moved. Jaume Masia was already out in a lone crash.
Another multi-bike crash in the restart saw new champion Dalla Porto take race-winners Arbolino, McPhee and Lopez out.
Canet was second overall to Dalla Porta, 200 points to 271; Ramirez (183) took over third from non-scorer Arbolino (175), with McPhee (156) fifth and Celestino Vietti Rookie of the Year for sixth on 135 points.
Saturday
MotoGP – Quartararo Makes It Number Six
Saturday in Valencia Fabio Quartararo scored a sixth pole of his MotoGP rookie season. (Gold & Goose photo)
Fabio Quartararo emerged on top of a titanic struggle in the final qualifying session of 2019, the first rider to duck inside the 1:30 bracket as he knocked Jack Miller off the top slot, then went faster again at the finish.
It was the sixth pole of his rookie year for the 20-year-old satellite-team Petronas Yamaha rider, after he had dominated free practice at the tight and compact 4.005-km Ricardo Tormo circuit outside the port city of Valencia.
Conditions were sunny but cold for the finale, putting grip at a premium on the few right-hand corners. Quartararo once again was the master of the soft-tyre one-lap run.
“From Jerez it has been our strong point. Honestly I don’t know why, but I am super-happy about today because we improved our pace from yesterday,” he said.
Marquez was riding in scuffed leathers after a crash in FP4, and slotted in to second at the end, 0.032 of a second adrift. “I’m closer than I expected. In race pace I am okay, but one lap the Yamahas and especially Fabio are very quick,” he said.
Miller’s fourth front-row start of the season made the Pramac rider top Ducati again. “I’ve been strong in every session,” he said. “Looking forward to a strong race tomorrow.”
Thwarted at the end, winner of the last race in Malaysia Maverick Vinales, the Monster Yamaha missing the front row by less than a tenth,, in a batch of times that put the top three inside just over a tenth, and the full Q2 dozen inside one second.
The factory rider will start with second Petronas Yamaha rider Franco Morbidelli alongside, with Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso completing row two.
The two Ecstar Suzukis head row three, with rookie Joan Mir fractionally ahead of Alex Rins, who had to come through from Q1 again. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Castrol Honda) was seventh.
For four will be led by second factory Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci, from Pol Espargaro’s KTM, also through from Q1 after a spectacular tail-sliding display.
Valentino Rossi (Monster Yamaha) had two crashes yesterday, and his difficult weekend continued, qualified 12th-fastest, albeit less than a second off pole.
Johann Zarco (LCR Idemitsu Honda) was best of the rest, from Michele Pirro (Ducati), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), with the valedictory former multi-champion Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda) next in 16th, for his final GP.
MotoGP novice Iker Lecuona impressed on the Red Bull KTM of absent-injured Oliveira, placed 19th, just over a second off the fastest in Q1, and ahead of Iannone, Abraham and team-mate Syahrin.
Moto2 – Speed Up Goes Faster
Jorge Navarro rode his MB Conveyors Speed Up Moto2 machine to a fourth pole of the season. (Gold & Goose photo)
Jorge Navarro took the MB Conveyors Speed Up to a fourth pole of the season, in a characteristically super-close Moto2 qualifying, which had new champion Alex Marquez (EG VDS Kalex) less than half a second off Navarro’s 1:34.461, but languishing in 15th, on the fifth row of the grid.
The front-row honours were shared by rookie rider Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM) and rookie machine MV Agusta, with rider Stefano Manzi taking his career best third place.
Said Navarro: “I’m happy, but the big thing is tomorrow;” said Manzi: “I’m so proud with this strong come-back from MV … in one year we are at the top. And I made a mistake. I think I can be faster.”
Fourth-fastest at the end was double race winner Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Kalex), joined on row two by Thomas Luthi (Dynavolt Kalex) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Speed Up).
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) had dominated free practice, but placed seventh, heading the third from the Kalexes of Augusto Fernandez and Enea Bastianini. Binder is just four points ahead of Luthi in the battle for second overall.
Remy Gardner was 14th.
American Racing’s pair of US KTM riders teenage GP first-timer Sean Dylan Kelly and Joe Roberts were 27th and 32nd respectively, the more experienced of the pair stricken by electronic problems that condemned him to last.
Moto3 – Migno’s First
Andrea Migno, lining up for his 100th GP, claimed a career-first Moto3 pole position. (Gold & Goose photo)
Mugen KTM rider Andrea Migno, lining up for his 100th GP, claimed a career-first pole position, narrowly ahead of late challenger Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Honda).
Migno was on top the times after the flag when the Spaniard edged ahead for what would have been his third successive pole. But the Italian, also a former GP winner, was in the group following on, and moved back on top by a quarter of a second.
Long-time session leader Jaume Masia was third on the second Mugen KTM; with yet another of the Austrian machines heading row two, ridden by Aron Canet.
Alongside the Sterilgarda KTM, fast rookie Sergio Garcia (EG-VDS Honda) was ahead of Redox KTM’s Filip Salac, the Czech rookie’s career best.
New champion Dalla Porta heads fellow Honda rider Tatsuki Suzuki on row three from Darryn Binder (KTM), the latter pair both through from Q1. Romano Fenati completes the top ten, with Red Bull Rookies champion Carlos Tatay (KTM) 11th on the grid for his second GP, after starting from the front row at Aragon in his first.
The fight is on for second overall, with Canet on 190 points, Tony Arbolino (qualified 12th, but battered in a heavy crash) 175, and Ramirez 174.
Saturday News
Open Factory Honda MotoGP Seat May Involve Movement of Several Riders
Johann Zarco is still waiting to find out what his role with Honda will be in 2020. (Gold & Goose photo)
With speculation and rumour providing the music, the MotoGP musical chairs game intensified at Valencia on Saturday, for the position of who will replace the departing Jorge Lorenzo in the Repsol Honda hot seat.
Sentiment was also playing a role, with Spanish hopes in particular pushing the concept that HRC would go against form, and put a class rookie into the team alongside their six-times World Champion Marc Marquez … none other than his younger brother Alex, fresh from Moto2 championship victory.
Should this unlikely seeming scenario play out, then the knock-on effect would be to rob current LCR Honda replacement rider Johann Zarco of a role with Honda.
The latest speculation puts the Frenchman, who cut himself adrift from KTM mid-season, moving to the satellite Reale Avintia Ducati squad. He would oust Tito Rabat, with the former Moto2 champion then moving back to the intermediate class to resume his seat with the EG-VDS team, in place of the departed Alex Marquez.
In the absence of realistic comment from any of the major players, beyond the Avintia team’s Rueben Xaus confirming that they are seeking “the best possible riders”, the fantasy will have to serve for the present. But dreams can come true.
Nakagami Appearance Triggers Speculation
Takaaki Nakagami (Gold & Goose photo)
The unexpected presence of LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami at the track triggered rumours that he was about to announce that he was to be switched to the factory team, especially when he called a press briefing at lunchtime on Friday.
Not so, however. The post-operative shoulder injury victim, who pulled out of the last three races to have surgery, was just visiting, he insisted; continuing that he hoped next to ride a motorcycle in late January, in a gentle dirt-bike outing, before returning to take part in February’s first pre-season test at Sepang.
Nakagami was consulting physiotherapists in Japan who specialised in shoulder injuries – working with baseball teams in the country.
He sustained the injury when he was knocked off by Valentino Rossi at Assen, but rode on until his home GP at Motegi before revealing the extent of the serious rotator-cuff damage.
What Happens When a Honda’s Wing is Clipped?
A collision between Marc Marquez and an unexpectedly slow Karel Abraham in FP4 knocked off the upper winglet on the factory Repsol Honda – but Marquez continued undaunted, curious to understand what the effect would be.
It was rather surprising.
“The missing wing was on the right, but on the straight the bike was leaning to the right,” he said.
But it was of little consequence, especially at a relatively slow track. “You sometimes seen in F1 a car’s wings are damaged, but the lap times are still there,” he said.
Musical Chairs for Oncu Brothers
Deniz Oncu is set for Moto3 next season. (Gold & Goose photo)
One year after his sensational debut at Valencia, where he became the youngest-ever grand prix winner, 16-year-old Can Oncu’s continuing ambitions in the grand prix paddock have hit a hiatus … but as he prepares to move to a probably World 600 Supersport ride, his twin brother Deniz will be joining Moto3.
Oncu’s first season has been less than stellar, only twice in the points; but no worse than the average rookie’s performance.
But there is no place for him in the expanded Red Bull-backed Aki Ajo KTM squad, where it was recently announced that Japanese one-race winner Kaito Toba is to join Spaniard Raul Fernandez next year.
Deniz, however, will be joining the new Tech 3 Moto3 team, created after KTM abandoned Moto2 for next year. The team will run the rebranded KTMs badged as Husqvarna, with the possibility of a level of separate development for the returned marque.
Luthi Marches Up the Record Books
Thomas Luthi, Valencia Moto2 2019
Whether or not Thomas Luthi succeeds in overtaking Brad Binder for second in the Moto2 championship at Valencia tomorrow, the 33-year-old Swiss former 125cc champion arrived at the final race with another feather in his Alpine hat.
His third place in Malaysia a fortnight ago was his 64th career podium across all classes, but more significantly his 54th in Moto2. This puts him second in the all-time intermediate-class list, outstripping former 250 championship winners Max Biaggi and Tetsuya Harada, with 53 apiece. The only man left to beat is four-times World Champion Anton Mang, with 60.
Late-Season Reliability Issues for Ducati
Michele Pirro was one of the Ducati riders to experience bike issues in Valencia. (Gold & Goose photo)
Mechanical gremlins have haunted Ducati at Valencia, in both the factory and satellite squads.
On Friday, the first free practice had a fiery start for test rider Michele Pirro, in his third wild card ride of the year. The Italian was obliged to beat a hasty retreat to the gravel as flames poured from the belly pan.
They were quickly extinguished, and Ducati said later it was the result of a minor oil leak, with no lasting damage.
Minor also was a problem that sidelined Dovizioso in the afternoon, when he slowed suddenly and toured to the pits, the inside of his screen spattered with fluid. That had leaked from the front forks.
More serious was a mysterious brake problem that struck satellite-team rider Pecco Bagnaia in FP4. The Italian was leaving the pits, and applying the front brake as usual to get some heat into the carbon discs … when the wheel locked so severely that the bike ground-looped forward, and landed on top of him.
He was badly winded, and later diagnosed with concussion and a minor wrist fracture, which ruled him out of qualifying. His fitness will be assessed again on race morning.
Pramac team-mate Jack Miller, who was following him out of the pits, was aghast. “I was thinking – ‘That is a hell of a stoppie’. Then the bike body-slammed him.”
Moto3 Mass Sanctions
FIM Stewards had the black caps on again for Moto3, after another display of mass loitering in Q1, with riders awaiting a tow.
The sanctions varied according to how many teams the individual riders had already been sanctioned.
Worst off was Darryn Binder, whose fourth offence condemned him to a pit-lane start.
Can Oncu was docked 12 grid places for a second offence; while third-time offenders Tom Booth-Amos, Jakub Kornfeil, Stefano Nepa, Ai Ogura, Kaito Toba and Makar Yurchenko were sent to the back of the grid.
Granado Scores MotoE Victory
Eric Granado (Avintia team) won the first seven-lap MotoE race on Saturday. (Gold & Goose photo)
Brazilian Eric Granado (Avintia team) won the first seven-lap MotoE race at Valencia today, heading a close three-bike group from Tech 3’s Hector Garzo and early leader Bradley Smith (One Energy), the last two locked in combat to the line.
Championship leader Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini) was a safe fourth, after escaping from second Avintia rider Xavier Simeon.
Australian Josh Hook (Pramac) was ninth.
With another seven-lapper tomorrow, Garzo closed the points gap on Ferrari to just 12. This is the MotoE cup’s first year, with all riders on identical Energica machines.
Friday
MotoGP: Quartararo Creams It
Petronas Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo closed off the last day of free practice of 2019 as so often earlier in his first year in the premier class, topping the time sheets in both morning and afternoon.
2019 Valencia MotoGP Results and News
Fabio Quartararo topped the MotoGP timing charts on Friday at Valencia. (Gold & Goose photo)
Run in dry but cold conditions, and with more of the same forecast for tomorrow morning’s FP3, as always there is a strong chance that today’s top ten will be the final candidates for tomorrow’s elite Q2.
Yamaha ended the day strong, with three of the top five positions, including second – 0.15 of a second down – for Malaysian GP winner Maverick Vinales, on the factory Monster Yamaha.
The pair pushed Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) to third, with the new World Champion again playing it cool and working on race pace for most of the faster afternoon session.
Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati was strong in both morning and afternoon, and ended up fourth, some quarter of a second down on provisional pole. Alongside him, second satellite Petronas Yamaha teamster Franco Morbidelli, and then Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki).
Second Suzuki rider Joan Mir placed seventh; Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) a surprise eighth, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso on the top factory Ducati.
Johann Zarco squeezed into tenth in his third ride on the 2018 RC213V Honda, less than a tenth ahead of temporary team-mate Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), just missing the top ten.
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) was 12th and Ducati test rider Michele Pirro 13th, back from an early fire in the morning session.
Valentino Rossi was the victim of two crashes, a slow one in the morning and a much faster one in the afternoon, badly damaging one of his bikes. The 40-year-old was not hurt, but could do no better than 14th.
Marquez’s goal this weekend is to add the Teams’ championship to the Riders’ and Constructors’ titles already won. Ducati are currently two points ahead, but with both team riders scoring and Jorge Lorenzo – lining up for his last race on the Repsol Honda – placed a muted 16th overall, it might prove a tall order.
MotoGP rank beginner Iker Lecuona, in his first ride on the Red Bull KTM, placed 23rd, an impressive 2.379 seconds down on Quartararo.
Moto2 – Binder the Rocket
Brad Binder rode his Red Bull KTM to the best Moto2 time at Valencia during Friday’s practice sessions. (Gold & Goose photo)
Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder took firm control of the Moto2 class, aiming to secure second overall, after a super-strong second half of the season for the former Moto3 champion.
While Alex Marquez (EG-VDS Kalex) accumulated enough points to secure the title at the last round in Malaysia, Binder has piled up four wins in the last eight races, to outstrip earlier title challenger Thomas Luthi (Dynavolt Kalex) by four points before the final round.
Neither was close today. Binder was almost six tenths clear of Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox Kalex), rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Speed Up), Sam Lowes (Kalex) and Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta).
Times were close adrift of Binder, from Fernandez in second to American KTM rider Joe Roberts in 23rd inside one second.
Luthi was ninth; Marquez 13th, a mere seven thousandths slower than double race winner Luca Marini (Kalex). Remy Gardner was 22nd.
American Sean Dylan Kelly, making a grand prix debut as team-mate to Roberts, placed 32nd and last, 3.2 seconds off the front, making a steady start in difficult conditions.
Moto3: Closer Than Ever
The best lap Friday in Moto3 went to Jaume Masia. (Gold & Goose photo)
With 25 riders within one second of pole time, Moto3 riders were closer than ever, but still 1.2 seconds off record in dry but cold conditions that triggered several crashes.
Argentine GP winner Jaume Masia (Mugen KTM) was on pole by just seven hundredths, ahead of the Hondas of rookie Sergio Garcia and Marcos Ramirez, the latter hoping to depose Aron Canet (KTM), who was 12th, on a potential fourth row of the grid.
Wild card Xavier Artigas heads row two from new world champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta and veteran Romano Fenati (all Honda).
Valencia Friday News
Fellow Riders React to Lorenzo Retirement
Fellow riders reflected on Jorge Lorenzo announcing his retirement Thursday at Valencia. (Gold & Goose photo)
Tributes poured in in the wake of Jorge Lorenzo’s announcement of his retirement on the eve of the Valencia GP, with riders, racing management and fans alike expressing respect for a giant of modern MotoGP racing.
Few more valuable than from erstwhile team-mate and long-time rival Valentino Rossi, who said “we are losing a very important part of our sport. For me personally he has been one of the best rivals of my career.
“A lot of times he impressed me with his speed and concentrations. He was always very fast from the moment he arrived in MotoGP.”
Another long-time rival was Andrea Dovizioso, who said: “I met him in the European Championship in 2001, and every year we changed class at the same moment. We were always big rivals and he won a lot – but sometimes it is difficult to stay out in the lead.”
Alex Rins said “when I started to watch on TV he was always my reference. I feel good I could share the track with him;” while Cal Crutchlow spoke of how, when he and Colin Edwards were team-mates riding satellite Yamahas and Jorge was on a factory bike, they used simply to ignore his data, because he was in such a realm of his own.
All Marquez Factory Honda Squad?
Rumors began circulating at Valencia that Alex Marquez is being considered for the factory Repsol Honda MotoGP team to ride alongside his brother Marc. (Gold & Goose photo)
Speculation intensified on the first day of practice as to who would join Marc Marquez in the factory Repsol Honda team for 2020 – with new Moto2 champion Alex Marquez a surprise new name in the frame.
The main candidates are Johann Zarco, the best rider without a contract for 2020; as well as the LCR Honda team-mate Cal Crutchlow and Takaaki Nakagami.
The suggestion that Marc’s younger brother might be taken into the top Honda team as a rookie gained traction during the day, with Repsol team manager Alberto Puig saying that he would not rule out the possibility.
But as always Put was keeping his own counsel, saying that not having a second rider for next week’s 2020 tests was “not a drama”.
Martínez a MotoGP Legend
Jorge “Aspar” Martínez was inducted as the latest MotoGP Legend at Valencia. (2017 file photo by Gold & Goose)
Renowned team owner and multi-tiddler-class champion Jorge “Aspar” Martínez was inducted as the latest MotoGP Legend on the eve of the Valencia GP, in a ceremony somewhat overshadowed by the announcement of Lorenzo’s retirement.
Martinez first raced in 1982 in the 50cc class, and won his first title four years later, with the class now grown to 80cc. He dominated the class for three years straight, with a hat-trick of championships until 1988, when he doubled up with the 125cc title as well, with his greatest successes coming on the Spanish-made Derbi. He would go on to win 125 GPs (a total of 15, added to 22 in the smaller class) also riding JJ Cobas, Honda and Yamaha machines.
“When I was a child, the only thing I wanted to do was ride a bike. I get emotional thinking about the experiences I’ve had, the suffering too, but it’s amazing to remember … sleeping in tents, and then to be here at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. I chased Carmelo in 1988 to get the track built, to bring MotoGP to Valencia,” he said.
Aspar is the 30th rider to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Footnote: Lorenzo will be the next inductee, it was confirmed simultaneously with his announcement of retirement. The award will be made at the Jerez GP next year.
Yamaha Needs Faster Test Riders Says Rossi
After getting knocked back by Zarco and having now dispensed with the services of Jonas Folger, Yamaha is to use Japanese riders for the second year of its European test team … and Valentino Rossi is not well pleased.
The new plan was confirmed by Yamaha Racing CEO Lin Jarvis, at a special team managers’ conference on Friday.
Making the best of a bad job, Jarvis explained the benefit of a more unified effort, where during the 2019 season Japanese and European teams had found it difficult to compare data. For 2020 riders Kohta Nozane and Katsuyuki Kakasuga would test both in Japan and in Europe, rationalising the process.
But for Rossi, it was a loss.
“In modern GP racing, a test time is important, not just for shake-down testing but also for performance. For me it is a shame: sometimes you need a rider who can stay close to the lap time of racing.”
Yamaha had ended this season, said Jarvis, with more or less the same results, but after a different year. There had been internal [management] changes at Yamaha, and I would say we have corrected errors of the past, and set off on a new path. “We are clearly getting more competitive.”
The biggest problem was a relative lack of horsepower and top speed, but while addressing that it was important not to lose the overall balance that is one of the M1 Yamaha’s strong points.
No Satellite Squad for Suzuki
Also disappointed, the Suzuki team, with still no prospect of a satellite team to help speed up development of their machine.
Said team manager Davide Brivio: “Every year we hear questions about a satellite team, and it would be easier. It is clear that having more bikes you can speed up development.”
Also making the most of it, he said that the positive was “the factory is very clearly focused on our team and our two riders.”
Lecuona Makes MotoGP Debut
Iker Lecuona made an early MotoGP debut at Valencia. (Gold & Goose photo)
Iker Lecuona made an unexpectedly early MotoGP debut at Valencia, after Miguel Oliveira was out of the race on the satellite Tech 3 team’s Red Bull KTM.
The 19-year-old Valencia-born Spaniard, plucked out of the American Racing Moto2 team for the occasion, made a good impression on the first day of practice, less than 2.5 seconds off the top pace.
He admitted “I was a bit scared before the first run, but overall I’m really happy.”
Lecuona was due to join the Tech 3 squad next year, drafted in after earlier candidate Brad Binder was plucked out to go directly into the factory team.
Oliveira was out for surgery on a shoulder injury, incurred when he was knocked off by erstwhile factory KTM rider Zarco at Silverstone, and exacerbated when he was blown off track at high speed at Phillip Island, triggering the cancellation of Saturday’s qualifying session. He was out of that race and also the Malaysian GP, flying back to Europe after an abortive FP1 for medical treatment.
MotoE Pole to Granado
Eric Granado took pole for in MotoE at Valencia. (File photo by Gold & Goose)
Brazilian Eric Granado took pole for in MotoE, the new all-electric series lining up for its final two races of its first season.
The Avintia rider took his Energica machine round at 1m 40.715 seconds, a time that would have put him 26th fastest in Moto3.
Championship leader Matteo Ferrari (Tentino Gresini) was second-fastest, with One Energy rider Bradley Smith completing the front row of the grid, knocking early leader Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt) to fourth.
Australian Josh Hook placed tenth.
All riders are on identical electric Energica machines. Ferrari leads the championship by 19 points from Hector Garzo, with Smith another five points adrift, and a full 50 points still available.
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