MotoGP

Honda MotoGP rider Marc Marquez says he apologised to rival Maverick Vinales for his “not completely fair” tactic during the first segment of Mugello qualifying. Marquez stuck to the back of Vinales for most of Q1, specifically waiting for the Yamaha rider to come out onto the track on his second run and even following him into the pits when Vinales ducked back into the pitlane to shake off his pursuers. In the end, this allowed Marquez to set his fastest lap behind Vinales and go a tenth quicker than the Yamaha man. Though Vinales then had another attempt to get through to Q2, he came up short and was eliminated, while Marquez topped the opening session. Yamaha’s MotoGP team manager Massimo Meregalli took issue with Marquez’s strategy in the immediate aftermath of the session, telling MotoGP.com that it was “not fair” and potentially warranted sanction. But Vinales himself – though clearly irked when on the bike – expressed no such sentiment publicly in the aftermath, and Marquez said that he already discussed the situation with the Yamaha man. “I met Maverick before entering the press conference, where all the TV [crews] are,” Marquez said. “And yeah, first of all, I apologised, because I know that it’s not completely fair. “And what I said is ‘you have the reason to be angry’. But, in another hand, you know, today in the morning I felt not so bad, in the afternoon I felt really really bad, the physical condition, and then I stopped in FP4 before the finish, I said to the team ‘I don’t feel the bike, I don’t feel anything, we just need to follow somebody’. “I checked the list, the fastest guy was Vinales there and we chose him because he was the fastest guy – if it was another one, we would choose another one. And yeah, just I followed him, was the tactic because was the only way to improve.” Marquez, who went on to qualify 11th to Vinales’ 13th, is continuing his recovery from the injury that wrecked his 2020, and faces potentially the sternest test of his comeback yet at the demanding Mugello circuit. Though his right arm is healing well, he has been struggling from a lack of strength in his right shoulder and has been unable to recapture the kind of form he showed in the wet conditions at Le Mans two weekends ago. Marquez’s Q1 approach drew mixed reactions from the paddock, though Vinales himself wouldn’t be drawn on it, saying he was “not disturbed” when having Marquez behind him. “I don’t have any comment on it. We weren’t fast enough, that’s all,” he said. “After FP1 I never had that feeling again, so there is no excuse. We were slow and that’s it. “If the team say something, that’s the team, but I just say nothing and keep concentrating on riding. We didn’t get past Q2 because we weren’t fast enough and it’s like this.” Rookie Luca Marini suggested that Marquez did this specifically to “disturb” Vinales as he would’ve been quick enough to make Q2 anyway, but this claim came before Marquez’s explanation – and Marini in any case didn’t feel it was something that really could be policed. “It’s a funny situation from the outside, but when you are the one being followed by someone it’s not really really nice,” said reigning champion Joan Mir, who had his frustration with Marquez trying to grab a tow earlier this year. “And I feel it. “And what I saw from the outside is that Marc loves to play, and Maverick hates to play. So, this is what I saw. In this situation, you cannot do anything but your work.” Vinales’ team-mate Fabio Quartararo described the situation as “borderline” because Marquez actively followed Vinales into the pitlane, but said he “didn’t want to judge anyone”. Pramac Ducati rider Johann Zarco described it as “the dark side of our sport”, but his other words made it clear he had no intention to condemn Marquez’s actions, hinting that the result justified the action. “Marc was strong also like this,” Zarco then said, pointing to when Marquez was at full fitness. “When he was the one we wanted to catch, sometimes he went out of the box, jumped on the bike, everyone went, and then he went back into the box. And then he did the lap alone.” Marquez himself also made reference to riders following him when he was in his pre-injury form. “I would like to be in another level, another position, to push in front and the others follow me, like many times in the past, but I’m not like this,” he said. “I know, because I had that feeling in the past, and I know how Maverick can feel, and for that reason I apologised. “But in the end it’s inside the rules. In the limit but inside the rules. And yeah, what I did is try to find the situation, try to find the perfect situation to do my 100 percent and take the best result possible.”

Francesco Bagnaia broke the lap record at Ducati’s home circuit to compete a frantic end to FP3 ahead of qualifying for the Italian MotoGP Grand Prix at Mugello. Fastest on Friday, Francesco Bagnaia continued his pace into FP3 to top the session with a new record aboard the Ducati at their home track in the Italian MotoGP FP3 session. The Italian sits just one point behind championship leader Fabio Quartararo and is well placed to eye up his first win in the class after heading straight to Q2 thanks to his new record lap of 1m 45.456s, beating Marc Marquez’s old Mugello standard, set in 2019. Quartararo was a constant at the top of the timesheets, with only his title rivals record pace able to displacing him, the Monster Yamaha rider a solid second, just 0.157s slower. Winner of the last two rounds, Jack Miller, was down in thirteenth until the introduction of a soft front and rear tyre. The Australian immediately moved into the top ten, finishing fourth while sat in the pits, confident enough to sit out the last few laps of manic track action. Johann Zarco used his final run to push his way up to fifth for Pramac Racing, having been stuck outside the top ten ias the chequered flag waved. Suzuki are again on the new electronics package, seeing improved cornering at Mugello. Alex Rins was the best of thier riders in sixth with reigning champion also making Q2 automatically in eighth. Pol Espargaro was the best of the factory Honda riders, holding on in the faster, cooler conditions to ninth. Franco Morbidelli, underpowered in comparision to Binder’s new record speed on the 2019 Yamaha machinery, used every bit of his skill and track knowledge to hold on to a top ten slot and escape having to go through Q1. Vinales was not as lucky – a late crash at turn 12, Ducati Corner, from his Monster Energy Yamaha saw him unable to reply as the final flurry of fast laps came in, pushing him down to eleventh. The Spaniard was not the only big name to miss out on heading straight to the second qualifying session. Marc Marquez continued to fight the uncomfortable feeling in his shoulder, having played down his chances of success in Italy, he continued to struggle with cornering and improved on his final lap, tucked in incredibly closely behind Bagnaia he moved up from 19th but only to 12th. Aleix Espargaro, who had arm pump surgery between rounds, had his arm drained following pain on Friday, still affected he could only manage a time good enough for 13th in an incredibly tight session, but remained the top Aprillia rider. Luca Marini was top rookie in FP3 in 16th for Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati. Valentino Rossi chose this session for his Mugello helmet reveal, the cow emblazoned helmet added a touch of fun to another tough session for the Mugello fan favourite. After spending most of the session in last Rossi improved to 18th as the clock hit zero, and although his performance feels miles away from his series of Mugello victories, the Italian was less than a second off Bagnaia’s new record lap.

Jack Miller has given a firm signal that he does indeed have a new contract, following speculation Ducati will announce a renewal soon. The Queenslander is set to be rewarded for his back-to-back MotoGP wins with another campaign at the factory team, to which he was promoted this year following three seasons at Pramac Racing. A report from Ducati’s native Italy suggested the deal would be announced in the lead-up to its home grand prix, which takes place at Mugello on May 28-30. Miller did little to dispel the speculation when queried on the matter on the Australian Grand Prix Corporation’s In The Fast Lane podcast. Asked if he had a ‘scoop’, the 26-year-old responded with a question of his own: “When’s this coming out?” Told the podcast would be released on the day after taping, he quipped, “I’ve got nothing for ya.” Another hint came when Miller spoke enthusiastically about his situation following his first two wins for the Ducati Lenovo Team. ‘Jackass’, who is on a one-year contract with an option for another season held by the factory, said he will continue to work with “good people”. “It’s looking great; it’s a dream come true,” said Miller. “[It is] the best stage of my career I’ve ever been in; it feels absolutely fantastic. “I’m enjoying what I’m doing. I was enjoying it at the beginning of the year anyway; I just wasn’t enjoying not doing well, not doing what I knew I could do. “Now that the results have come and everything has fallen into place, you don’t want this sort of form to end, so I’m just trying to keep it going for as long as I can. “But I mean, I’m in a good space, I’m in a really great space, and I’ve got a lot of good people around me, and I’m going to get to keep a lot of good people around me.” Miller has already had a rollercoaster 2021, named a title favourite before a wheel was turned and going on to top pre-season testing, only to slip into a serious slump in the two Losail races and at Portimao. While a new contract seems a fait accompli, it was only weeks ago that he feared for his future in MotoGP. “It wasn’t an easy couple of weeks, I can tell you that for free,” admitted Miller. “Also, being on a one-year contract with an option… having that in the back of your mind and having other guys on the same machines going good, you start scratching your head going, ‘Have I got a job next year?’ sort of thing, even though it is early on in the season. “But, you know how people’s minds in this game change; it’s so quick.” Miller is now fourth in the championship, 16 points behind leader Fabio Quartararo.

Aleix Espargaro has had surgery to correct his arm pump following the French MotoGP. The Aprilia rider completed only 12 laps in the Jerez post-race test, early this month, due to the ailment but was running sixth at Le Mans when his RS-GP suffered an apparent engine failure. Espargaro had to wait until after the French round to be operated on due to health protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was into hospital in his native Barcelona next morning. The 31-year-old is the fourth MotoGP rider to undergo such a procedure this year, after Jack Miller, Iker Lecuona, and Fabio Quartararo. Espargaro currently sits seventh in the championship and looked to be on for a fifth top 10 finish in as many races to start the season until the aforementioned technical problem. Round 6 is the Italian Grand Prix, at Mugello, on May 28-30.

Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team has concluded a deal with Ducati for the 2022 MotoGP season, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. An announcement of VR46’s new status as an official Ducati satellite is expected in the coming weeks. There were initially three offers on the table for Rossi’s team, with deals from Aprilia and Yamaha also available for him to choose from. It’s believed that the Yamaha one in particular was financially lucrative for Rossi – who won four of his MotoGP titles with the firm – and would have cost VR46 only €5million for full factory support. That’s a considerable discount on the €9m deal offered to his current team Petronas SRT Yamaha for the same level of support. The official confirmation of the news is expected to come not at next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Mugello but one week later in Barcelona at the Catalan Grand Prix, with a three-year contract due to be announced for Rossi’s Saudi-backed team. The reason for the delay in announcing the deal is that there is other news to first be confirmed at Mugello. Ducati will also announce a three-year contract extension for second tier team Pramac Racing and will then confirm that factory rider Jack Miller will activate the second-year option in his contract – no surprise after the Australian’s back to back wins in the past two races. The VR46 deal leaves Ducati with something of a quandary, as it attempts to line up more riders than it currently has bikes for. Both Miller and Pecco Bagnaia will remain in the factory team, while Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco will stay with Pramac. However, reigning Moto2 world champion Enea Bastianini (pictured above) is signed to a Ducati contract rather than with his current Esponsorama team – which will lose its place in MotoGP to Rossi’s expanded squad. It remains to be seen if Ducati will be able to place him alongside current team-mate Luca Marini in Rossi’s new set-up, or if the second bike there will be reserved for Rossi protege Marco Bezzecchi. Gazzetta dello Sport has also confirmed that Gresini Racing has a €3m offer on the table from current partner Aprilia, with the Rossi news all but set to confirm that Gresini will remain a part of the Aprilia set-up as a satellite squad following the end of its deal to be the official partner. Gresini is already believed to have a contract in place with its Moto2 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio to move to MotoGP next year, but it also offers Aprilia a chance to potentially poach Bastianini from Ducati for a bargain price, should Ducati and Rossi be unable to agree terms to retain Bastianini’s services. But Aprilia’s future rider line-up remains more than anything hinged on the decisions made in the coming weeks by Andrea Dovizioso. Though he completed another test of the RS-GP last week as he continues to assess a full-time return with the team for next season, wet conditions at Mugello meant that he will now wait until riding the bike for a third a time at Misano before making his call. The other repercussion of the VR46/Ducati deal is that Petronas SRT looks set to remain with Yamaha for next year despite the higher price it’s going to be forced to pay. That deal remains on the table. Franco Morbidelli has already indicated that Petronas staying with Yamaha would mean he will be promoted to factory-spec machinery, but whether Rossi will remain alongside him as his team-mate or whether retirement is on the cards after a poor start to 2021 is perhaps the next big question of the silly season.

Marc Marquez is disappointed at a missed opportunity after crashing while leading the French Grand Prix, just three races into his comeback. The six-time premier class champion led a MotoGP race for the first time since last year’s fateful Spanish Grand Prix when he was first out of the pits to commence Lap 6 as rain fell at Le Mans. Marquez got out to two seconds clear of Fabio Quartararo before he crashed at Raccordement on Lap 8. He remounted his Repsol Honda and had climbed to 11th before another spill, at La Chappelle, on Lap 18 saw him finally retire from the contest. It was the latter crash that particularly upset the 28-year-old given he felt it ‘unnecessary’. “Obviously today we didn’t take the opportunity that the weather gave to us and I’m disappointed about this,” said Marquez. “I knew if I was patient in the first three to four laps, then it would be a good race for me. “But anyway, I crashed when I didn’t expect, obviously. I was not pushing a lot but anyway it was like this. “It was quite difficult to get temperature in the rear tyre, especially on entry to the corners, off the gas and brakes, just I missed the rear where I didn’t expect. This first crash can happen and many riders crashed today. “The good thing was that I got back on the bike and I was the fastest guy on the track, but I’m angry with myself because the second crash was not necessary. “This was my fault and I was not able to control myself. I was not full concentrated, I was riding fast, maybe too fast. I didn’t know that the front riders were riding slower than me after the first crash. “Just I was thinking about the arm and about other things, because on that lap I just informed my team that I was going into the box to change to slicks because the track was ready, I believe. “Anyway, for that reason I’m disappointed with the second crash.” Marquez is still building back to full fitness after almost nine months off a motorcycle due to the broken arm, and was mostly encouraged by his latest performance. “The good thing is that this weekend we showed, in damp conditions, when I don’t have the limitation of the physical condition, the speed is there,” he explained. “It’s true that I did a mistake but it’s part of the comeback. Today I felt the opportunity, I tried to be there but maybe I pushed too much and I was too fast. “Checking now the pace of all the riders, riding much slower the race was there. “But we didn’t use the opportunity that the weather brought me. “Now it’s time to go home, analyse this weekend, try to continue with the recovery and let’s wait for the next races to feel better.” Marquez is now 17th in the championship, 64 points behind leader Quartararo, ahead of Round 6 at Mugello on May 28-30.

Jack Miller joined Fabio Quartararo as the second double MotoGP race winner in 2021 after taking a chaotic victory at Le Mans. Miller mastered what can only be described as treacherous conditions as the race started on dry tyres before rain hit the Circuit de la Sarthe after four laps. The Australian who used the Ducati’s holeshot devices after saying it was unlikely to be the case early in the weekend, took the lead off the start before Maverick Vinales got back ahead on lap two. But as the rain hit, Vinales struggled and therefore slipped back down the order as team-mate Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins and Marc Marquez all made their way past. As riders approached pit lane on lap six, Marquez was easily the fastest man on track and went past Rins while Miller ran wide into the gravel – managing to stay aboard his Desmosedici machine. Marquez entered the pits alongside race leader Quartararo but was able to come out in the lead after a brilliant bike swap. Rins also managed to make his way past the Frenchman in pit lane, however, the Suzuki rider crashed immediately as he turned right at the Dunlop chicane. This meant Marquez led from Quartararo as the eight-time world champion started to pull away from the Yamaha rider. It was reminiscent of previous flag-to-flag races where Marquez went on to dominate, but that was not to be the case at Le Mans as he crashed in the final corner from the lead with a quarter of the race gone. Miller was promoted to second following the crashes of Rins and Marquez, but just as he started to close the gap, the Ducati rider was given two long-lap penalties as did Francesco Bagnaia for speeding in the pits. But with Miller having a clear speed advantage over Quartararo, the Jerez race winner still managed to close the gap and take the lead – a position he kept until the end. Further back the drama continued to unfold as both Aprilia’s of Lorenzo Savadori and Aleix Espargaro suffered mechanical problems, while Rins and Marquez crashed again. Other riders to crash included Franco Morbidelli on lap one as he needed to take avoiding action of Pol Espargaro who had a big moment in the third sector, while Joan Mir also crashed on lap six before he could make his way to pit lane on the dry tyres. Just after mid race distance Zarco became the fastest rider on track as he got passed Takaaki Nakagami before hunting down the two men out front. Zarco’s pace was unrelenting as he chipped off two seconds a lap from Quartararo ahead, before making his way past instantaneously after catching his fellow countryman with five laps remaining. And while he was going quicker than Miller in the lead, the margin wasn’t sufficient enough for him to catch the 26 year-old. The win for Miller is his third MotoGP career victory, while Zarco also took his third podium of the year. Third place for Quartararo sees the Monster Energy Yamaha rider regain the championship lead, but only by one point as Bagnaia produced a great ride through the field to claim fourth after being 21st on lap one. Danilo Petrucci got his and the Tech 3 KTM team’s best result of the year as he finished fifth. The Italian made a late move on Alex Marquez to claim that spot, while the Spaniard finished sixth which is also his best result of 2021 so far. Nakagami was unable to hold onto his early race position of fourth, as he eventually finished in seventh, while the Repsol Honda of Espargaro was eighth, Iker Lecuona ninth and Vinales rounded out the top ten. MotoGP race results: Round 5 at Le Mans Position Number Rider Team Bike Time/Gap 1 43 Jack MILLER Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati 47’25.473 2 5 Johann ZARCO Pramac Racing Ducati 3.97 3 20 Fabio QUARTARARO Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 14.468 4 63 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati 16.172 5 9 Danilo PETRUCCI Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing KTM 21.43 6 73 Alex MARQUEZ LCR Honda CASTROL Honda 23.509 7 30 Takaaki NAKAGAMI LCR Honda IDEMITSU Honda 30.164 8 44 Pol ESPARGARO Repsol Honda Team Honda 35.221 9 27 Iker LECUONA Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing KTM 40.432 10 12 Maverick VIÑALES Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 40.577 11 46 Valentino ROSSI Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha 42.198 12 10 Luca MARINI SKY VR46 Avintia Ducati 52.408 13 33 Brad BINDER Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 59.377 14 23 Enea BASTIANINI Avintia Esponsorama Ducati +1’02.224 15 53 Tito RABAT Pramac Racing Ducati +1’09.651 16 21 Franco MORBIDELLI Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha 4 Laps Not classified 93 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team Honda 10 Laps Not classified 41 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 12 Laps Not classified 88 Miguel OLIVEIRA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 15 Laps Not classified 42 Alex RINS Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 15 Laps Not classified 32 Lorenzo SAVADORI Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 16 Laps Not classified 36 Joan MIR Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 23 Laps

Rain, shine, or something in between? Saturday at the Grand Prix de France presented quite a challenge for the MotoGP grid, but the final few minutes of Q2 eventually delivered a stunning shootout for pole on a dry track. And who came out on top? Home hero Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), the Frenchman taking back-to-back poles at Le Mans to pip teammate Maverick Viñales to the top and make it a factory Yamaha team 1-2 on the grid for the first time since 2017. Third went to Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), the Jerez winner just a tenth off pole. In Q1, a drying track made it anyone’s game and there were a few spills, some thrills and definitely a couple of surprises. Crashing early on despite his impressive pace in a damp FP3, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was jogging back to the pits as the rest got down to really testing out the conditions… but there was a real phoenix moment on the way. As the track improved more and more, so did the laptimes at the top. But none more than Savadori. The Italian was back out and flexing his wet weather prowess once again as the clock ticked down, and crossing the line the Italian topped the session by a whopping eight tenths of a second. From whom? Fellow rookie Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia). Tagged on to the back of Championship leader and compatriot Francesco Bagnaia, Marini improved and then improved again on his final push to top the session, just before Savadori’s final wonder. The two rookies moved through then, leaving Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) just knocked out by his teammate, as well as reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) next up and his teamma Alex Rins. Championship leader Bagnaia? He’ll be 16th on the grid… And so Q2 began, with no more rain having come down. Decisions needed to be made for the Q2 runners at the beginning of the pole position fight, and we witnessed Valentino Rossi and Petronas Yamaha SRT teammate Franco Morbidelli gamble on slick tyres. Had they taken inspiration from fellow VR46 Acadamy rider Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) after his stunning Moto3 qualifying gamble? It looked like the Petronas Yamaha SRT squad had made the right call as Miller, Quartararo and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) pulled straight back in to switch. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Savadori were also all on slicks, but Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) wasn’t and was soon on his way back to pitlane for a tyre change – as was Viñales. By then, the riders on slick tyres were lighting up the timing screens. Rossi was out of the seat at the final corner; his lap was ruined and Morbidelli eclipsed Zarco’s best wet tyre lap, but then Miller demolished them all to go 1.2s quicker than anyone. Pol Espargaro slotted into an early P2 as Quartararo and Savadori clocked into P3 and P4, Morbidelli next to improve to move back up to second. Incredibly though, Miller then cut his best by a second again, and Pol Espargaro once more came through as the Aussie’s closest challenger. It was far from over. Everyone was constantly improving, and Zarco briefly went provisional pole, Miller beat him by nine tenths and then Pol Espargaro finally demoted Miller to second by 0.157s. Marc Marquez then joined his teammate on the front row with four minutes to go, and Nakagami made it three Hondas in the top four for the time being. Morbidelli hit back next for second, but not for long. Marc Marquez beat teammate Pol Espargaro by 0.113s, before Nakagami split the two to make it a Honda 1-2-3… and rain then started to fall at Turn 1. It looked like the three HRC men had timed their laps to perfection, but no. Suddenly, Viñales and Zarco set red sectors, before Quartararo did too. Viñales was the first to cross the line and break Repsol Honda hearts to grab provisional pole position off Marc Marquez, Zarco then took second and Morbidelli also got the better of the number 93’s time. Quartararo was the rider to watch though and, laying it all on the line in the final sector, it was going down to Yamaha vs Yamaha for pole. Could he hold on? he could. El Diablo beat his teammate’s time by 0.081s, and a shadowing Miller came through to snatched a late front row as well. The first factory Yamaha 1-2 since 2017, when a certain Viñales went on to win, joined by the most recent race winner? Another stellar Saturday that – for the third time in a row – belonged to Quartararo. Arm pump surgery to home GP pole is the story of his last couple of weeks, that’s two in a row for Quartararo at Le Mans to boot. Morbidelli and Zarco’s final flying laps ensure they have solid grid positions for the French GP, in fourth and fifth, with Marc Marquez left down on the outside of the second row by the end of the shuffle. Nakagami and Pol Espargaro – who suffered a late crash at Turn 7 – will also have to settle for les than it seemed had been promised, taking P7 and P8 respectively. Rossi was able to better his time on the last lap to earn P9 and his best grid position since the season opener with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the top 10, despite a crash, ahead of Q1 graduates Savadori and Marini. With Bagnaia and the Suzukis looking for quick progress too… Sunday promises plenty. A French GP qualifying session for the ages, with a Frenchman on pole again. What will Sunday bring? 14:00 local time (GMT+2) is when we’ll find out, with Ducati primed with their holeshot devices, the skies uncertain… and history at stake once again.

Jack Miller topped a wet and tricky opening MotoGP practice session in France, while Alex Marquez and Maverick Vinales suffered late crashes. Race winner last time out Jack Miller continued his great form by topping a wet first MotoGP practice session at Le Mans ahead of fellow Ducati rider Johann Zarco. The wet and low grip conditions are ones we’ve seen Miller excel in many a time before and FP1 was no different as he led much of the session. The Australian was fastest from the outset and was unmoved until 17 minutes gone when Miguel Oliveria took over at the front. While the track was initially wet, conditions did start to improve and it was Miller who timed it to perfection as he was the only rider to head out on slicks and go faster before rain fell again. That was unfortunately not the case for Alex Marquez who fell at turn two on slick tyres, while Marc Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami were others who ventured out but returned to pit lane without improving. Like Miller, fellow Ducati rider Zarco was one of the other riders to spend much of the session towards the top as he eventually finished +1.481s down. Third was Joan Mir who encountered early issues on his Suzuki GSX-RR at turn eight (Garage Vert), when the bike cut out on him. Mir was over two seconds down on Miller, however, the Spaniard was able to keep third place ahead of Repsol Honda riders Pol Espargaro in fourth and Marc Marquez in fifth. In sixth was an Aprilia but not the one we’ve become accustomed to seeing inside the top ten, as Lorenzo Savadori took his best finish in an Official MotoGP session. Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia was seventh fastest for the Lenovo Ducati team, while Oliveira, Alex Rins and Aleix Espargaro rounded out the top ten. The other faller from the session was Maverick Vinales who fell in bizarre fashion as he exited pit lane. The Qatar race one winner lost the front at turn 3 when tipping into the right hander at the chicane.

Valentino Rossi says he has a lot of support from Petronas SRT amidst his worst-ever start to a MotoGP season in the nine-time grand prix world champion’s career. From the first four races so far in 2021, Rossi has scored just four points with a best result of 12th in the opening Qatar Grand Prix – and even that came after he slid down the order from a strong fourth in qualifying. Rossi registered his worst-ever qualifying result of his career with 21st in the Doha GP and has been 17th on the grid in the last two races, with the SRT rider emerging from last weekend’s Spanish GP without points in 17th. By contrast, on the same spec of Yamaha, factory riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo have won three of the first four races between them. Rossi’s main issue continues to be a lack of rear grip from his M1, which has dogged him in recent years. With a decision on his racing future expected in the coming races, Rossi admitted during the Jerez weekend he didn’t feel under pressure with his current form – while noting after the race that the team still has his back. “It was a difficult race on a difficult weekend, in which at no time did I have a rhythm,” Rossi said after the Spanish GP. “It is a difficult moment, but the team, Petronas, is supporting me a lot. “I have problems with the set-up and I am not going fast. You have to find a solution at a technical level. “We have to be optimistic and stay motivated.” Rossi evaluated some new set-up ideas and parts from Yamaha during the post-race test at Jerez on Monday, finishing the day 12th fastest. He was pleased with the progress made, though appears to be working more on recouping the time he’s losing under acceleration in braking instead. “We have desperate need to improve the pace, the feeling with the bike because we struggled a lot during the weekend,” he said. “The feeling is not so bad. “We finished the day with a good feeling, especially because I feel better on the bike and I’m able to ride in a better way and I improved my pace a lot. We worked well with the team, mainly on the setting to improve braking. “Also Yamaha brought some new stuff that worked well, all which gave a small help to improve the feeling and the speed. I don’t feel comfortable with the bike, with my riding I’m a bit in delay and also this creates problems in acceleration because a lot of time I have a problem with rear grip on exit, I’m not able to exit from the corner fast enough. “So, we worked a lot on the setting with David [Munoz], with front for settings, also weight distribution for [corner] entry in a faster way, for deeper and enter the corner with more speed. “This is the target and we improved.”

In light of Quartararo’s second arm pump operation in three years, we delve into the issue faced by a lot of riders a little further Arm pump: it’s the most common issue faced by many modern motorcycle racers. Last weekend we saw Fabio Quartararo’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) Spanish GP dramatically unravel because of it, and its onset is something that can’t really be explained. The Frenchman had no issues throughout the weekend, then all of a sudden on Sunday, the dreaded arm pump returned. It’s the second time in three years that Quartararo has had to undergo surgery on what is more technically more known as Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s ‘an exercise-induced muscle and nerve condition that causes pain, swelling and sometimes disability in the affected muscles of the legs or arms. Anyone can develop the condition, but it’s more common in young adult runners and athletes who participate in activities that involve repetitive impact.’ MotoGP™ riders, of course, fit perfectly into that bracket. When you exercise, your muscles expand in volume. For MotoGP riders across all classes, the forearms are heavily worked throughout a race or practice session, but especially under braking. Arm pump occurs when the tissue that encases the muscle, the fascia, doesn’t expand with the muscle. This causes severe pressure and pain, hence why Quartararo was lapping a couple of seconds slower than his potential in the latter half of Jerez’s premier class encounter. The pain etched across his face from the onboard camera on the cool-down lap was clear to see. El Diablo has since undergone surgery to try and fix the issue that also caused him issues in his 2019 rookie season in MotoGP™, and since then – until Sunday in Jerez – the arm pump issue hasn’t resurfaced to such an extent. Asked why some riders get arm pump and some don’t – nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), for example, has never had a severe issue with arm pump in his 26-year career – Quartararo didn’t have an answer, and explained how 2020 saw very limited issues apart from Portimao. “Honestly last year, Portimao, was really bad and this year was perfect. All the years I’ve been here in Jerez was good. Last year was not a problem and this year was just I was in the lead by one second and then I had no more power. I still fight for six more laps with the pain, to keep one second, but it was just impossible for me. No more power. It was dangerous for me to ride the half race but I didn’t want to stop because I knew that maybe one or two points can be really important for the championship. So I gave it my all. Unfortunately, I had this issue. “I don’t know, honestly,” continued Quartararo, confirming he has no idea why some riders get arm pump and others don’t. “2020 was perfect, zero problems. 25 laps I was feeling good, I was no even a small pain and this year was the total opposite. I had to brake with four fingers and normally I brake with one. I couldn’t go full gas on the straight. Apart from the last lap to try to take those few points that can maybe help at the end of the season. But no explanation. I’m training the same, I’m feeling even better on the bike and… I don’t know.” 2021 has also seen Jerez race winner Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) go under the knife for the same issue, in between the Grands Prix of Doha and Portugal. “It was quite clear after the scans that there was a lot of pressure in my right arm. On Tuesday (after the Doha GP) we got it done, I was straight out of hospital on Wednesday morning,” said Miller ahead of the Portuguese GP. His crash in Portimao split the wound open, but there were no such issues in Jerez. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) has also undergone surgery for arm pump this year, he too in between the Doha and Portuguese GPs. In the aftermath of Sunday’s drama for Quartararo, some of his competitors shared their take on arm pump. Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) admitted that he has been suffering from a little bit of arm pump, and the Spaniard has it at all tracks that are quite demanding. “I have a little bit of arm pump. A little bit. When I try to over push, 25 laps here in Jerez, accelerating, braking, always this is difficult, it’s really difficult. It’s important to manage well also this situation. I cannot say more because I don’t have that problem. If I had that problem I’d be more on form. I have it at tracks like this which are quite demanding. This was not the 1st time that it happened to Fabio, right?” Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro is another rider who has confirmed he’s been suffering from a little bit of arm pump. The Spaniard could be the fourth MotoGP rider to undergo surgery for the issue in 2021, with the elder Espargaro brother verifying that he struggled with it in Jerez. “The last laps of the race I suffered a little bit of right arm pump. I had no strength to brake hard. I suffer a lot on the right arm, so I lose a little bit of performance on the brakes,” said Espargaro in his Sunday afternoon media debrief. “I don’t think it’s Jerez. I think the MotoGP’s are every time faster, faster, faster. More downforce and more aerodynamics and more power. We are not machines like the bikes. We are humans. So I don’t know how we can improve,” continued the number 41, further explaining why he thinks arm pump occurs. “I love the fitness. I love to train. I love to try different, new things to be more in shape, but I…

Marc Marquez says he was better able to understand the weak points of the 2021 Honda MotoGP bike compared to its predecessor during last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The six-time MotoGP world champion rode to eighth in last Sunday’s Jerez race, the second of his comeback from a nine-month injury layoff. Though he is still not at his physical peak yet, he admitted his condition was better on the bike than it was in Portugal, and this allowed him for the first time this year to understand more about the 2021 RC213V. Having followed teammate Pol Espargaro, HRC test rider Stefan Bradl and Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco in the Spanish GP, Marquez noted the 2021 RC213V is weak mid-exit of corners. “I had the opportunity to follow Stefan, to follow Pol and also to follow Johann for a few laps,” Marquez said when asked by Motorsport.com where he found the bike to be weaker compared to the last Honda he rode. “And where we are losing more is mid-exit corner. “So, it’s where normally if you want to ride fast and consistent, it’s where you need to be strong and it’s where we are losing more. “So, we need to understand why. Now we are trying to analyse all the thing. “I mean, for me the key of this weekend is that I improved a lot my physical condition compared to Portimao.” Marquez had hoped to further evaluate the bike in Monday’s post-race test at Jerez, but pulled out after just seven laps owing to pain in his neck from his big FP3 crash – which he admitted left him “destroyed” after the grand prix. “So, we didn’t test. We just did one run and the second run I already felt something,” he said on Monday. “My body was locked, especially the neck and also the right shoulder. “It’s something similar but in a better way to Portimao. In Portimao I rode and I suffered a lot, and then on Monday I was completely locked. But here in Jerez I felt better. “It’s true the crash I had on Saturday didn’t help the situation, but anyway I tried because I thought that maybe when the body got warm it would be ok. “But immediately I saw I was not in a good level to ride the bike and try things.” Honda riders had a busy test on Monday, with all of them trying various new parts – with the marque bringing five different aerodynamic fairings to evaluate. After declaring his RC213V “a mess” in the Jerez race, Espargaro expressed frustration at the fact all Honda riders during the Spanish GP weekend were working with different packages and felt this is holding back development.

The current MotoGP season may only be four races old, but Suzuki riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins got their second outing on the prototype 2022 GSX-RR engine during Monday’s Jerez test. Suzuki – like Yamaha, Ducati and Honda – has had its engine design frozen since the start of 2020 due to an emergency technical freeze following the Covid-19 pandemic. Mir and Rins had got their first taste of their proposed 2022 engine, which aims to improve top speed while maintaining the current character, at the Qatar pre-season test. “Honestly I think that we made a great day. I’m quite happy,” began reigning world champion Mir, who was third fastest at the test behind Maverick Vinales and Rins. “We tried again the 2022 engine, and it’s what we expected, a little bit better, but not a huge step. We took good information to keep working on this engine. I’m quite satisfied about how everything is going. “It looks like we are following a good line. I expect that we will not make a super-big step in that area, but if we are able to improve a bit more, to try to have an engine with the same character that we have now but with a bit more speed, it will be really good, and we are quite happy about the evolution.”

Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo has undergone surgery for the arm pump that sabotaged his Spanish Grand Prix and cost him the MotoGP championship lead on Sunday. It means that next week’s French Grand Prix will mark the second time in three years that he will prepare for his home race in an operating theatre, after previously undergoing the same procedure on his right arm in May 2019. Exact details on the procedure he underwent has still to be confirmed, with only a brief statement from the Frenchman so far released on social media. “The doctor told me that the surgery for arm pump went very well,” it quoted Quartararo as saying. “I’m really looking forward to start working on the arm this week so that I can be 100% fit in Le Mans. “I am feeling very positive about my recovery and can’t wait to ride my M1 again.” Quartararo looked to have Sunday’s race at Jerez sewn up until hit with the debilitating condition in the closing laps. It led to him fading back through the pack to 13th and allowed Ducati rider Jack Miller to take victory. It would have been Quartararo’s third straight victory and would have cemented his position atop the championship table, but instead he fell to second – two points behind Spanish GP runner-up Francesco Bagnaia. “All the years that I’ve been here in Jerez [the arm] was good,” Quartararo said. “Last year was not a problem and this year was just, I was in the lead, and as soon as I had a one-second lead I had no more power. “And I still fought for six more laps with the pain to keep one second [ahead of Miller], but it was just impossible for me, no more power. “It was dangerous for me to ride for half a race, but I didn’t want to stop because I knew that maybe one or two points can be really important for the championship. “I gave it all, and unfortunately, I had this issue.”

There was no rest for PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team, as they took part in a productive one-day test at Jerez on Monday, just one day after the SpanishGP ended. The day concluded with Franco Morbidelli ninth and Valentino Rossi 12th on the final timesheets. Team-mate Rossi also began his Jerez test once the red flag period was over and, like Morbidelli, he could also test the new front fender and new swingarm on his Yamaha YZR-M1 throughout the day. In addition to this Valentino was able to evaluate settings on the electronic side of the bike. Ahead of the mid-session lunch break the Italian had completed 36 laps, before taking to the track again with under three hours on the clock. At the end of the test Rossi had improved upon his personal best of the last 4 days, setting a 1min 37.700secs, and made a big step forward with his race pace. He completed a total of 73 laps, 37 in the afternoon, and was the 12th fastest rider. The next time that Morbidelli and Rossi will be on track again will be at Le Mans in ten day’s time, for the Grand Prix de France (14-16 May). “We had the opportunity today to work with some new parts and provide my feedback on them, which is nice, but we mostly focused on trying to improve the braking. It was an area that I didn’t have a perfect feeling with, so it was something we could look to better and I think we have found something today that has improved my feeling under braking, so this is good,” Franco Morbidelli commented on the test. “I hope that the things that we have found here also work in Le Mans. It will be important to do a good job there and I hope that we continue to be strong going forwards, I will be trying my best to be,” Valentino Rossi too was impressed by the test, “Today was a good test for me because we improved the feeling with the bike, the pace with the race tyre and in the time attack.” “It was a long day because the conditions were good, so we did a lot of laps. The team and I worked on the balance of the bike, the settings and we can see the improvements, as I was better under braking and in corner entry.” “We also have some other new bits for the bike, which is good and helps. I’m happy because we were able to improve today, after a difficult weekend, and I have a much better feeling with the bike. It is just a one-day test, we need to see what happens at Le Mans but I am leaving here with a good feeling,” he concluded.