Courtesy of MotoGP
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Viñales completed a double by being fastest in Valencia and Jerez but what did we learn ahead of 2020? Visit The Official Website: http://www.motogp.com/en
Category Archives: MotoGP
XAVIER SIMEON AND NICCOLO’ CANEPA TO LINE UP WITH LCR E-TEAM IN 2020
Courtesy of LCR E-Team
The inaugural FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup was seen as a great success, with the first-ever electric motorcycle racing world championship witnessing some close battles, photo finishes and four different winners in six races. The LCR E-Team official riders Niccolò Canepa and Randy De Puniet were amongst the main protagonists of the innovative and exciting new series, which saw Italy’s Matteo Ferrari being crowned as the first MotoE World Champion.
The 2020 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup starts in May at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Spain, before ending in Misano, Italy, in September. Ahead of “recharging the batteries” over winter, the LCR E-Team is pleased to announce that the Belgian rider Xavier Simeon will join the squad to compete alongside Niccolò Canepa.
After claiming the 2009 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, Simeon arrived in MotoGP in 2010 competing in the Moto2 category for several seasons before joining the premier class aboard the Avintia Ducati in 2018. In 2019, the Belgian placed his Ego Corsa Energica bike in 6th position overall in his inaugural year in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup (grabbing two podium finishes at the Austrian and San Marino GPs).
Lucio Cecchinello (LCR Team Principal): ”
The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup was a challenge for the organizers, for the teams and for the riders, but everyone’s work produced a unique and exciting championship for two-wheel racing fans and we are very proud to be part of this project. I really want to thank Niccolò and Randy because they proved to be real professionals at their debut with the electric bikes. Today I am happy to announce a brand-new collaboration with Xavier Simeon, and a renewal of the partnership with Niccolò Canepa for the 2020 season: they are both experienced and talented riders who make a perfect combination for the LCR E-Team.”
| Xavier Simeon |
| “After a first year of learning in this brand new electric championship, I am very happy to join the LCR E-Team for my second season in MotoE. It is a great opportunity, especially because it’s a very professional team offering quality support. I’m sure we’ll do great things together. With two podiums last season, the main goal next year will be to win as many races as possible and fight for the cup. I want to thank Zelos, my partners and Lucio for their support in this new adventure.” |
| Niccolò Canepa |
| “I am very happy to renew with the LCR E-Team because I truly believe that the first FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup was so exciting. Initially I struggled a bit to adapt but then step by step we managed to improve, so I want to thank my crew for supporting me throughout this new adventure. Let’s say that 2019 was my “first year at school” and it was fundamental for understanding the bike’s potential at the various tracks, but next year I want to be at the front every race. I want to thank Lucio and all the LCR E-Team partners for believing in me again in 2020.” |
Marquez undergoes successful surgery on right shoulder
Courtesy of Repsol Honda Team
With his most successful premier class season to date finished, eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez elected to undergo surgery at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus-Quiron today, November 27. The operation was performed by Dr. Xavier Mir, Dr. Victor Marlet and Dr. Teresa Marlet, all part of ICATME (the Catalan Institute of Traumatology and Sports Medicine).
After experiencing some discomfort with his right shoulder, and after his Monday crash at the Jerez Test, the Repsol Honda Team rider elected to have the operation as a preventative measure after medical consultation. The operation is similar to the one performed on his left shoulder at the end of 2018 but less aggressive in nature.
Marquez will be discharged within the next 48 hours. He will then begin his recovery and winter training in preparation for the Sepang Test at home in Cervera.
Monster Energy Yamaha Conclude 2019 Testing with Bright Prospects despite Rain
Courtesy of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
| JEREZ MOTOGP TEST TEST |
| Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi didn‘t have a lot of opportunity in the dry today at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto track to complete their Jerez Test programme. But although the available track time was cut short due to the rainy weather, they made it count. The team-mates both noticed positive changes and wrapped up the last 2019 IRTA test in 1st and 11th place respectively in the combined results. |
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi had to deal with rain on the second day of 2020 pre-season testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, but they didn‘t let it dampen their spirits. The team-mates both beamed about the progress they made with the protype and new testing items and completed the Jerez Test in 1st and 11th place respectively in the combined Day 1-2 rankings.
Viñales had already adapted his testing style this year: riding less laps but going all out whilst focusing on tweaking specific areas rather than putting in as much laps as possible trying various changes at once. Unfortunately, due to today‘s rain, the test was wrapped up early. The conditions forced the Spaniard to be even more strict in choosing his priorities. He completed 15 laps and posted a best time of 1’37.964s on lap 9. This put him fourth in the Day-2 timesheets, 0.144s from first. His superb 1‘37.131s lap from yesterday kept him firmly in first place in the overall timesheets, with a 0.689s margin over second place.
Rossi set out in Jerez today to make a detailed comparison between the old and the new bike. He was quickly up to speed, but soon the rain spoiled his plans. The Doctor used the wet track conditions in the afternoon to his advantage to work with the new testing items in the cold and wet. He completed 33 laps in total. His best time was a 1’38.352s, 0.407s faster than his best from yesterday and set on only his tenth lap of the day. This put him in 10th place in today’s standings, 0.532s from first, and in 11th position in the combined results, 1.221s from the top.
| MASSIMO MEREGALLI TEAM DIRECTOR |
| “As said in Valencia last week, the target of this test was to evaluate the new bike and also to get the same confirmation we got there, and so far, apart from the rain, the information we got was basically more or less the same. Maverick has been quicker with the new bike, so for sure the starting point, the base of this new bike, is working. Saying that, we still have work to do for the first race, but for me, when I look back to when we tried new items in the last two years, we never reached this point. I can see that it‘s promising. The riders are always looking for more, but what we were looking for was increasing the smoothness and increasing the top speed gradually, and we did. The area where we should try to make another step is top speed, and I am confident that we will achieve this.” |
| MAVERICK VIÑALES |
| “Actually, I felt really good on the bike, riding in a really good way. Yesterday, I felt fantastic on all the laps and that is the most important. I end the 2019 season with a great feeling and a lot of motivation, and that keeps you going when preparing for the new season. Yamaha is working really hard, but we‘re still working on top speed. For sure in other areas we‘re quite strong, but we need to stay focused on improving our weaker areas for the next test in Sepang.” |
| VALENTINO ROSSI |
| “It‘s a shame about the weather today. It was an important day because we had to work on making a comparison between the new and the old bike, so we had a good program, but, unfortunately, we did only ten laps on the dry, and after that we did some laps on the wet. But the feeling is positive, a lot better than yesterday. On the dry I was a lot faster. I improved my best lap time from the day before already after three laps, and today I was more competitive. After the rain we did some work on the new bike on the wet, and it wasn‘t so bad, but it was only half a day.” |
CRUTCHLOW BRINGS 2019 ACTION TO CLOSE AT DAMP JEREZ TEST
Courtesy of LCR Honda Team
After the MotoGP racing season finished just over a week ago in Valencia, Cal Crutchlow today brought the curtain down on the on-track action for the LCR Honda CASTROL Team in 2019, by completing the second of two days testing in Jerez, Spain.
The Andalusian tests were hampered by rain on both days, but Crutchlow still managed to put in 66 laps on day one, before completing 14 on day two, with lap times from all riders mostly well behind those from the Spanish Grand Prix and subsequent test back in May.
MotoGP’s official testing ban begins this weekend, and runs until the beginning of February when Crutchlow will be back out at the Malaysian circuit at Sepang on the 7 th. After three days there, he and the squad move on to Qatar for a further three-day test from the 22 nd-24 th February, ahead of the season-opener under lights at the same Losail circuit on 8 th March.
|
Cal Crutchlow – 10th overall (1’38.253 – 80 laps) |
|
“On
day one we did a short evaluation of a few parts with the 2019 bike. We
were happy enough with how the day went. We couldn’t get too many laps
because the weather wasn’t fantastic. On a normal test here we could
probably do 100 laps in a day, but on the first day this time we only
did 60-ish and today just 14. Overall, we’re happy with the work we
managed to fit in”. “Day two wasn’t too useful as regards our plans to make steps forward with the 2020 project. It’s a shame for everyone that the weather hasn’t been great, but we will work with the engineers in the factory over winter to make sure we have the best package available for the 2020 season.” |
MotoGP work wraps for 2019 at rainy Jerez test
Courtesy of KTM Racing
Red Bull KTM riders lapped a damp and cool Jerez circuit in southern Spain to complete their second 2020 pre-season test this week and close a hectic third year of MotoGP action.
Less than a week after the initial run-out for 2020 MotoGP at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia both Red Bull KTM and Red Bull KTM Tech3 were both back on-track but further south in the Iberian Peninsula and around the curves of Jerez.
Throughout Monday and Tuesday looming clouds threatened poor weather conditions and although some good work and laps were achieved on the first day, the second was largely washed out due to the wet climate.
Pol Espargaro ploughed ahead with work on the 2020 configuration of the KTM RC16 and maintained a steady position in the top ten of the fastest times. The Spaniard tried a new aerodynamic package on Monday. Teammate Brad Binder took advantage of both the dry and wet state of the course to continue his acclimatisation to the MotoGP race bike. Fellow rookie Iker Lecuona suffered a crash on Monday but was also eager to circulate whenever possible to gather information. Test rider Dani Pedrosa missed Monday through illness but logged some mileage at Jerez on Tuesday.
2019 preparations for KTM’s fourth season in the premier class are now complete and MotoGP enters a testing ‘blackout’ during December and January until the engines are started again at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia in early February.
Pol Espargaro: “The last test of 2019 and we were not so lucky with the weather which mean we could not work as much as we wanted. Fortunately, we did some laps this morning when we felt quite good and we were just three tenths away from the top guy with ten laps on the tyre, which was important for consistency. Overall the pre-season has been very good. We did a lot and tested a lot of new stuff at Valencia and we have been fast. Now it’s time for the winter and after healing a little bit I will try to work harder than I did last year to try and come back in better shape. I’m already looking forward to trying the 2020 RC16 again in Malaysia.”
Brad Binder: “We decided to do a couple of laps when it was a little bit wet just to get the feeling of the new bike and that was really awesome. I’m glad I got a chance to experience that. It’s been difficult these last two tests. It hasn’t been easy to adapt to the new bike but I think I’ve got a lot to think about now in the off-season and hopefully we can try to make a step in Sepang. I think I just need to improve my riding; my feeling with the front a little bit and just being able to have confidence to put the bike where I want to, especially on the entry to corners. I think once I get that right the rest will fall into place.”
Iker Lecuona: “It was my first time in wet conditions and to be honest it was quite strange. I need more laps but finally I went quite fast. I liked the feeling, although I didn’t find the limit in every point. I’m happy, but not too much with some sectors. For next year, I know I need to work on my riding, on the brakes and picking up the bike but finally in the wet it all went quite well and in general, I’m very happy.”
Mike Leitner, Red Bull KTM Team Manager: “Our wish was for two full days of testing but we know at this time of year the weather can be difficult. Actually, we were still able to confirm a lot of things we tried in Valencia. Generally we are happy and we can send our riders into the winter break fit – which is very important – and the technical summaries we made were also good. Pol worked further on a 2020 direction and we saw today, especially in the wet, that Brad is starting to get the feel for the MotoGP bike. It was nice to see. Pol worked well and found positive points of the new material but we are still not at the point where we can say ‘everything is fixed’, we have to go to Sepang and work hard there but the important information has come across and we can plan for Malaysia and Qatar. We’ll go home and reload the batteries a little bit and then keep pushing for next February.”
Sebastian Risse, Technical Director MotoGP: “In Valencia we introduced next year’s package and we mainly focussed on this here with Pol and Dani in terms of the changes, the strong points and generally how it rates. We also had some more engine development going on with different specs, and we understood how this can work on different tracks and how it can be a universal package for next year. There were also some ‘aero’ ideas that were not ready for Valencia but we could try it here and we got some good data: we are going into the winter thinking about we will put it together. We’ll also need to think carefully about logistics because we will have four riders on factory bikes next year so it will be quite a challenge in the next month. We leave here quite happy even if the weather was not that great today and stopped us a little bit.”
Jerez IRTA Test Day 1
8. Pol Espargaro 1:38.348 min (+1.217)
20. Iker Lecuona 1:39.933 min (+2.802)
21. Brad Binder 1:39.980 (+2.849)
Jerez IRTA Test Day 2
9. Pol Espargaro 1:38.211 min (+0.391)
18. Dani Pedrosa 1:39.594 min (+1.774)
20. Iker Lecuona 1:39.880 min (+2.060)
22. Brad Binder 1:39.943 min (+2.123)
Rain ends Jerez Test early for Repsol Honda Team
Courtesy of Repsol Honda Team
Midday rain meant the final day of testing in 2019 was cut short, teams making the most of the morning before the conditions worsened.
With the forecast looking bleak, Marc Marquez was among the first riders on track in Jerez as the final day of 2019 commenced. An early in the day 1’37.820 immediately had the World Champion atop the day’s timing table and second overall. More track time would have been welcomed as there is always more to test, but Marc and team are content with what has been accomplished since the flag dropped in the Valencia race.
Likewise, Alex Marquez was left wishing for better track conditions in order to improve his feeling on the RC213V. A best time of 1’39.224, set on the morning of the second day, leaves the 23-year-old as the fastest rookie of the test. The reigning Moto2 World Champion will now begin an intense off season to prepare himself for his debut in the premier class when the lights go out in Qatar.
Marc Marquez will now travel to Barcelona for an operation on his right shoulder at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus-Quiron on Wednesday, November 27. The Repsol Honda Team rider has elected to have the operation as a preventative measure after medical consultation. The operation will be similar to the one performed on his left shoulder at the end of 2018.
The Repsol Honda Team will be back on track for the Sepang Test, February 07 to 09.
Marc Marquez
1’37.820
“Theses two days were very positive for us, working with the 2020 items we have and trying to find the right direction. On the first day we tried a lot of things and then today we started with the best of what we found yesterday. Unfortunately, we only did 20 laps before the rain came. It wasn’t wet enough to properly test in the wet and it certainly wasn’t dry. Now it’s time for the staff in HRC Japan to analyse everything.
“This winter I would have liked to have a nice holiday and enjoy a bit of quiet time after a great 2019 – but it is time to have surgery on the right shoulder. As everyone knows, last winter was very tough for me with the operation on the left shoulder, which was very, very damaged. I want to avoid the situation where my right shoulder is in this condition in the future so I spoke a lot with the doctors to see what our options were. Before Motegi I had some issues with the shoulder and then after the crash in Malaysia I had a subluxation. Here at the test I had another subluxation after the crash, so we decided with the doctors that it was best to have the surgery to avoid the situation we had with the other shoulder. It will take more or less the same time and we will work in the same way to arrive at the Malaysia test as strong as possible.”
Alex Marquez
1’39.224
“The weather was like it was, which wasn’t perfect but in the morning we were able to make another step and improved our time on used tyres. This is good news for us. Like yesterday, when we put new tyres in it started to rain so this is still something we have to look at. We were able to try the bike a little bit in the wet and it felt good. I’m happy with this second day of testing even if there’s still a lot of work to do. I know what I need to do at home to be ready in Sepang.”
#JerezTest. Two days of official MotoGP testing at Jerez conclude for Jack Miller and Pramac Racing. See you in Malaysia!
Courtesy of Pramac Racing
The last two days of testing of the 2019 MotoGP season, ended today at the Circuit of Jerez – Angel Nieto. Jack Miller worked hard to test new parts of the Ducati Desmosedici 2020 that he will have available from the Sepang tests scheduled for early February 2020.
The Australian completed 51 laps in the first day of testing while today, due to the rain, he was able to complete only 4 laps, still managing to lower by more than three tenths of a second his best time recorded in Day-1.
Francesco Bagnaia did not take part in the tests, however, as he has already started to work to recover the best physical condition after the bad crash in the FP3 of #Valencia GP.
| Pecco Bagnaia See you in Malesia, Pecco! | Jack Miller They were two very productive days even if today we could not lap much because of the rain. But I am very satisfied because I was able to try new solutions that we will find in Malaysia when I will have the 2020 version of the Desmosedici GP. I would like to say a big thank you to Ducati and Pramac Racing. It has been a satisfying season and since the Sepang tests we will be working to improve even further. Happy holidays to everyone. |
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