Valentino Rossi Penalty

What the hell happened this morning?

Valentino Rossi had a chance to wrap up the his tenth World Championship this morning. Now to be honest I did not expect that to happen, and I am sure neither did you. I was however expecting a big battle between Rossi and Marquez, they did not disapoint.

From the moment Rossi had Marquez right in front of him I knew it would end in disaster. Neither man will back down from the other as both want to crowned the greatest of all time, the present versus the future, the past versus the present whatever you want to name it, it happened today.

Sepang press conference

Rossi had accused Marquez in Thursday's press conference of helping Jorge Lorenzo to win the championship. A bit far fetched? I don't think so. He may not be helping to the degree Valentino is saying but he is definitely causing trouble. Marquez had the pace in Australia to break away earlier and I think he had pace again today. It was inevitable that he was going to cause Rossi hassle after his comments on Thursday and that he did. 

Hand of God or Knee of GOAT

Young Marquez pulled some very close overtaking moves on Rossi and from what I saw he touched him on numerous occasions. This went on for several laps, both men swapping positions and paintwork!

Rossi was becoming irritated with Marquez's tough overtaking moves and let him know this on a few occasions by making various hand gestures and head shakes. Marquez was out to prove a point though and kept coming.

Eventually Rossi had had enough and pushed Marquez wide into the turn and slowed down and threw him a glaring look as if to say cop on! Marquez of course responded with a nudge into Rossi's M1 Yamaha which resulted in Rossi lifting his foot off the foot peg and pushing Marquez away...next scene is Marquez in the gravel!

I don't believe for a second he intentionally wanted to knock him off the bike, he wanted him to stop interfering with him. Marquez was playing with the race pace and should receive a penalty too. Race direction even said that Marc was deliberatley trying to affect the pace of Rossi.

"Despite what Marquez said we think he was deliberatley trying to affect the pace of Valentino." - Mike Webb, MotoGP Race Director

This was always going to come to a head to head battle and it did today with Rossi receiving three penalty points and he must start from the back of the grid for the title decider in two weeks at Valencia. To be honest I don't think this is fair. Marquez must get punished for his actions too. There is doing your own race and winning which is fine but then there is upsetting a race outcome...that is not right. He is disrupting the title fight and acting like a child. He is a great rider but he needs to have a good look at himself.

By no means am I saying Rossi's behaviour is justified. A penalty was always going to be the outcome for lashing out like that but I think Marquez should be penalised too.

MotoGP Sepang

When my alarm went off this morning I got up more excited than ever for the MotoGP race at Sepang. Title implications and growing rivalries between leading rider's made this race unmissable. I was not disapointed.

I could feel the tension on the track as the lights were on red, so much to gain and so much to lose.

Valentino Rossi powered off the starting line towards turn 1 with Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa in front.

Dani went about his business and proceeded to show his domination over the other riders around the Sepang circuit comfortably winning the race from title contender Jorge Lorenzo. This is the Dani Pedrosa of five years ago. It is great to see him back to his best, fit and healthy, and battling with the world's best again. In these three flyaway races Dani has won two. His first of the season at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit and his second today.

Dani Pedrosa is back on top

The battle of the GOAT

Jorge Lorenzo's aim for this race was to decrease championship leader Rossi's points advantage over him...which he succeeded in doing. Lorenzo finished in second position. At the beginning of the race it seemed it may not be so easy for him as he did battle with the Ducati's of Iannone and Dovizioso but he overtook both with ease and powered off into second position chasing down his Spanish compatriot Dani Pedrosa. Lorenzo gained some ground on Pedrosa but never looked like he was going to trouble him for the race win. Maybe Lorenzo had already been told by his crew what had unfolded behind him and was playing it safe and happy to come out with twenty points!

The battle for third position is one that will be talked about for years to come. It was so crazy I wrote a separate post about that! After much close wheel to wheel action, aggressive racing and mind games Valentino Rossi came out on top over Marc Marquez to gain sixteen points, cutting his championship lead over Lorenzo down to four points. Valencia is going to be a very interesting race to say the least!

Elsewhere, Bradley Smith finished in fourth position. This is an excellent result for him. Throughout the weekend Bradley seemed to be struggling but he showed his mettle when the lights went green today. To me Bradley is able to take it up a notch on race day. He may struggle through practice and qualifying at times but he is a n out and out racer come Sunday. Well done Brad! Cal Crutchlow finished in a respectable fifth position also.

The rookie Vinales proved his worth with a great eight position, narrowly losing out to his Suzuki team mate Aleix Espargaro. Both of these men battled throughout the race and it was brilliant to watch. I expect Vinales will really show us what he is capable of next season

Moto3 Title race

The Moto3 title race will go down the wire at Valencia in two weeks time after Miguel Oliveira secured victory in this morning's Moto3 race. Oliveira is 24 points behind Danny Kent and can only win the championship if he wins the race at Valencia and Kent finishes outside the points, or if Kent crashes.

Kent is having a hard time wrapping up this title between crashes and penalties, he has let Oliviera back in the frame. After the start Oliveira had to the season I thought his title aspirations were well and truly over but he has proven to be quite consistent and has kept his head down.

These two are team mates next year so this makes it very interesting. How will the outcome play in Valencia? It is an outside chance but I hope Oliveira can do it. I have nothing against Kent I just prefer Oliveira!

Miguel Oliveira

Danny Kent

Who do you think will win the Moto3 Championship??

Moto2 Australia

One for the future in MotoGP

Alex Rins....do I have to say anymore in this post?

A rookie in the Moto2 class and he is having a stellar 2015 season. He is carrying a lot of confidence and is putting in some great displays so far. If he can continue that form into the 2016 Moto2 season then it is going to be the year of Rins!

He is my favorite for the 2016 Moto2 title and yes I will be placing money on that! I think he will get offered a factory bike in 2017 for MotoGP. He is one of the front runners and one that will be watched closely by Honda, Yamaha and Ducati. I will be talking more about the future stars of MotoGP in a later post.

Well done on a well earned victory today and I am sure there is more to come.

Moto3 Champion 2015?

The title of this race would suggest that Danny Kent has claimed the Moto3 championship at Philip Island. Once again though tragedy struck as Kent crashed out of the race...and once again Bastianini decided to go with him!

That is twice this season Danny Kent has crashed out only for Bastianini to crash out straight after him. If he managed to stay on the bike that was Kent's lead in the championship almost evaporated!

It seems to be long and dragged out at this stage. We know Kent is going to win the championship and he has had numerous races to do it. Let us see can he finish the job at Sepang! 

Next year he moves back up to Moto2 with the Leopard racing team. The competition in that category is extremely talented so I am looking forward to seeing can Kent mix it up with these guys.

MotoGP Australia

This morning's race is Philip Island was nothing short of unbelievable. It was a race of old, one we would have seen ten years ago!

Marc Marquez put in a stellar display this morning

Andrea Iannone proved to us that the Ducati still holds an advantage with top end speed as he sped past Rossi, Lorenzo, and Marquez on the straight on numerous occasions. He put up a fight that was worthy of his third position on the podium. He even showed us his commitment to win by headbutting a seagull, which was one of the funniest things I have ever seen! At the beginning of the race it looked like Lorenzo may break away as he created a gap between himself and the chasing pack. Marc Marquez seemed to have a plan as he gestured to both Rossi and Iannone to stay behind him which Iannone responded to with an overtake on both Marquez and Rossi!

With Lorenzo's gap diminished the race was on. It went back and forth for the entire race with some classical racing and overtakes from all four riders and it looked like any one of these competitors could come out on top. The most interesting aspect of this race was the title implications. If Lorenzo won the race and Rossi finished fourth the gap between both in the standings

would have been quashed!

It looked like it would end that way until a red hot last lap saw Marc Marquez put in the fastest lap of the race and chase down a 0.8 second of a gap to Lorenzo to take victory from the mallorcan. Behind them Valentino Rossi was in a heated exchange with Iannone for third. Coming onto the final straight Rossi tool the inside line and looked to have the pace but Iannone kept him at bay to grab third position.

I am sure he had his reasons but it looked like if Rossi had taken the outside line he would have had enough momentum to beat Iannone to the line...but who knows?

This exhilarating title race continues next week as we head to Sepang with the gap between Rossi and Lorenzo down to just 11 points. In my opinion Rossi has to win this race, he has to beat Lorenzo. If he fails to do this then the title decider goes to Valencia, the final round. As exciting as this may sound if this does happen Valentino is in trouble. Lorenzo has a better record at Valencia and we all know Rossi's past with this circuit. This season is already eerily reminding me of the 2006 season.

Roll on Sepang!

~Valentino Rossi V Jorge Lorenzo~

The MotoGP championship is going down to the wire as Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo battle for supremacy this season.

It could go any way in my opinion. The next round brings us to Australia where Rossi scored a victory in last years event. The Phillip Island circuit is one of Rossi's favourite circuits and he will seek to increase his lead over Lorenzo in the championship.

Lorenzo is not without his share of success at Phillip Island though. The Mallorcan has not been off the podium since 2011 and since then he has scored two runner ups and a victory. His track record here together with his imperial form this season could spell trouble for Rossi.

 

Lorenzo will not give up! We saw first hand at Assen in 2013 how tough he is. Riding with a surgically repaired collarbone one day after surgery and finishing the race!  The Motegi press conference showed us that Lorenzo is here to fight and he is still full of confidence after his latest issue.

“We are in the best moment ever in dry conditions as in wet conditions, so that means that we are able to fight for the three wins in the next Grands Prix, so that gives me the confidence and the belief that we still can win the championship and I want to believe this until the end." Jorge Lorenzo

 

I think the weather will be one of the factors that decides this years championship and the Phillip Island circuit is notorious for its interchangeable weather conditions as Rossi reiterated at the post race press conference at Motegi today. Rossi has reigned supreme in wet conditions this season until Motegi where we saw Lorenzo have superior pace in wet conditions so this one is wide open.

"It's always difficult to find the setting and also the conditions can be tricky: wind, cold,  but it's a great track and we will try to give the maximum.” 

 Valentino Rossi on Phillip Island

 

Apart from the weather there is also the little issue of psychology and mind games.

I feel Rossi has the edge here. Although Lorenzo has proven to be Rossi's most difficult opponent, beating him one on one in several battles, I still feel that the experience and calm state of mind Rossi possesses will give him a slight edge over his rival.

 

Lorenzo's repeated woes this season coupled with Rossi's consistency and luck I feel is testing Lorenzo. Lorenzo is feeling the pressure now with 3 rounds remaining. The press conference today showed a man who must be thinking what more do I have to do? 

“In Qatar, I had the problem of the helmet and in some other races I was the fastest in the dry and it rains, so I couldn't take profit of my speed to get 25 points in two, three or four races,” Lorenzo said.

“Today, I was the fastest one in the dry and in the wet, but it dries up after a wet beginning and I couldn't win the race I believed I could have won.

“So yes, I believe at this moment of the championship especially but in general, I am the fastest one this year because [of] the bike, my speed, my concentration. But these are the circumstances at this moment and maybe it will change in the next rounds.”

It does seem like he is feeling the pressure and it is understandable. He sees his third MotoGP title slipping away even though he is consistently faster every race weekend. He still has his confidence which is so important in a battle like this.

 

Even though Rossi has had his fair share of luck this season there is no underestimating his racing skills when it comes to race day so being fast on Friday doesn't mean you will be the race winner on Sunday...and the weather effects everybody not just you Jorge! 

 

The weather, mind games, race pace, luck, whatever it may be this championship will be decided over the next three races and either man is worthy to be called champion.

With just 18 points separating the team mates and three rounds remaining who do you think will come out on top? Post a comment below and let me know what you think.

 
 
 

~MotoGP Japan Race Results~

 

Dani Pedrosa scores his first victory of 2015 at Motegi

 

Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa scored his first victory of the 2015 MotoGP Season in mixed conditions at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan today.

 

 I felt Dani could be a threat for a podium finish as Lorenzo's pace was electric all weekend and the Sunday race pace of Valentino Rossi is always a factor to consider.

 

Warm up this morning on a wet Motegi circuit underlined Pedrosa's intentions as he topped the session from Lorenzo with Rossi in third.

 

"The Doctor" got possibly his best race start this season as he peeled off the line followed closely by Lorenzo who ran wide into turn 1. By turn 3 the Spaniard had overtaken Rossi and dropped the hammer as he pulled away creating a gap of just over 3 seconds in the first four laps of the race.

Tyre degradation prevented Lorenzo from taking victory

 

 With 10 laps remaining this race was over, or so I thought. All of a sudden Dani Pedrosa,sitting in 5th position, started lapping over a second faster than Ducati's Andrea Iannone in 4th and proceeded to claw his way back into the race firstly overtaking Iannone and then Valentino Rossi for second!

 

By this time Dani was lapping the Motegi circuit faster than race leader Jorge Lorenzo. The reason for this of course was bad front tyre degradation of the Bridgestone hard tyre due to the drying Motegi track and the pressure placed on the front tyre by the Yamaha's during breaking. Lorenzo's team mate Rossi was also suffering from this which would explain why there was no fight back when he was overtaken by Dani Pedrosa.

 

With both Factory Yamaha's struggling in the mixed weather conditions at Motegi it was left to Pedrosa to increase his lead and take a well deserved victory at Honda's home track and his 50th grand prix victory.

 

Marc Marquez struggled with his surgically repaired finger and battled home in a worthy 4th position with Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso in 5th and Britain's Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith 6th and 7th respectively.

 

Japanese wildcard and Suzuka 8 hour victor Katsuyuki Nakasuga finished in an impressive 8th position on board the Factory Yamaha suited in a special livery designed for Yamaha's 60th anniversary.

 

Hector Barbera and Scott Redding finished out the top 10.

 

1. Dani Pedrosa    Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 46m 50.767s
2. Valentino Rossi  Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 46m 59.340s
3. Jorge Lorenzo  Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 47m 2.894s
4. Marc Marquez   Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 47m 18.608s
5. Andrea Dovizioso   Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP15) 47m 25.852s
6. Cal Crutchlow   LCR Honda (RC213V) 47m 28.030s
7. Bradley Smith   Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 47m 28.434s
8. Katsuyuki Nakasuga   Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 47m 35.421s
9. Hector Barbera   Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14 Open) 47m 39.339s
10. Scott Redding   Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 47m 40.888s
11. Aleix Espargaro  Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 47m 51.302s
12. Takumi Takahashi  Team HRC (RC213V) 47m 51.978s
13. Nicky Hayden   Aspar MotoGP Team (RC213V-RS) 48m 2.028s
14. Yonny Hernandez  Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 48m 4.663s
15. Mike Di Meglio   Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14 Open) 48m 6.188s
16. Alvaro Bautista  Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 48m 11.274s
17. Eugene Laverty   Aspar MotoGP Team (RC213V-RS)* 48m 21.991s
18. Stefan Bradl   Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 48m 37.600s
19. Kousuke Akiyoshi   AB Motoracing (RC213V-RS) 48m 50.839s
20. Toni Elias   Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha) +1 lap 

 
Pol Espargaro   Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) DNF
Jack Miller   LCR Honda (RC213V-RS)* DNF
Maverick Viñales   Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* DNF
Loris Baz   Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha)* DNF
Andrea Iannone   Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP15) DNF
Danilo Petrucci   Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) DNF

Johann Zarco is Moto2 Champion

Johann Zarco: 2015 Moto2 World Champion

Johann Zarco is Moto2 World Champion. The Frenchman secured his crown after Tito Rabat withdrew from the Japanese GP due to injury.

 

Zarco won seven events on the calendar this season to claim his title with three races remaining. We have seen a different Zarco this year than the one from his 125cc days. He has matured as a person and as a rider.

 

Ajo Motorsport and Zarco proved a formidable team in the Moto2 championship this year. Next year he must defend against some familiar faces in the Moto2 category along with some new ones graduating from Moto3.

 

I look forward to seeing more back flips and race victories from this Frenchman next season. Congratulations Johann Zarco!

 

 

Lorenzo injured

Jorge Lorenzo has sprained his left shoulder and put his third MotoGP World championship at risk in a training accident.

According to Spanish press he has injured the same shoulder that required surgery after a nasty fall in the wet in Assen 2013.

It is only reported as a sprain but with three back to back races coming up how much will this affect Lorenzo?

~Moto2 rider line - ups for 2016~

A change I am very excited about is Miguel Oliveira signing for Leopard Racing in the Moto2 category for 2016. Back in Qatar in March I was placing my bets on Oliveira to win on race weekends and the championship overall. Now this may not have worked out very well at the beginning and Miguel did cost me a few quid but at Mugello he finally scored a victory. The first Portugese rider to do so in Moto3. He followed that up with two more victories in Assen and Aragon.

He has been consistently at the front fighting all season and I cant wait to see him compete in the Moto2 category next year.

Miguel Oliveira: "Honestly speaking I’ve been playing around with this idea since the beginning of this year. Of course it will be a big step for me, but I feel I’m ready to do it. Moto2 is a very difficult category so I’ll need a lot of training to start this new chapter in my career well prepared because we’ve seen many riders to enter this class but struggling to adapt to it quickly. Anyway, I’m convinced that I’m doing it with the right team, I trust in the guys around me as well as in the whole project. I think we’re going be successful. From my side I can say that I’ll put my 200 percent in this stage of my career and I’ll try to do my best from the very beginning. I’m really happy to reach this agreement with such a successful team and with an experienced crew.”

 

Oliveira with the Leopard Bosses

Miodrag Kotur( Leopard Racing): "First of all, we are pleased that Miguel Oliveira has seen what we want to achieve with our global road-racing programme. We’ve been watching him for some months and there is no doubt  that Miguel is a rider of great talent and potential. We certainly feel he can open a few eyes. We are very confident that his smart riding style will suit perfectly with a Moto2 bike. We are looking forward to meeting the Moto2 World championship challenge with this young rider."

 

 

 

 

 

Another signing for Leopard is the heir to the 2015 Moto3 world championship, Danny Kent. Danny has already visited the intermediate category in 2013 with the Tech3 team. And that did not work out well at all. Let's see can Danny banish those demons and conquer the Moto2 category too!

 

Danny Kent: “I’m really happy to sign for Leopard Racing in 2016 for Moto2. We've experienced a great season this year so I’m really excited to start our challenge in the intermediate category. A massive thank you to all people in the team for believing in me and I’m pretty sure that we also can have a great season in 2016 together.”

 

Danny Kent re signs with Leopard Racing for 2016 in Moto2

 

 

Miodrag Kotur (Leopard Racing): "We are happy to continue our collaboration with Danny who has shown not only his potential as a rider but also his loyalty for Leopard Racing many times. We are also pleased to be able to offer him a great opportunity in Moto2. For now we look forward to start our new project with two very talented rider soon after this season is concluded. Our riders line up is complete both in Moto3 and Moto2 for next year. Now we must stay focused on our current exciting 2015 campaign

 

Well that's the Leopard Racing Moto2 line up for 2016 covered. hard to believe they are only in Grand Prix racing one year!

 

~Moto3 rider line - ups for 2016~

There has been a few changes in the past few weeks regarding where certain riders will be come next season. I said I would gather up all I can find and put it together for ye! These line - ups are not complete yet there has only been several announced and the ones I am placing here have already been announced.

 

Moto3

 

The most high profile signing in the Moto3 category for 2016 has to be Fabio Quartararo joining Leopard Racing replacing Danny Kent in the process. Fabio has signed a two year deal and the two time CEV Spanish champion is my title favourite for 2016! Fabio and Leopard have released both of these statements.

 

Quartararo: "I am very proud to join Leopard Racing from 2016. Indeed I am really excited to work again with Christian Lundberg, the engineer with who I won my first FIM CEV title in 2013. For the next two years, my career will be linked with this young structure, based on a solid project for the future. It perfectly matches with my goals. I would like to give a huge thanks to all the people who have supported me until now and also to Leopard Racing for trusting in me. I will keep giving my best at every turn, lap and race to honour the trust they have bestowed on me. I hope guys, you will enjoy it too.”

 

Miodrag Kotur, Leopard Racing: “It is an honour for our still young project to reach an agreement with such a young talented rider as Fabio Quartararo. He is an exceptional talent and a real fighter on the race track. At only 16, he already underlined his determined approach to this sport and his huge potential. Therefore, we are pleased to welcome him in our Moto3 line up for 2016. We are pretty sure that Leopard Racing will fight at the fierce end of the highly competitive lower Grand Prix category thanks to his natural born speedy talent from the very first beginning as soon the 2016 season gets underway.”

 

Best of luck to Fabio!

 

Another announcement came from the Red Bull KTM Ajo team. Brad binder has re - signed for 2016 which is great news he has really improved this season, constantly fighting at the front. They have also acquired Red Bull rookies cup champion Bo Bendsneyder.

 

 





Aki Ajo (Red Bull Team boss): "We are very excited to return to a team structure with two riders. We believe we can make a very potent group around Brad Binder and Bo Bendsneyder. Everyone is at different stages in their career, but it will be very beneficial for everyone. I would like to thank Red Bull, KTM and our other partners for making things possible for this team for another season. I am very happy to continue working with Brad Binder for the second consecutive year, as this has been a good year with him. I am especially proud of the progress and the significant improvements that he has been making race after race. It's really important to continue working together to keep growing next year. I think we are a strong partnership that can compete for the title next year".

"It's also very nice to have Bo [Bendsneyder] on our team. He is a talented rider who comes from the Red Bull Rookies Cup, as many of our riders in the past have done. We are excited to have another rookie join the World Championship with us, and I'm sure that with him we will take many steps forward and learn a lot together."

 

Bo has won eight Rookies Cup races to wrap up the title at round eleven of the championship.

Bo Bendsneyder: “My career in the World Championship will begin next year. It's an honor to be part of the team that have already been World Champions three times and always have very fast riders competing for them

 

Brad Binder: "I am very happy to stay with Red Bull KTM Ajo next year and continue to progress together," Binder commented. "It is very important to be in the same team and, after the podium and fights for victories, to finish the job next year by fighting for the title.”

 

Best of luck to Bo, Brad and Red Bull Ajo!

 

 

 

 

 



~2016 MotoGP Season~

The 2016 MotoGP season is going to be full of dynamic and exciting changes. Firstly, the reliable Bridgestone tyre the riders have come to know and love will be gone and replaced with a new official tyre supplier, Michelin.

 

In my view this is not ideal. I know Bridgestone chose to leave MotoGP and that Michelin is probably the next best tyre but when you look back at their last year in MotoGP in 2008 it was not promising and I cant see how they could have developed a better tyre than Bridgestone already have when they haven't been in the championship. The rider's were very critical about the tyre in 2008 and Valentino Rossi even maneuvered his way out of his contract so he could join Bridgestone for the 2008 season!At a recent Michelin test I read somewhere that one of the riders compared the Michelin tyre to a Bridgestone qualifying tyre!

 

Anyway, enough about the bad. Michelin's past achievements speak louder than my words and I could be proved wrong (as we saw last weekend when I said in my blog that Marquez would win the Aragon GP). Their longevity in the sport stretches back 36 years. They have brought success to rider's such as Mick Doohan, Barry Sheene and Kevin Schwantz so their re entry into the sport will hopefully provide more history and it will definitely provide some surprises

 

Another massive change coming next season is the controlled ECU(Electronic Control Unit) brought in by Dorna.

 

All the manufacturer's have put forward their own electronic data to Dorna to allow them to create a new controlled ECU along with new Magneti - Marelli software. This places the teams at a more balanced level, saves some cash on electronics overall while also providing better rider aids such as traction control. Win - win situation! Roll on 2016 it's going to be epic.

 

 

 

 

 

~MotoGP Race Results~

Jorge Lorenzo kept the title race open with victory today at Aragon. This was widely expected as his pace all weekend was incredible. As I pointed out in my post this morning ~ MotoGP warm up~ I felt Marc Marquez was the man to beat. Marquez started well as he overtook Ducati's Iannone and began chasing down Lorenzo.

 

Lorenzo had a gap of 0.487 back to Marquez in second by lap 2, but disaster struck for Marquez as he crashed out at turn 12 losing the front end of his Repsol Honda. That is 5 DNF's for the reigning world champion this season. I had only said in my earlier post that it looked like Marquez's problems were behind him this weekend...I guess I spoke too soon.

 

After Marquez crashed out it was cruise control for Lorenzo out front as he extended his lead to 2.6 seconds over Dani Pedrosa by lap 4.  Lorenzo had a trouble free race and won convincingly, thus lowering Rossi's points advantage in the championship to just 14 points with four rounds remaining and 100 points up for grabs.

 

Lorenzo celebrates his victory at Aragon today

 

Iannone was soon caught by a chasing Pedrosa and Rossi who quickly dispatched of the Italian. This lead us to a race long battle for second position between Rossi and Pedrosa. When I was watching this I guessed it would be the usual outcome...Rossi stalks...he overtakes...race over. I took into account Pedrosa's past battles also...but that only made me more certain that Rossi had this one. My god I was wrong. I had highlighted Dani as one to watch in this morning's post but I wasn't expecting a display like that!

 

Dani Pedrosa produced a racing display that I have not seen from him since 2012. The fight that was in him today was unbelievable. With five laps remaining Rossi overtook Pedrosa but Pedrosa bit back straight away forcing Rossi out to the edge of the track. Again the Italian tried to go up the inside of Dani at turn 4 but Dani snapped straight back at him. I was amazed and delighted! It was great to see the Dani Pedrosa of old return to the track.

 

Showed us the Dani Pedrosa of old today!

 

On the final lap Rossi overtook and held the position with a block pass on Pedrosa forcing him to slow. Now I thought that's that Rossi has second position secured. NO! Dani comes back again up the inside pushing Valentino to the limit and over the white line {legally}. This was a great battle and probably the biggest highlight of an other wise poor enough race. "The Doctor" cut up on the inside one more time on the turn before the back straight. It was a daring move but one that cost him all his acceleration down the back straight and Pedrosa just pulled away on his Repsol Honda. Valentino was close up the finish line but never threatened to pass. 

 

This was a great podium finish for Pedrosa but I think that battle with Rossi holds more significance. It shows Dani has still got that race pace, aggression and sheer heart to compete with the best in the world. He was flying the Repsol Honda flag solo today as his team mate hit the dirt early on and I think he delivered in style. Well done Dani Pedrosa!

 

Andrea Dovizioso rode from 17th to 5th in a great display of racing. Karel Abraham had to retire injured during the race, it looked like a foot injury. Danilo Petrucci crashed out from 9th position with 14 laps to go at turn 14.

 

The title race is really heating up now and the next four races will be some of the best races we have seen in a few years I think.

 

MotoGP Final Race Standings

 

1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 41m 44.933s 

2. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 41m 47.616s 

 

3. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 41m 47.706s

 
4. Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP15) 41m 52.791s 

 

5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP15) 42m 9.255s

 
6. Aleix Espargaro ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 42m 9.762s 

7. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 42m 10.300s 

 

8. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 42m 10.436s 

9. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 42m 11.385s 

10. Yonny Hernandez COL Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 42m 28.822s 

11. Maverick Viñales ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 42m 29.188s

 
12. Scott Redding GBR Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 42m 33.109s 

13. Alvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 42m 34.688s

 
14. Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar MotoGP Team (RC213V-RS)* 42m 35.204s 

15. Nicky Hayden USA Aspar MotoGP Team (RC213V-RS) 42m 35.297s

 
16. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14 Open) 42m 35.655s 

17. Loris Baz FRA Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha)* 42m 36.930s 

 

18. Stefan Bradl GER Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 42m 38.339s 

19. Jack Miller AUS LCR Honda (RC213V-RS)* 42m 41.792s 

20. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14 Open) 42m 44.540s 

21. Toni Elias SPA Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha) 43m 0.170s  

 

     Karel Abraham CZE AB Motoracing (RC213V-RS) DNF
     Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) DNF
    Alex De Angelis RSM E-Motion IodaRacing (ART) DNF
    Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) DNF

 

~Moto2 Race Day action!!~

The Moto2 race kicked off this morning with Sam Lowes taking the lead before a red flag was shown after Dominique Aegerter was taken out by Xavier Simeon crashed out at turn 15.

 

The race was restarted but shortened to 15 laps. Tito Rabat led from pole position with Alex Rins beside him in second. Johann Zarco - looking to win his first Moto2 championship at this round - could not keep pace with the front runners and was 1.201 seconds slower than race leader Rins with 11 laps to go! Zarco needed to win the race and Tito Rabat to finish lower than second for him to secure the championship.

 

Rabat put in a stellar performance as he stalked Alex Rins waiting to make his move for the lead position. With 8 laps remaining Rabat took the lead and set a new record lap time of 1"52"800 . This pulsating head to head battle continued as Rins refused to lie down and accept the runner up position. With 4 laps remaining .2 of a second was all that separated both riders. The gap back to Sam Lowes in third was 3.176 seconds.

Rins slides up the inside of Rabat

 

 

Rins powered around the track to a 1"52"767 as he tried with every ounce of strength to pass Rabat. Rins overtook Rabat on the second last lap but Rabat snapped straight back at him and refused to be pushed down a position. Rins followed closely down the 0.6 mile back straight and with two corners to go these two were nearly touching. Rabat crossed the line first for a well deserved victory and the Frenchman Zarco will have to wait another 2 weeks until Motegi to try wrap up his maiden Moto2 championship.



Tito Rabat holds off Alex Rins to claim victory at Aragon



Final Race Standings - Moto2 Aragon 2015

1. Tito Rabat  SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (Kalex) 26m 25.125s
2. Alex Rins SPA Paginas Amarillas HP 40 (Kalex) 26m 25.221s
3. Sam Lowes GBR Speed Up Racing (Speed Up) 26m 30.489s
4. Jonas Folger GER AGR Team (Kalex) 26m 32.488s
5. Thomas Luthi SWI Derendinger Racing Interwetten (Kalex) 26m 41.848s
6. Johann Zarco FRA Ajo Motorsport (Kalex) 26m 42.114s
7. Hafizh Syahrin MAL Petronas Raceline Malaysia (Kalex) 26m 42.211s
8. Takaaki Nakagami JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 26m 43.181s
9. Simone Corsi ITA Forward Racing (Kalex) 26m 43.783s
10. Lorenzo Baldassarri ITA Forward Racing (Kalex) 26m 44.781s
11. Mika Kallio FIN QMMF Racing Team (Speed Up) 26m 45.215s
12. Axel Pons SPA AGR Team (Kalex) 26m 45.347s
13. Sandro Cortese GER Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) 26m 46.168s
14. Azlan Shah MAL IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 26m 47.509s
15. Marcel Schrotter GER Tech 3 (Tech 3) 26m 51.142s
16. Xavi Vierge SPA Tech 3 (Tech 3) 26m 59.589s
17. Randy Krummenacher SWI JIR Racing Team (Kalex) 26m 59.783s
18. Ricard Cardus SPA JPMoto Malaysia (Suter) 26m 59.852s
19. Robin Mulhauser SWI Technomag Racing Interwetten (Kalex) 27m 2.460s
20. Jesko Raffin SWI sports-millions-EMWE-SAG (Kalex) 27m 9.143s
21. Florian Alt GER E-Motion IodaRacing Team (Suter) 27m 9.400s
22. Thitipong Warokorn THA APH PTT The Pizza SAG (Kalex) 27m 9.729s
23. Louis Rossi FRA Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 (Tech 3) 27m 19.445s
      Federico Fuligni ITA Team Ciatti (Suter) DNF  
     Alex Marquez SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (Kalex) DNF
     Julian Simon SPA QMMF Racing Team (Speed Up) DNF
     Edgar Pons SPA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) DNF
     Xavier Simeon BEL Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) DNF
     Luis Salom SPA Paginas Amarillas HP 40 (Kalex) DNF
     Dominique Aegerter SWI Technomag Racing Interwetten (Kalex) DNS

 



~Moto3 Race results Aragon~

Miguel Oliveira celebrates his 3rd victory of 2015

Miguel Oliveira captured his third victory of the 2015 season in today's race. Oliveira had the pace from the beginning and looked was in fighting form. As the race progressed a ten man battle commenced for the final 8 laps with Oliveira leading followed by Bastianini and Jorge Navarro. With six laps to go Darren Binder and Issac Vinales came together at turn 6 taking both riders out of the race.

 

Niccolo Antonelli set a blistering pace with 5 laps remaining clocking a time of 1"56"726 as the race intensified. Over the course of the race the leading position changed multiple times as Fenati, Binder, Kent, Oliveira, Bastianini and Antonelli all battled for supremacy. Oliveira's KTM had excellent drive exiting corners and great speed on the straights. He showed real class as he held off his opponents to claim victory once again.

 

Danny Kent's high side on final lap

The battle for the Moto3 championship escalated as we watched Danny Kent and Enea Bastianini swap places with the other riders as they battled to gain advantage in the championship standings. Kent looked to increase his lead of 55 points when Bastianini collided with the rear tyre of Brad Binder and took both of them out of the race on the final lap, but Kent crashed himself while pushing his Leopard Honda to the limit trying to catch Navarro and Oliveira which resulted in both riders claiming no points in this round of the championship.

 

 

 

The podium positions finished with Miguel Oliveira snatching victory from Jorge Navarro in second and VR46 Sky's Romano Fenati securing the final podium position.

Marquez V Lorenzo~MotoGP Warm-Up

The warm up for the MotoGP race this morning was very interesting and told us quite a lot of information. There was near misses, aggravation between team mates, practice change overs and head to heads...oh and Marc Marquez dominating the field! So let's get started!

Marc Marquez obliterated the pole position record during yesterdays' qualifying session with a scorching lap of 1.46.635. His consistent pace in his homeland this weekend tells us that any problems that may have been lurking between Marc and his RC213V have vanished, and that can only spell trouble for the championship leaders Rossi and Lorenzo.

The man to beat this afternoon, Marc Marquez

This morning Marquez was running mid to low 1.48's showing great race pace and consistency. He finished top of the pile with a 1.48.181 while Lorenzo finished runner up with a 1.48.461! There is not a lot between these two although over both runs it does seem Marquez is just an edge ahead in lap times.

Jorge Lorenzo had his hands full with Marquez throughout the entire session as he tried to get one over on the reigning MotoGP World Champion, he failed to close the gap...missing out by 0.280 of a second which could be crucial for the race. It will be a crucial race for Lorenzo as he has to win and put Marquez between him and Rossi to try an bridge the gap in the championship...no easy task! The pressure seemed to be getting to him as that little run in with Valentino in the pits showed a Lorenzo of old! And it was Jorge's fault so he had himself to blame there.

Jorge Vs Valentino...in the pits!

Valentino Rossi finished warm up in 4th position 0.563 behind leaders Marquez and Lorenzo and third placed Pol Espargaro. Overall, he has struggled this weekend with grip and tyre degradation which will be a big worry for the race this afternoon if temperatures rise. He has still qualified on the second row for the race and if the weather goes his way we all know what this man is capable of.

The top 5 riders are running in the 1.48's with Bradley Smith finishing a respectable 6th with a 1.49.015. Pol Espargaro proved his one lap pace is red hot as he finished 3rd this morning. Dani Pedrosa took 5th and this man will be one to watch during the race. Dani looks like the Dani of old to me and he badly needs a win. I wonder what his odds are?!

The GP riders practised their bike changes throughout the session just in case the race is disrupted with rain like the previous two. Although rain is not fore casted anything is possible.

So who do you think will win the Aragon GP??

1) Will the marvellous Marc Marquez dominate?

2) Jorge Lorenzo? Can he overhaul Marquez and put space between himself and Rossi in the championship?

3) Can Dani Pedrosa win his first GP of the 2015 season?

4) Or can Rossi upset the odds once again and come out on top...something he hasn't done on Spanish soil in 6 years!

1. Marc Marquez   1m 48.181s  
2. Jorge Lorenzo  1m 48.461s +0.280s
3. Pol Espargaro  1m 48.597s +0.416s
4. Valentino Rossi   1m 48.734s +0.553s
5. Dani Pedrosa   1m 48.866s +0.685s
6. Bradley Smith   1m 49.015s +0.834s
7. Andrea Dovizioso 1m 49.269s +1.088s
8. Cal Crutchlow   1m 49.287s +1.106s
9. Maverick Viñales   1m 49.533s +1.352s
10. Andrea Iannone   1m 49.616s +1.435s

Well the Moto3 race is just about to start so I'm going to stop here. Any opinions please comment below, I would be glad to hear who you think will win.

My money is on Bastianini for the Moto3 race..got him at 5/1..let's go "Le Bestia"

~ Scott Redding signs with Ducati~

My post today is one that has been on my mind since the deal was announced last week. The deal I am talking about is of course Scott Redding's deal with the Octo Pramac Ducati Team for the 2016 MotoGP season. I am very excited about this deal and I cannot wait to see Scott on board the Ducati.

 

Scott first caught my attention during the 2013 Moto2 season. He put in some stellar results which included three race victories, three runner up positions, three pole positions and one third place finish. That year he finished runner up to Pol Espargaro in the championship. Personally I thought he had it in the bag with a ten point lead in the championship entering Philip Island until he fractured his wrist.

 

Since his arrival in MotoGP in 2014 on board the GO & FUN Gresini Honda expectations have been high of this young man. Other British riders such as Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith had similar expectations also so I think Scott knew the pressure was on. This together with his successes in Moto2, Scott had the world watching to see could he deliver the same results in the highly competitive MotoGP championship.

 

           Scott Redding  on board the Marc VDS Kalex - Honda during the 2013 Moto2 season

 

Alas, this was not to be. The Honda RCV1000r proved to be lacking of horsepower compared to the other Honda's, (this of course contradicted what Honda had previously said after Casey Stoner's test with the production racer!) With an under-powered Honda beneath him Redding salvaged a best finish of 7th position at both Qatar and Philip Island and finished runner-up in the Open class category.

 

 For 2015 we saw Scott change teams and  get factory backing for his Marc VDS team which resulted in him receiving a factory spec RC213V and achieving his first MotoGP podium when he scored third position at the hectic Misano GP. This for me was one of the most important events in his two years in MotoGP. After last season's results his confidence most definitely took a beating and even though he is on factory spec machinery this year Scott cannot adapt his riding style to the Honda RC213V. He needed that podium to boost his confidence.

 

 ~ Redding aboard the GO&FUN Gresini Honda in 2014

 

We all know how difficult the Ducati bikes can be to ride, there is a long list of victim's. Since the appointment of Gigi Dall'Inga though Ducati have had a major breakthrough with their bikes which is good news for Scott! Redding is a big lad for MotoGP, he's strong and most definitely talented, that combined with the improved GP15 which he will ride next year, is going to prove a lot of doubters wrong about Scott Redding.

 

This will not be Scott's first time riding a Ducati either, a private test conducted in 2012 is where the relationship started between Redding and Ducati. They tried to sign him at the end of the 2014 season but he chose to sign with the Marc VDS Racing team. I am not saying he will win the World Championship but do not be surprised to see him on the podium next season. This is still the same man that is the youngest rider to score a win in World Championship history and I firmly believe with the Octo Pramac and factory Ducati team behind him that Scott can be a consistent podium threat.

 

A firm favourite of mine below! I had the pleasure of being at Silverstone for this race. I was perched in the Vale stand watching it all unfold.

 

Anybody else there that day? Any comments or opinions or advice on my blog or any of my posts would be gratefully received!

 

                          ~Scott Redding vs Marc Marquez ~ Silverstone 2012 ~ Moto2 Race~

 

~MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE HEATS UP~

Since 2008 we have witnessed the relationship between Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo escalate to all out war which paused when Rossi made an ill fated switch to the Ducati Team at the end of the 2010 season. Both riders have since sorted their differences and are currently leading the constructor's championship for Movistar Yamaha. Since Rossi's return to the Movistar Yamaha team in 2013 their relationship has improved immensely, both riders now respect each other much more and show great sportsmanship towards one another. It's great to see they get on now but let's hope it continues as this season is heating up!
 

After a pulsating round at Misano the MotoGP World Championship now heads to sunny Spain for round 14 held at Aragon. Valentino Rossi now leads the World Championship by 23 points from Jorge Lorenzo. During last weekends race in Misano, Lorenzo crashed his M1 Yamaha in the closing stages of the Grand Prix, he was  attempting to close the gap to race leader Rossi who had just entered the pits to change bikes (for the second time!) when he binned his Yamaha on cold tyres.





This has dealt a serious blow to Lorenzo's championship ambitions. Although Lorenzo has clawed his way back in to title contention once this season I cannot see him succeeding to do that again. With 5 rounds remaining in the championship and 125 points up for grabs you may be thinking it's a wide open battle for the championship but just look at Valentino's record this year....his consistency is unbelievable. Apart from the fifth position he salvaged at Misano he had a consecutive run of 16 podium finishes...just think about that...that run goes back to nearly one year ago! It is possible of course that Valentino's luck may run out and he may run into some of the misfortune that we have seen bestowed upon Jorge Lorenzo, but if that does not happen then I think its "The Doctor's" championship to lose.

Over the last decade we have seen Rossi entangled in heated battles with his rivals. This has given him such a strong mentality which can be seen every time a race goes to a last lap battle. He has consistency in these battles and seems to always come out on top, even Lorenzo has admitted his record against Valentino in battles is poor.

"I lose almost every one or every one I think - this is true - but we will see what happens in the future"

By no means is this an admission of defeat, since 2008 we have witnessed Jorge Lorenzo grow into a fantastic rider winning two World Championships (2010,2012) and breaking numerous records along the way. For me it is his record in one on one battles with Valentino that will ultimately cost him this year's championship. Both Jorge and Valentino also have to contend with the magnificent Marc Marquez who was the race winner for the last round in Misano due to some smart decision's and very skilled riding abilities. Although he hasn't enjoyed as much success this season as he did in 2014 Marquez is still capable of winning numerous races and upsetting the title race. The title is now realistically out of his reach but that will not deter him for the final 5 rounds of the championship.

Of course by the time we reach the final round in Valencia in November I could be proved completely wrong, anything is possible in this sport and in the end there are no losers...but only one can be crowned champion. Will it be Rossi's 10th Championship win or will Jorge Lorenzo turn the odds in his favour once again and stage another amazing comeback to claim his 3rd MotoGP championship. Let the battle commence!!

Below is a quick video of past battles between Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo..enjoy :-)

Feel free to post a comment with your own opinions I would like to hear them.



Race Day!! ~San Marino~Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli~

Bastianini rides to maiden victory





                                      

                                               Enea Bastianini celebrates his first victory in the Moto3 category

 Enea Bastianini scored his maiden victory in round 13 of the Moto3 World Championship today. This is even more special as "la Bestia" hails from Remini, a mere 24 km from the Misano circuit. I have followed Bastianini's career since he entered the Moto3 category in 2014 with the GO&FUN Gresini Team and he has impressed me. He scored three podium positions in his debut season, finishing second at the Spanish GP of Catalunya and following that up later in the season with another second position at the Czech Republic GP in Brno and a third place finish at Silverstone. Enea finished the season 9th in the Moto3 World Championship.

A change in machinery to Honda's Gresini Racing Team for the 2015 season proved to be a smart decision. Enea started the 2015 season in similar fashion scoring his first pole position onboard his Honda in the opening round in Qatar which resulted in a second place finish. He followed that up with three more 2nd place finishes in Le Mans, Catalunya, Brno and a 3rd place finish at the Sachsenring in Germany. After failing to convert two previous pole positions (Catalunya, Assen) to victories the pressure was on to deliver. Bastianini grabbed his third pole position on Saturday with a hot lap of 1m 42.486 to set himself up for victory.

What followed was a back and forth race between multiple riders including Portugese flier Miguel Olivera, Niccolo Antonelli, Romano Fenati, Brad Binder and Danny Kent. This enthralling battle lasted from the first corner on lap 1 to the exit of the final turn and proved a real treat for the fans. There was numerous overtakes, track limits were exceeded, high spills, and high speed racing, you name it this race had it. After 24 laps the chequered flag was waving and Enea Bastianini had claimed his first victory in the Moto3 class. Miguel Olivera kept the pressure on straight until the end though, victory was only achieved by 0.037 of a second. This truly shows how competitive this race was and in fact how competitive the Moto3 class is.

A big well done to "la Bestia" and I'm sure there is plenty more to come. Second place in this year's championship is nearly secure...maybe the championship itself beckons next season!