MotoGP

MotoGP releases 2022 provisional riders entry list

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

MotoGP has published its complete 24-strong entry list for the 2022 world championship season. While there is mass stability in many of the leading two-wheel teams, five rookies will join the field next year. Moto2 champion Remy Gardner and runner-up Raul Fernandez will keep their respective race numbers, #87 and #25, for their promotion to Tech3 KTM Factory Racing. Elsewhere, Darryn Binder will step up straight from Moto3 to effectively replace Valentino Rossi at the revamped RNF MotoGP Team (previously the Sepang Racing Team); Fabio Di Giannantonio is in at Gresini Racing; and Marco Bezzecchi at VR46. The latter is Rossi’s own team, which notably was listed without a title partner as the saga around the status of Aramco’s potential sponsorship continues. Gresini Racing meanwhile has become an Independent Team powered by Ducati, with Aprilia Racing moving to a full factory operation. Most details about the 2022 grid had been known for some time now, with confirmation released on the eve of the post-season test at Jerez on November 18-19 (local time). Missing from action when the 2022 MotoGP season kicks off at Qatar in early March will be the retired Rossi, and former Tech3 riders Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona. PROVISIONAL 2022 MOTOGP ENTRY LIST RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE #4 Andrea Dovizioso ITA WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team (Yamaha) #5 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Racing (Ducati) #10 Luca Marini ITA VR46 Racing Team (Ducati) #12 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Racing (Aprilia) #20 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha) #21 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha) #23 Enea Bastianini ITA Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati) #25 Raul Fernandez SPA Tech3 KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #30 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda Idemitsu (Honda) #33 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #36 Joan Mir SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar (Suzuki) #40 Darryn Binder RSA WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team (Yamaha) #41 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Racing (Aprilia) #42 Alex Rins SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar (Suzuki) #43 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Lenovo Team (Ducati) #44 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda Team (Honda) #49 Fabio Digiannantonio ITA Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati) #63 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo Team (Ducati) #72 Marco Bezzecchi ITA VR46 Racing Team (Ducati) #73 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda Castrol (Honda) #87 Remy Gardner AUS Tech3 KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #88 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #89 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Racing (Ducati) #93 Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda Team (Honda)

Jack Miller to race in the final Australian Superbike round at The Bend

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Jack Miller will compete in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) season finale at The Bend Motorsport Park next month. Miller, who finished third in last weekend’s MotoGP finale in Valencia, will line up alongside fellow Australian Ducati Riders Oli Bayliss, Mike Jones and Wayne Maxwell on the 2021 Ducati Paniagle V4 R. The event, held in South Australia, takes place on December 3-5. “I am really excited to be able to have this opportunity and race the final round of Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK),” Miller said. “I would love to say a massive thank you to the guys at Ducati for allowing me this opportunity amidst our busy testing schedule. “To go and race in front of the Australian fans is a massive privilege and honour. Thank you to the team at ASBK and Motorcycling Australia for their support at such short notice. I am also thankful to Ben Henry from DesmoSport Ducati for his help in the organisation. As you can imagine it has not been easy to try and organise everything from the other side of the world at such short notice, having Ben and Matty Macalpine there to help me organise most things, has been very easy.” Miller, who finished fourth overall in MotoGP this season, will return home after this week’s two-day official MotoGP test at Jerez. It’ll be the first time he’s raced at home since 2019, with the last two Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island being cancelled due to Covid-19. “Having Australian MotoGP sensation Jack Miller compete in the ASBK is further testament to the tough and highly competitive nature of our ASBK Championship which is one of the best national superbike championships in the world,”Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, added. “Australian race fans have been starved of on track MotoGP action here for two years due to COVID, but to now have their Aussie hero in Jack Miller come home and race ASBK, we are sure fans will flock to the ASBK Grand Finale at The Bend in South Australia.”

Jorge Martin vomited all night before Valencia finale

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Pramac MotoGP rider Jorge Martin says he thought he would miss the Valencia Grand Prix as he spent all of Saturday night vomiting and hadn’t eaten since Saturday lunchtime. The rookie qualified on pole for Sunday’s final round of the 2021 MotoGP season and was one of the favourites to challenge for victory. Leading from lap two through to lap 14, Martin was holding eventual winner Francesco Bagnaia at bay before the Italian eventually found a way through on the 15th tour. Martin then had to fend off the sister factory team Ducati of Jack Miller to hold onto second, which sealed him the rookie of the year crown. But Martin revealed afterwards that he didn’t sleep on Saturday night into Sunday owing to an illness and was worried about the fact he hadn’t eaten anything since the previous day. “Yeah, well it was an unbelievable race,” Martin said in parc ferme directly after the race. “From 10pm yesterday till 5am today, I wasn’t sleeping, I was vomiting. “It was really difficult, I thought I couldn’t make the race. But thanks to the doctors, to Angel Charte, to all the Clinica Mobile, because they helped me a lot. “The thing I was scared about is I didn’t have any food since yesterday’s lunch. For sure a MotoGP race is very physical and I tried my best. “I was fully focused, no mistakes. Finally in the last laps Jack was pushing, so last lap I was giving my 100%.” Second capped of an incredible rookie year for Martin, which yielded three podiums and a victory at the Styrian Grand Prix – as well as four pole positions. “Second position is unbelievable, my first second position of the year,” he added. “I’m really happy for the team, to finish the season this way with a pole and a podium is amazing. Now we have the motivation for the future.” Martin missed the post-race press conference due to his illness. Despite missing four races through injury after a serious crash during practice for the Portuguese GP, Martin beat Avintia’s Enea Bastianini by nine points and ends the year ninth in the points.

Grazie Vale: Valentino Rossi enters MotoGP hall of fame after last race in Valencia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

Nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi was inducted into MotoGP’s Hall of Fame at the FIM Awards ceremony after the Italian put an end to his illustrious career of more than two decades with a 10th-place finish at the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday. Seven-times MotoGP title winner Rossi, one of the greatest and most charismatic of motorcycling champions, delighted fans with a few quick laps at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit but was unable to add to his 199 premier-class podiums. The 42-year-old, nicknamed “The Doctor”, is considering a move into car racing after competing in Grand Prix motorcycling. “I always think of this day like a nightmare, because it’s the end of a long career and I thought it would be in Valencia but in the end, I enjoyed it a lot so I have to thank everyone,” Rossi said. “Everyone who has worked with me, the whole paddock, the other riders … it was an unforgettable day and I enjoyed it. It was a long career, and always a pleasure.” Rossi, the only rider to win titles in the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP categories, took a final lap of honour on Sunday to a standing ovation from the crowd as fireworks dotted the sky, before an emotional farewell with his Petronas Yamaha team. A showman on the bike and off it, and famed for his postvictory antics, Rossi last won a MotoGP race in 2017 with Yamaha, in the Dutch TT at Assen.

Bagnaia wins in Valencia as Rossi finishes 10th in last MotoGP race(Results)

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago06 mins

Ducati works rider Francesco Bagnaia has taken a fourth MotoGP win of the season after leading a Ducati 1-2-3, while nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi ends his career with tenth place. Jorge Martin made a brilliant start from pole to lead into turn one, while Bagnaia went from second to fourth. On lap two, Martin and Miller briefly exchanged the lead at turns one and two, before a lovely move at turn four from Joan Mir put him second ahead of Miller. Lap three saw Valentino Rossi, who made a good start from tenth to ninth, then lose that spot to Pramac rider Johann Zarco, who himself had a dreadful start. While the Frenchman then got stuck behind Brad Binder in eighth, fellow Ducati rider Bagnaia got ahead of Mir for P2 along the start-finish straight. Mir was then relegated to fourth five corners later as team-mate Rins also came through. The #42, who was incredibly strong on the brakes, then made another stunning move at turn six to claim second off Bagnaia – lap five. Behind the front four, Miller lost yet another place after 2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo moved ahead of the Australian at turn four. Rossi was able to stick with Binder and Zarco for the next few laps, however, impressive rookie Enea Bastianini then pushed the nine-time world champion down to P11. Takaaki Nakagami’s dismal 2021 season ended with yet another crash as he became the first rider to lose the front at turn six. While Martin continued to look rock solid out front, Bagnaia moved back into second with a lovely overtake on Rins, before things got considerably worse for the Suzuki rider on lap 11 as he crashed at turn six. After several close looks at turn six, Bagnaia finally managed to overtake Martin for the lead – final corner move. Bagnaia then set the fastest lap of the race to put four tenths into Martin. Meanwhile, Miller began closing in on Mir who was missing several apex’s as he struggled to keep the pace of Bagnaia and Martin. With nine laps to go, Miller made it an all-Ducati podium thanks to a late braking move on Mir at turn two. Rossi’s final race was continuing to be a good one as he remained in tenth with six laps to go, however, the same couldn’t be said for Danilo Petrucci who was last of the current runners. The battle for victory continued to be close as Miller began reeling in the front two. The Jerez and Le Mans race winner looked on the absolute limit in trying to do so, however, that didn’t stop him from getting closer to Martin in particular. But just as he got close on the penultimate lap, Martin then set one of his fastest laps to maintain P2. Mir came under late pressure from Quartararo for fourth, but the Suzuki rider ultimately kept ahead. Zarco, Binder, Bastianini, Aleix Espaargaro and Rossi rounded out the top ten. VALENCIA MOTOGP, CIRCUIT RICARDO TORMO – RACE RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF 1 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) 41m 15.481s 2 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.489s 3 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.823s 4 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +5.214s 5 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +5.439s 6 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +6.993s 7 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +8.437s 8 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +10.933s 9 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +12.651s 10 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +13.468s 11 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +14.085s 12 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +16.534s 13 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +17.059s 14 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +18.221s 15 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +19.233s 16 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +19.815s 17 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +28.860s 18 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +32.169s Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) DNF Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) DNF

Jorge Martin tops qualifying to take pole for Valencia MotoGP(Results)

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago06 mins

Pramac’s Jorge Martin upstaged the works Ducatis – both of which crashed – to take the fourth pole of his MotoGP rookie season at the Valencia finale. Martin and Jack Miller had been equal first early in Q2 having both set 1m30.325s laps. But then Pecco Bagnaia blew the rest away with consecutive new benchmark laps of 1m30.118s and 1m30.000s as he chased his sixth straight pole. He kept pushing for a third flying lap only to crash and bring out yellow flags that stymied most others’ laps. Martin appears to have got through that sector before the yellows came out, and he produced a 1m29.936s to halt Bagnaia’s streak. Miller also crashed on his final lap while looking set to improve. But despite their falls, Bagnaia and Miller hold on to second and third on an all-Ducati front row. Suzuki had another strong qualifying session – 2020 champion Joan Mir fourth and team-mate Alex Rins coming through from Q1 to sixth, split by Martin’s team-mate Johann Zarco. Seventh-placed Brad Binder also progressed from Q1. He wasn’t just the only KTM rider in Q2, but the only one of its work pair anywhere near making it out of Q1. Miguel Oliveira was slowest of all in qualifying, six tenths of a second away from Binder in Q1. The Tech3 KTMs of Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci start 15th and 16th for the pair’s MotoGP farewells. Newly-crowned champion Fabio Quartararo struggled again, down in eighth, three places ahead of Yamaha team-mate Franco Morbidelli. Valentino Rossi was straight into Q2 on practice pace for his final MotoGP start and went on to qualify 10th. Takaaki Nakagami was best of the reduced Honda contingent in ninth for LCR. After his superb Portimao performance last week, Nakagami’s team-mate Alex Marquez came back down to earth in miserable fashion as a Turn 2 crash in Q1 left him second-slowest. Andrea Dovizioso secured the best qualifying result of his MotoGP comeback so far, putting the Petronas SRT Yamaha 13th on the grid and missing Q2 by just half a tenth. There were no Repsol Hondas running in qualifying following Pol Espargaro’s vicious morning crash. It is not yet clear if he will be fit to race tomorrow. Honda has elected not to replace Marc Marquez – absent for a second straight race as vision problems have followed his recent concussion – for the finale so Espargaro was due to represent the works team alone. Despite Aleix Espargaro’s Friday rage, he did make it into Q2 for Aprilia via his Saturday morning pace but was slowest in the pole shootout. VALENCIA MOTOGP, CIRCUIT RICARDO TORMO – FULL QUALIFYING RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* 1’29.936s 8/9 329k 2 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.064s 7/8 326k 3 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.389s 3/8 329k 4 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.459s 7/9 326k 5 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.482s 7/9 329k 6 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.539s 3/7 323k 7 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.573s 5/7 324k 8 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.684s 3/8 321k 9 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.708s 7/9 323k 10 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.810s 6/9 324k 11 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.845s 3/8 320k 12 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +1.088s 7/8 324k Qualifying 1: 13 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’30.859s 7/9 317k 14 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1’30.991s 7/8 321k 15 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’30.994s 7/9 326k 16 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’31.045s 7/9 317k 17 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’31.073s 7/8 323k 18 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’31.185s 7/8 321k 19 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) 1’31.251s 4/7 327k 20 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) 1’31.319s 3/8 321k Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) No Time 0/0 0

Espargaro tops Valencia FP3 as brother crashes, Rossi gets a Q2 spot after finishing 10th

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago06 mins

Aleix Espargaro has taken top spot in FP3 for the Valencia Grand Prix, while brother Pol was taken to the medical centre after a huge turn 12 highside. Espargaro begun qualifying day at the Valencia Grand Prix in impressive style after bettering Ducati rider Jack Miller by just -0.018s. Lap times were a considerable way off Miller’s fastest FP2 time to begin the day due to cold track temperatures. However, Espargaro was one of a select few to improve as he went ninth fastest, which relegated 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo down to 13th. While the Aprilia rider went even quicker on his next lap to go sixth, Johann Zarco suffered a mechanical failure as smoke was coming from the rear of his Pramac Ducati. The French rider managed to return to pit lane without dropping any fluids down on-track. Espargaro, who was already fastest in regards to FP3, then went half a second clear of Takaaki Nakagami after beginning his time-attack runs with 20 minutes to go. The Spanish rider’s time put him third overall behind brother Pol Espargaro. Nakagami went fourth quickest just moments later as the LCR Honda rider also had a soft rear tyre fitted. Franco Morbidelli was next to make a big jump up the order as he went fifth fastest from 14th. The Italian’s lap was enough to move Petronas Yamaha rider Andrea Dovizioso out of the top ten. Shortly after, yellow flags were deployed in sector four as P. Espargaro suffered a huge off at turn 13. Espargaro’s crash left him down and in the gravel for a few minutes before being stretchered away. Espargaro has since been taken to the medical centre. At the front, Joan Mir momentarily went fastest as improvements over one lap continued for last year’s world champion. However, Jack Miller quickly responded by going four tenths quicker to regain first place. The Australian’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia then made it a Ducati 1-2 with seven minutes left. Bagnaia’s second place quickly became Morbidelli’s as the Yamaha rider got within a tenth of Miller. Nakagami also went third, while Quartararo was down in 17th after having multiple laps deleted. Quartararo finally got it right with three to go and went ninth quickest – a position he kept through to the chequered flag. A late 1:30.529s saw Espargaro then secure top spot from Miller, while Valentino Rossi secured direct access thanks to tenth place. The nine-time world champion’s quickest lap came whilst following Bagnaia who himself finished fourth. VALENCIA MOTOGP, CIRCUIT RICARDO TORMO – FREE PRACTICE (3) RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 ^11 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1’30.529s 16/17 327k 2 ˅1 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.018s 16/21 334k 3 ^10 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.085s 18/20 323k 4 ˅1 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.123s 21/21 329k 5 = Jorgr Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.185s 18/20 331k 6 ^1 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.233s 20/21 327k 7 ˅1 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.248s 16/20 332k 8 ^2 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.257s 21/23 329k 9 ^2 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.262s 21/23 323k 10 ^11 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.296s 20/22 323k 11 ˅7 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.337s 21/22 327k 12 ˅4 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.364s 20/21 329k 13 ^3 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +0.583s 19/20 323k 14 ^6 Lica Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.606s 16/20 324k 15 ˅1 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.623s 22/23 332k 16 ˅1 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +0.688s 19/20 320k 17 ^1 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.710s 18/19 327k 18 ˅9 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.848s 21/22 323k 19 ˅2 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.859s 20/21 327k 20 ˅1 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.860s 17/18 331k 21 ˅19 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.966s 10/14 329k

Valencia MotoGP: Miller tops afternoon practice ahead of Espargaro(Results)

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

ack Miller ended Friday at the Valencia Grand Prix fastest with a rapid final tour in FP2, the Aussie narrowly leading Honda’s Pol Espargaro. The final Friday practice session of the season started out pretty much bone-dry following a wet opening test of the weekend just hours earlier, allowing the riders to lap around six second per-lap faster immediately. Times continued to drop throughout the session as the track rubbered in further and further, with a final qualifying-like shootout taking place in the closing minutes to decide a potentially crucial top ten if the rain makes another appearance on Saturday. Miller ended up finding the most time on his final effort as he fired in a 1:30.927s to move ahead of Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, though the Italian would ultimately be shuffled back to third by the session’s conclusion by Espargaro. The Spaniard looked good to further improve on his best lap on his final circulation, though asked a little too much from the front-tyre of his Honda and went down at Turn 6. Alex Rins ended up fourth for Suzuki ahead of Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin, while Takaaki Nakagami lifted himself well into the top ten in sixth with a late improvement of his own. Joan Mir-who scored his one and only career MotoGP win at Valencia last year-ended Friday seventh ahead of KTM’s Brad Binder, while Andrea Dovizioso was a surprise ninth for Petronas SRT Yamaha having struggled for speed in recent races, the Italian only 0.670s adrift of Miller’s benchmark as the only Yamaha rider in the top ten. Johann Zarco completed the ten that could possibly decide who heads directly to the pole shootout on Saturday afternoon, the Frenchman denying countryman and 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo the spot by just over a tenth-of-a-second. Franco Morbidelli held position at the head of the timesheets for a significant portion of the session before being shuffled to 13th by the end, while Alex Marquez struggled to match the speed of his fellow Honda pilot’s down in 14th. Aprilia continued their recent raw speed deficit with Aleix Espargaro 12th ahead of team-mate Maverick Vinales in 18th, while Valentino Rossi’s final MotoGP weekend continued to look challenging as he ended the day 21st and last-albeit only 1.3 seconds from the ultimate pace. VALENCIA MOTOGP, CIRCUIT RICARDO TORMO – FREE PRACTICE (2) RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) 1’30.927s 19/20 329k 2 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.012s 19/19 331k 3 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.068s 19/20 331k 4 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.409s 19/19 327k 5 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.469s 17/17 329k 6 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.500s 20/20 331k 7 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.586s 19/20 327k 8 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.594s 20/20 327k 9 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.670s 19/22 324k 10 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.676s 20/21 332k 11 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.781s 16/17 323k 12 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.893s 20/21 326k 13 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.905s 11/20 321k 14 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.925s 20/20 327k 15 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.156s 19/21 321k 16 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.171s 17/18 331k 17 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.281s 19/21 329k 18 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +1.287s 14/16 324k 19 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.292s 14/14 326k 20 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.302s 18/19 320k 21 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.358s 17/19 324k

Hamilton and Norris give tribute to Valentino Rossi as he retires from MotoGP

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago06 mins

McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris paid tribute to his boyhood idol, Valentino Rossi, and revealed they had exchanged text messages ahead of the Italian rider’s great’s final MotoGP this weekend.Norris, 21, wore a Rossi tribute helmet at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix and the two have kept in touch since they met at Silverstone that year. “He sent me a message last night, just because he is going into the final race of his career,” the British Formula 1 driver told reporters ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Brazil’s Interlagos circuit. “It’s sad times. I’m going to miss him. He was the guy I watched when I was four, five, six years old. He got me into racing, got me onto a motorbike first,” Norris added. “He’s been the guy that I’ve looked up to, the guy who’s kind of helped me get to this position where I am because probably without watching him, my ambition of being a racing driver wouldn’t have been so high.” Norris would not divulge the details of Rossi’s text and said it was in response to a “little heartfelt message” he sent saying how much he would miss him and congratulating him on what he had achieved. Norris said he and Rossi talked “now and then” and still had plans to do some car racing together, mentioning GT sportscar events such as 12-hour races in Abu Dhabi and Dubai or even online. Seven-times F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, who swapped machinery with Rossi for fun at an event in Valencia in 2019, also paid tribute to the Italian: “It’s obviously sad to see Vale stopping but I think his drive, his approach, just everything he’s done has been incredible. “The passion that he’s had for so long has shown through. And just such a legend, one of the greatest to ever do it,” declared Hamilton. The 41-year-old Italian will make his 432nd Grand Prix start this weekend having amassed a record 89 wins and 199 podium finishes in MotoGP. “I think that the most positive thing in my career is that a lot of people started to follow MotoGP to follow my career from the beginning, and the sport became bigger, more famous in Italy but also all around the world,” Rossi told reporters on Thursday. “It’s good to understand that during my career I became something different, something like an icon and this is a great, great pleasure also if for a rider it’s more important what happens on track, the result, everything.” Rossi started his career in the 125cc category and won a world title in 1997, followed by the 250cc championship in 1999. He moved to the premier class a year later and won seven titles between 2001 and 2009. “I always imagined this presser… this is a strange feeling. I want to keep it normal but that’s not possible. Great emotion right now,” said Rossi, who took part in a special ceremony during which all his championship-winning bikes were presented before the media. The Petronas Yamaha rider said he was disappointed at being unable to add a 10th world title. “I fought a lot for the 10th championship… I was able to race at a good level. My last title in 2009 was a lifetime ago. I would have been happy to win another championship but I cannot complain. I had a great career,” added Rossi.

Lecuona tops wet Valencia GP FP1 as Miller and Bagnaia crash(Results)

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Tech 3 KTM rider Iker Lecuona has topped his second MotoGP practice of the year after bettering Jack Miller late on in FP1 at Valencia. Rain began to fall between Moto3 and MotoGP FP1 which led to every rider heading out on wet tyres. As was the case with Alex Rins in Portimao, 2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo was seen using the new shoulder cam around the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. While conditions continued to worsen around the ten minute mark, Miguel Oliveira was able to repeatedly improve his lap time and lead from Ducati’s Miller. Winner last time out, Francesco Bagnaia then jumped to the top of the field with a 1:41.511 – two tenths better than Oliveira, while Danilo Petrucci who is competing in his last MotoGP race went down at turn four whilst following Bagnaia. Bagnaia went on to improve by another two tenths on his next lap around, before he too suffered a crash – turn 2. Despite Petrucci’s crash, the wet conditions were proving beneficial for KTM as Oliveira, Lecuona and Petrucci were all within the top six at FP1’s mid-session point. Valentino Rossi, who will retire following this weekend’s Valencia MotoGP, was one of the last riders to set a flying lap, however, his first few laps weren’t classified due to being outside the seven second margin. Enea Bastianini was the other rider to be in that situation, but that changed for the former Moto2 champion with 12 minutes to go as he went 19th. Bagnaia, who led team-mate Miller for much of the session was then bettered by the Australian who set a first sub 1m 41s lap of the session. Miller’s time was over five tenths quicker than Bagnaia, while Jorge Martin made it three Ducati machines inside the top three with five minutes left. But just like Bagnaia earlier on, Miller crashed at turn one shortly after going quickest. The Ducati rider ran wide at turn one before the painted run-off wiped out the front end of his machine. Luca Marini then made it four Ducati’s at the front before Lecuona went quickest with a 1:40.569s. who has been very impressive in wet conditions since returning from injury at Misano (1), also moved into the top five momentarily, however, the Italian was eventually pushed down to eighth after good laps from Johann Zarco and Joan Mir put them fourth and fifth respectively. VALENCIA MOTOGP, CIRCUIT RICARDO TORMO – FREE PRACTICE (1) RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’40.569s 17/19 317k 2 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.155s 11/12 323k 3 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.161s 19/19 314k 4 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.371s 20/20 320k 5 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.374s 16/17 318k 6 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.446s 13/13 321k 7 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.535s 13/14 315k 8 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.631s 15/17 314k 9 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.731s 18/19 318k 10 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.917s 19/19 315k 11 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.943s 16/16 318k 12 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.978s 17/18 318k 13 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +1.320s 14/14 315k 14 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.405s 11/14 317k 15 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.512s 20/21 315k 16 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +1.589s 16/16 320k 17 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.599s 18/19 313k 18 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.613s 12/12 308k 19 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.869s 6/6 310k 20 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +2.198s 14/15 321k 21 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +12.412s 3/4 293k

Rossi reunites with his championship winning bikes ahead of his last MotoGP race in Valencia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago8 months ago04 mins

A special display awaited Valentino Rossi as he arrived for the start of his final Valencia GP race weekend, in Valencia on Thursday. One bike from each of his nine world championship seasons was assembled, plus a representative from each of the respective factories: Lin Jarvis for Yamaha (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009), Alberto Puig for Honda (2001, 2002, 2003) and Massimo Rivola for Aprilia (1996, 1998). “The last race I want to try to make normal, but it’s not possible! It’s a great emotion and already from today to see all the bikes together and all the riders from MotoGP here is a great feeling,” said Rossi. “I have the bikes at home, except the Hondas. I have all the Aprilias and all the Yamahas. The Yamahas are in my house, the 2004 model is in my bedroom, so every morning when I wake up I see the bike! “But to have them all together like this is a great emotion and it’s a long way from the first one, a really long time ago, also if you consider that after the last one [in 2009] have another 10 years! It’s a long way and a great emotion.” Rossi was seen speaking to Puig about the 500cc NSR two-stroke as they posed for pictures, later revealing he had been asking if Honda would allow him to keep the bike he says was promised to him but never delivered. “I spoke with Alberto and I ask for minimum for the 500, also because that 500 is my 500, it’s the bike that Honda was supposed to give to me,” Rossi said. “I was ready to take it, I have already the place at home, but after for some reason the bike never arrived. “I’m happy if Honda changes their mind and give me that one. For sure, the bike will be well looked after, at a good temperature and have a good place in my house!” Rossi won the last ever 500cc world title for Honda in 2001, then the opening titles of the new four-stroke MotoGP era in 2002 and 2003, before stunning the sport by switching to the struggling Yamaha factory where he won the title at his first attempt. While Jarvis was instrumental in tempting Rossi to Yamaha in 2004 and has overseen all his seasons on the M1, Puig and Rivola arrived at HRC and Aprilia respectively long after Rossi’s era at the factories. Editorial Note: Watch a video on YouTube of Rossi’s reunion with the winning race bike here.

Repsol Honda will not be finding a replacement for Marquez in Valencia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Pol Espargaro will be the Repsol Honda Team’s sole rider in this weekend’s MotoGP season finale at Valencia, as Marc Marquez remains sidelined. Then, it was Honda test rider Stefan Bradl who filled the breach, as he had done when #93 missed most of last season and the first two rounds of 2021 due to his badly broken arm. However, the German has not been called up this time around, meaning only #44 will be in the garage at the Valencia Grand Prix. “On Tuesday it was announced that Marc Marquez will miss both the Valencia GP and the Jerez Test due to diplopia after a training crash,” read the works Honda team’s pre-event press release, in part. “The Repsol Honda Team have elected not to field a replacement for the Valencia GP weekend.” Espargaro, who moved across from KTM in the last off-season, is enjoying his best run of form to results with Honda. The Spaniard has five top 10 finishes in the last six races, including his first podium on an RC213V at Misano, two rounds ago, and is hoping to continue that form. “First I want to wish Marc all the best during this difficult time and I hope he can recover soon and well,” said Espargaro. “His absence will of course be felt at the track, but we arrive in Valencia still motivated to do our job the best we can. “It’s a circuit that I really enjoy a lot, I achieved my first MotoGP podium there in 2018 and I think we can do well there this year. “The circuit is very cold at this time of year and this is good for us. It’s the last race, I want to continue the speed from the last races to end well before 2022 begins in Jerez.” Marquez will also miss the post-season test which takes place at Jerez on November 18-19.

KTM announces Petrucci for 2022 Dakar Rally

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

KTM MotoGP regular Danilo Petrucci has confirmed he will make his Dakar Rally debut in 2022. Petrucci, who has accumulated 10 podium finishes and two wins in his 10 seasons on the MotoGP grid, will fulfil a lifetime dream with the transition into the next stage of his elite racing career after the season-closing Valencia race. ‘Petrux’ is a skilled offroad rider in enduro and motocross but knows the discipline and demands of rally will be a big challenge. Learning from some of the most successful racers in the sport, and experts from the KTM squad that has previously won an outstanding 18 successive Dakar victories, Petrucci has begun his rally preparation as he embarks on the challenge of a switch from MotoGP to the Dakar. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s 2018 Dakar winner and recently crowned FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Matthias Walkner, two-time Dakar champion Toby Price, and reigning Dakar champion Kevin Benavides will be on-hand in the KTM stable to help the MotoGP star make his transition to the sport. “For me it is really a dream come true to race the Dakar. It’s an event I’ve always wanted to do since I was a child when I was watching video tapes of the Dakar Rally from the 80s and 90s,” said Petrucci. ‘Now, thanks to KTM, this dream is coming true. First, I would like to thank KTM for this great opportunity; I think I will be the only rider that in just over one month has competed in MotoGP and then the Dakar Rally – so it is with great pride that I go there. ‘My main target is just to finish the race and enjoy it. The first approach was to have some road book training with Jordi, he competed in the race many times and finished on the podium, so he has been great in helping me learn this special art. ‘I had my first taste of riding the KTM 450 RALLY recently at an initial test in the Dubai dunes, where I was with KTM’s Dakar champions and I was able to learn so much from them – it was great to see them riding, and they were super nice and helpful to me. “I hope the training for the next month will be enough; for sure it will be a tough race, but I am excited.”

Marquez to miss Valencia season finale due to vision problems

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Marc Marquez’s MotoGP season is over after he was ruled out of this weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix and the Jerez test which follows due to ongoing vision problems. The six-time premier class champion missed last weekend’s Algarve Grand Prix after a training crash left him with concussion. Despite resting at home for a week now, he continued to feel unwell and suffer from vision problems. Yesterday (Monday, local time), he was visited by ophthalmologist Dr Sánchez Dalmau at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, who examined him. Tests picked up a new episode of diplopia, otherwise known as double vision, and he will not ride a MotoGP bike again this year. “The examination carried out on Marc Marquez today after the accident that occurred has confirmed that the rider has diplopia and has revealed a paralysis of the fourth right nerve with involvement of the right superior oblique muscle,” said Dr Dalmau. “A conservative treatment with periodic updates has been chosen to follow with the clinical evolution. “This fourth right nerve is the one that was already injured in 2011.” Marquez suffered from vertical diplopia in 2011 after a crash in a Moto2 session at Sepang left him with paralysis of that same muscle due to trauma to the fourth right cranial nerve. The latest injury means he will have missed a total of four rounds by season’s end, having sat out the first two as he continued to recover from the bad arm facture which he suffered in Jerez last year. Nevertheless, he is currently sixth in the standings, edging Brad Binder on a countback, and cannot finish any worse than seventh, meaning he will be the top Honda rider for 2021. Marquez has scored three wins this year, including two in what have ended up being his last two starts of the campaign. There is no word yet on a replacement but it is highly likely that Honda test rider Stefan Bradl will fill in again, given he has done so on the other three occasions. Practice at Valencia begins on Friday, while the Jerez post-season test takes place on November 18-19.

Bagnaia wins crash filled Algarve GP ahead of Mir and Miller(full results)

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

Francesco Bagnaia has soared to a third MotoGP win in five races after dominating the Algarve Grand Prix at Portimao. Starting from pole position following a record lap time, the factory Ducati rider was imperious in running away with victory at Portimao. The race was called early, on the penultimate lap, following a collision between Iker Lecuona and Miguel Oliveira. With the results backdated to the end of Lap 23, the final margin to second-placed finisher Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) ended up at 2.478s. Off the start, it was Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) who got the best getaway to lead the field into Turn 1. Bagnaia wasted no time in regaining the lead though, getting the upper hand with a stronger exit out of the first corner, and later that same lap Mir would pass Miller too. Bagnaia and Mir quickly set about dropping Miller, who fell back into the clutches of a tight battle back behind initially led by Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing). By Lap 4, the Australian’s threat from behind was now Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), the Spaniard having started well from his career-best grid slot of eighth. While Bagnaia upped the ante to widen his buffer over Mir to eight tenths by Lap 7 and towards 1.5s at the midway point of the race, Miller continued to fall back and was passed for third by Marquez at the start of Lap 12. Unlike the medium-shod Miller, Marquez was making his hard rear tyre work a treat. By the end of Lap 15 of 25, the order ran: Bagnaia, Mir, Marquez, Miller, Martin, Johann Zarco and champion-elect Fabio Quartararo. Starting seventh, the Monster Energy Yamaha star was sluggish off the line and struggled to find a way past the Ducatis ahead – Zarco sneaking through after Quartararo ran wide at Turn 13. The biggest improver in the opening segment was home hero Oliveira, who gained seven spots to 10th within two laps. By contrast, Maverick Viñales plummeted to last immediately – and things would get worse for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini when Aleix Espargaro crashed out on Lap 8 at Turn 1. That completed a shocking day for the older Espargaro brother, who had also crashed in Sunday warm-up. He was the second to trigger yellow flags, Danilo Petrucci (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) making it only to the fourth corner of the opening lap. Miller, searching for his first podium since the Catalan Grand Prix five months ago, briefly snuck back into third with a block pass at the start of Lap 19, only for Marquez to execute a criss-cross. Two laps later, Miller would make it stick after a Marquez error opened the door. A little further back, the same lap would bring Quartararo unstuck at Turn 5, a crash representing his first non-finish of 2021. Quartararo had held sixth at the time, Martin having lost positions to both Zarco and #20 moments earlier. He’d be joined in the non-finisher category by Lecuona and Oliveira, an incident which brought about the race-ending red flag. Lecuona lost his #27 on entry to Turn 13, wiping out his fellow KTM competitor. After initial concern, both riders were seen to be conscious, Lecuona appearing to apologise. The early stoppage did, however, cost Marquez any chance of launching a last-gasp assault on Miller, leaving him to settle for fourth. With the results, Bagnaia and Mir sealed second and third, respectively, in the riders’ championship. Ducati also sealed the 2021 constructors’ title. ALGARVE MOTOGP, PORTIMAO – RACE RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF 1 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) 38m 17.72s 2 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +2.478s 3 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +6.402s 4 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +6.453s 5 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +7.882s 6 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +9.573s 7 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +10.144s 8 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +10.742s 9 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +13.840s 10 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +14.487s 11 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +20.912s 12 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +22.450s 13 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +22.752s 14 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +26.207s 15 Stefan Bradl GER Repsol Honda (RC213V) +26.284s 16 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +26.828s 17 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +27.863s Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) DNF Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) DNF Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) DNF Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) DNF Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) DNF

Algarve MotoGP: Bagnaia takes pole, Quartararo will start from seventh

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia scored a remarkable fifth consecutive pole in MotoGP at Portimao, while champion Fabio Quartararo – who had managed the same feat earlier this season – was only seventh. Quartararo and Bagnaia had run the show through practice, but it was Jack Miller who uncorked a Portimao record lap early on in the pole shoot-out instead, with neither of the two favourites even in the top three at the halfway mark of the session. Yet Bagnaia jumped narrowly ahead of team-mate Miller with his very first attempt on his second run, and found another tenth of a second with a follow-up effort moments before the chequered flag. Miller improved too, but only by seven thousandths, leaving him to prop up a Ducati 1-2 that would have been a 1-2-3-4 if not for the efforts of Suzuki rider Joan Mir. Mir beat the closely-matched Pramac Ducati duo of Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco to record his best-ever MotoGP qualifying, although he was seen angrily giving a piece of his mind to Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) – who had passed him into Turn 1 on their last laps – after the chequered flag. Despite being world champion in 2020, Mir had never previously qualified above fourth in MotoGP – though he was elevated to third by a Zarco penalty at last year’s Styrian GP. Pol Espargaro was the lead Honda rider in sixth, a place that would’ve gone to Quartararo had he not had his fastest lap in the session deleted for a yellow flag infringement – the yellow flags having been caused by a Luca Marini Turn 14 crash. Quartararo only lost one place as a consequence, and will be joined by Marquez and team-mate Franco Morbidelli on the third row. Iker Lecuona, who was comfortably the fastest KTM of the quartet in Q1 and advanced to Q2 with Zarco, will lead row four, joined by Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Marini (VR46 Ducati). Avintia rider (and Marini’s semi-team-mate) Enea Bastianini briefly looked like joining his many Ducati peers in Q2, but was shuffled down to 13th by a late Q1 improvement from Zarco. Aleix Espargaro was a further tenth down in fourth in Q1, as the lead Aprilia rider (four places up on team-mate Maverick Vinales), while Danilo Petrucci was the closest KTM rider to his team-mate Lecuona in Q1, and will complete the fifth row. It was therefore a bruising session for KTM’s factory riders. Home hero Miguel Oliveira was just a couple of hundredths off Petrucci and 16th-placed Valentino Rossi, but was almost half a second down on Lecuona – at a track where Oliveira had won last year. It was worse still for team-mate Brad Binder, who will line up at the head of row seven and was nearly seven tenths off Lecuona, not helped by an early-Q1 crash at the sharp Turn 3. The only other rider to fall in Q1 was Takaaki Nakagami, with the Japanese LCR Honda rider’s late off at the hairpin-like Turn 5 consigning him to last place on the grid. ALGARVE MOTOGP, PORTIMAO – FULL QUALIFYING RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) 1’38.725s 7/8 335k 2 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.104s 7/8 342k 3 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.168s 3/7 332k 4 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.191s 7/8 342k 5 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.193s 6/8 342k 6 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.333s 6/7 341k 7 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.406s 7/7 331k 8 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.466s 6/7 338k 9 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.596s 3/7 329k 10 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +0.662s 7/8 333k 11 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.924s 3/7 332k 12 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.103s 5/6 331k Qualifying 1: 13 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’39.283s 7/8 338k 14 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1’39.389s 7/8 335k 15 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’39.595s 7/8 328k 16 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’39.604s 7/8 333k 17 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) 1’39.624s 3/8 330k 18 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1’39.738s 3/7 331k 19 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) 1’39.859s 6/7 336k 20 Stefan Bradl GER Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1’39.907s 7/8 335k 21 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’39.918s 7/8 331k 22 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) 1’40.009s 5/5 334k