FIM MotoGP World Championship
Circuito de Jerez, Spain
April 24, 2016
Race Results (all on Michelin tires):
1. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 27 laps, Total Race Time 45:28.834
2. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), -2.386 seconds
3. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), -7.087
4. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), -10.351
5. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), -14.143
6. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), -16.772
7. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), -26.277
8. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), -30.750
9. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (DUCATI), -32.325
10. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), -32.624
11. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), -38.497
12. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), -39.669
13. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), -45.227
14. Stefan BRADL, Germany (APRILIA), -47.886
15. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), -47.988
16. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), -49.414
17. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), -49.513
18. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), -53.334
19. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), -65.555
20. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), -18 laps, DNF, retired
21. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), -22 laps, DNF, crash
World Championship Point Standings (after 4 of 18 races):
1. Marquez, 82 points
2. Lorenzo, 65
3. Rossi, 58
4. Pedrosa, 40
5. Pol Espargaro, 36
6. Vinales, 33
7. Aleix Espargaro, 32
8. Barbera, 31
9. Laverty, 28
10. Iannone, 25
More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:
Miller and Rabat battle hard in scorching Spain
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Jack Miller and Tito Rabat gained plenty of knowledge but unfortunately no points at the end of a demanding MotoGP race at the Jerez track in Spain today.
With ambient temperatures considerably higher than those experienced in practice and qualifying, tyre preservation took on greater importance in a physically demanding 27-lap race that was played out in front of a packed crowd of over 100,000 vocal fans.
Australian Miller did a fantastic job of conserving his tyres in the opening laps to come on strong in the latter stages of a race that saw the 21-year-old post lap times comparable to those competing around 10th position.
Miller’s impressive pace and determination to shrug off the on-going discomfort of a right ankle injury suffered in Texas went largely unrewarded, as he had to settle for 17th position. But he can take great encouragement from his second finish of the season going into an important one-day test at Jerez tomorrow.
Rabat also rode a strong race to try and preserve his 100% point scoring record in 2016. But the sizzling hot track temperatures saw him drop his pace in the face of deteriorating rear grip in the closing stages, as he opted to gain and experience and finish for the fourth race in a row.
Without the pressure and time constraints of a race weekend, Rabat is looking forward to a full day on track for tomorrow’s test session, where he plans to further work on his riding style.
Jack Miller: 17th
“It was a tough weekend but I am happy to have got through it safely and with a solid finish under my belt after the injury problems in Austin. I struggled throughout the race in the hairpins and it really showed in the early laps. I had no confidence and couldn’t make any passes but I have to be positive because the heat made it a very physical race and my body held up really well, so all the training I’ve been able to do while still hurt has paid off. In the second part of the race I felt good because I’d worked hard to conserve my tyres. Maybe I saved them a bit too much but it was important to finish and learn a lot. I look forward to the test tomorrow without any pressure where I can just focus on improving the bike in the hairpins, which is something I’ll need to be better with at the next race in Le Mans.”
Tito Rabat: 18th
“I can’t be too happy with today’s result but I am happy that we made important progress in solving some of our wheelie issues under acceleration. I’ve struggled a lot in that area and we found a good direction this weekend. I finished the race again which is important to get data and experience for the future and I am happy with my rhythm at the beginning of the race. I struggled in the final laps when the grip went down but I think I made another positive step this weekend. I could follow a few riders and it was only in the last laps that I dropped back when the tyres started to wear. We have the test now in Jerez tomorrow and I can try and use what I have learned in the first four races to improve my riding style and be more competitive in the next few races.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“It was a difficult race for Jack and Tito when you look at their final position but at least from mid-race distance we can take encouragement from the fact that their lap times were comparable to those close to the top 10. With a better qualifying I think both could have finished inside the points, which is where we need to be. Where we finished is not where we want to be but both of them finished and gained more experienced and credit to Jack because conditions were much hotter today and he rode a brave and determined race, despite his physical problems with the ankle injury.”
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Octo Pramac Yakhnich finishes Jerez weekend with no satisfaction
A weekend to forget for Octo Pramac Yakhnich which ends a disappointing #SpanishGP and tomorrow will be again on track for official testa. It will be an opportunity to understand the causes of the poor grip which was the basis of the difficulties of these three days in Spain.
There is not much to tell about the first European roung of the 2016 MotoGP season. Scott Redding and Michele Pirro confirmed the great difficulties encountered in free practice and qualifying where their bikes have never found grip to be competitive. Started respectively from 17th and 20th position, Scott and Michael have never managed to lap enough fast to move close the top 10. The biggest problems were for the British rider who has done everything possible to finish the race ending up in 19th position. Michele Pirro also has gritted his teeth and in the last corner he managed respond with pride to Miller’s attack defending his final 16th position.
19th – SCOTT REDDING
Nothing worked today and throughout the weekend. And I must admit that it is not possible to ride in these conditions. During the last few laps I also had to slow down a bit to get to the finish line without running the risk of falling. Even in the straight spinning was impressive. You can always learn something from the bad days but it’s really hard to figure out what we should have done to improve this weekend. We spent three days trying to find grip and we never succeeded. And I do not think it was only our fault.
16th – MICHELE PIRRO
I’m really sad and sorry. In Argentina and also in Texas we showed to be very competitive. We arrived in Jerez, where we worked hard during tests with these tires, and nothing seems to work. It is frustrating because last year I have worked hard together with all the Ducati test team. We have made a lot of tests, even during Christmas holidays and in August. Things went very well and all this work was erased with this race. During this weekend I had the feeling of not being able to do anything to improve. We tried so many things but it is as if everything had changed. I think there is a lot to think about.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
MOTOGP – SPANISH GP AT JEREZ
APRILIA IN THE POINTS WITH STEFAN BRADL
BAUTISTA CRASHES OUT WHILE BATTLING FOR A TOP TEN SPOT
ALBESIANO: “WE IMPROVED THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, WE HAD THE POTENTIAL FOR A BETTER RESULT”
Alvaro Bautista crashed out in the sixth lap of the Spanish GP race while battling for a top ten spot astride his Aprilia RS-GP in the group made up of Laverty, Barbera and Crutchlow. For Alvaro, who suffered no physical consequences from the crash, this ended a weekend where his performance had been steadily improving. After just missing out on qualifying for QP2 twice and taking the best spot on the fifth row anyway, Bautista confirmed the progress his Aprilia had made in the race as well.
The crash was partially compensated for by the result earned by his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate, Stefan Bradl who, despite lagging behind the entire weekend, rode a shrewd race, staying in the points zone and in the finale overtaking Hernandez to take fourteenth place and two championship points.
The team from Veneto still has the satisfaction of a weekend that highlighted the Aprilia RS-GP machine’s progress. Now there will be tests at Jerez tomorrow and the next few races will be new rounds to improve a promising project.
ROMANO ALBESIANO – APRILIA RACING MANAGER
“The race certainly did not go as we had hoped and up to our potential. Both Alvaro and Stefan got off the line well, immediately moving up a few positions. Bautista was in the group that was jockeying for a spot in the top ten. He crashed but these are things that happen when you’re trying to push to the limit. Bradl, on the other hand, set up a more cautious race, bringing home a few points, thanks in part to a nice move just in the final phases. We were expecting a better result and it was within our potential, especially after what we saw in the practice sessions, but in any case we worked hard once again this weekend, improving and identifying other areas that need work to move the RS-GP project along”.
FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER
“Alvaro was riding a great race and he was really close to the top ten. In general we had a good weekend where we definitely took some steps forward. The bike is growing. We can see the improvements and it would have been interesting to cross the wire with the rider who had been having the better weekend. That’s the way racing goes, but from tomorrow, with the day of testing, we’ll be focused once again on development”.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“After a good start that earned me a few positions, I was battling with the group between eighth and eleventh place when I lost the front end in a fast corner. It’s a shame and I’m sorry for the entire team that worked so hard, but that’s racing and it’s only right to make a go of it. In any case this was still a very positive weekend. We did well during practice, I felt at ease in the race and I didn’t have any problems battling in that group. Anyway, now we need to look forward and keep improving the bike the way we have been doing so far”.
STEFAN BRADL
“The final result is positive. We worked hard on the settings to find the right feeling with the rear tyre. It was a rather demanding weekend in terms of grip. We also tried to take another step forward during the warm up session but it didn’t pan out, so in spite of going back to the previous solution I had a few misgivings at the beginning of the race. I got off the line better than I had in the last few races and in the first laps I felt good. Then I felt a drop in performance from the front tyre that forced me to slow down. Lap by lap I found my pace and I was also able to catch up our rivals, overtaking Hernandez at the end and earning a few points”.
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Tenth place for Barbera at the Spanish Grand Prix
Expectations for the Spanish Grand Prix were high after the great performance showed by the Avintia Racing riders during qualifying practice. But the higher temperatures today changed the track conditions completely and Hector Barbera was not able to fight for a better result and finished the race in tenth place. It is certainly a positive result still and well within the targets set by the rider and the team, but not enough to make Hector happy after his strong pace during practice and qualifying. Nevertheless, the Avintia Racing rider leaves Jerez with eighth place in the championship standings, only five points behind the fifth. After four races, he still is the best Ducati rider.
For Loris Baz, once again the race was not easy. Like at the last race in Texas, another rider hit him on the first lap, and although he managed to stay on his bike this time, he dropped back to last place. But the young Frenchman made a great recovery to finish the race in 13thposition, taking championship points for the second race in succession. In two weeks he’ll race at home and he hopes to finish higher up.
Hector Barbera | P10
“This was a very difficult race. The weekend had been almost perfect and we did a great job so far, which makes this tenth place a little disappointing. The track condition changed completely for the race and from the second lap onwards, I struggled with the traction control that was cutting too much power. I tried all the mappings I had for the race, but non of them worked and, even leaned over, the bike was cutting power, so I was losing time on every corner exit and I was not able to attack in the braking points. I was not comfortable riding the bike and I’ve been fighting the whole race. We continue adding points and this is the most positive, and despite our problems, we are still in the top ten. To be honest, our real position is between fifth and tenth, but we have to go one step back with the electronics, because we changed something in Argentina and it’s clear that it doesn’t work.”
Loris Baz | P13
“Today it was important to finish the race, but once again I was close to crashing on the first lap, when Redding blew me off the track. When I came back I was last, and on the next lap, I made a mistake and I went wide again. I lost too much time and with these two problems, I had to change my race strategy. We chose the soft front tyre and the plan was to save it during the first part of the race with a full tank, but I was forced to recover and the tyre was really bad at the end, so the last few laps were very difficult. Positive is that we took three points and we learned a couple of things that we will change for the next races. The season started here for us and I want to use this experience to get a better result at Le Mans.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Positive podium for Marquez at Jerez, fourth place for Pedrosa
The Repsol Honda Team obtained a solid result at the Red Bull GP of Spain today, with Marc Marquez standing on the final podium spot and Dani Pedrosa finishing in fourth.
Dani made one of the best starts from row three and was able to put his RC213V into third within just a few corners, before his teammate moved past him at the end of the first lap.
From then on, with air and ground temperatures much higher than over the previous days, the race hinged largely on tyre-wear management, with the leading trio of Rossi, Lorenzo and Marquez all on the same hard front and medium rear Michelin tyres, basically keeping the same respective positions through the entire race. On the podium, Marc showed the Japanese flag in support of the Kumamoto earthquake victims.
The precious points gained today by the Repsol Honda men mean that Marc retains the lead of the Championship standings while Dani moves up to fourth.
A post-race test is scheduled for tomorrow, 25 April.
Marc Marquez
3RD
“Honestly, today Valentino [Rossi] was on another level, like I was in Austin, and the most important thing is that today we accepted finishing third in the race. I learned a lot from last year and and I didn’t want to make a mistake. I was very focused from the start and I tried to ride strongly and stay with Jorge [Lorenzo], but I could tell that with the higher track temperatures – 11º C higher than yesterday – it was very difficult for me to manage the front tyre well. I almost crashed several times, so in the end I made a difficult decision in front of our fans, as we preferred to secure 16 points that will be very positive at the end of the season, which is very long. We must have patience until we take a step further with the bike’s acceleration and find something else that allows us to fight for the win.”
Dani Pedrosa
4TH
“We knew it would be a difficult race and we got the position we knew was possible, because the whole weekend the front three were faster than us. I started well, riding hard in the early laps. Then I saw I had difficulties with both the front and rear tyres. I concentrated on keeping my position and I rode at a safe pace so as not to make the rear tyre go off too much as well. I saw that Aleix [Espargaro] was recovering ground on me, but I had him under control and was only focusing on preserving the tyre. Near the end, when I didn’t have him on me, I decided to pick up the pace again. I was able to escape and get closer to Marc [Marquez], so perhaps pushing so hard at the start cost him in the end. Tomorrow we have a test in which we will try to work and improve my feeling on the bike.”
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
Eugene Laverty scores second top ten finish of the season at Jerez
Aspar Team rider takes second-best finish of his MotoGP career as Yonny Hernández picks up a point
The Spanish Grand Prix concluded with a fairytale ending to a story written by Valentino Rossi, which he started with pole position yesterday and finished with his 113th career victory today. The Italian rode on the limit for almost thirty laps of the Jerez Circuit, taking the MotoGP win with an advantage of over two seconds at the line. The two riders behind him on the front row of the grid joined him on the podium, Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Márquez maintaining their starting positions of second and third ahead of Dani Pedrosa, Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales.
Eugene Laverty made a strong start to the race, slicing through the pack in the early stages to position himself comfortably in eighth. Despite starting from fifteenth on the grid the Irishman has been determined all weekend to score a top ten finish here and he achieved his goal with a strong ride. Ninth place for Laverty at Jerez represents his second-best result in MotoGP, having crossed the line today as the second Ducati home. His Colombian team-mate Yonny Hernández started from the sixth row and although he attempted a similar charge to Laverty his progress was halted by a lack of feeling with the tyres in the later stages of the race.
9th Eugene Laverty: “My brother John said to me before the start that this race wouldn’t be like the other ones, there wouldn’t be so many crashes, so I would have to pull my finger out on the early laps and I did just that! The start made a big difference. Friday was the first time we’ve had a new clutch on this bike and it allowed me to make a fantastic start. This feels like a real result. In Argentina we were still finding out feet and we had a bit of luck, but this one we have worked so hard for. Even at the end I was starting to close on [Pol] Espargaró but the clutch was slipping for the last six or seven laps. Otherwise the bike was fantastic and this is a great result for us.”
15th Yonny Hernández: “It was a very difficult race for us because we didn’t have the same pace that we have shown throughout the rest of the weekend. I had trouble getting the bike to turn and a lack of feeling from the front. We still don’t know what caused it because the conditions during the race were very similar to yesterday. We will check the telemetry to see what happened and obviously keep working to be closer to the front. We are not where we want to be right now. I put in a big effort to set a fast pace and we were competitive over the weekend but I couldn’t carry it through to the race. We will test some things in the race tomorrow and get ready for the next race in France.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
ROSSI SEALS SUPERB SPANISH VICTORY AS LORENZO SCORES SECOND
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi highlighted why he is the most successful rider at Circuito de Jerez today and rode one of the strongest races of his career to receive a standing ovation as he jumped onto the top step of the podium for the Gran Premio de España. Jorge Lorenzo also put in a stunning effort under the Andalusian sunshine and made it a perfect 1-2 for the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team.
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), 24th April 2016
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team dominated the scenes in Spain as Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo set off from first and second place of the grid. They didn‘t relinquish the first two places once to any other riders and gave Yamaha a perfect one-two podium.
Starting from pole the nine-time world champion had a strong start and took the holeshot with his team-mate following his every move like a shadow. Two laps of tense racing action followed as they pushed each other to the limit. Rossi tried to make his YZR-M1 as wide as possible as Lorenzo tried to steal the lead. He had a brief success, but Rossi immediately responded. Realising the threat that was coming from behind, the Doctor dropped the fastest lap of the race on lap three, a 1‘40.090s, and created a 0.7s gap to his pursuers. With clear track in front of him and behind him, Rossi put the hammer down and checked out.
Determined to look after his tyres, the Italian lowered his pace a little in the final stages of the race, yet made sure to keep enough space between him and Lorenzo by responding in the right moments. He finished his lonely ride by taking the chequered flag 2.386s ahead his closest rival and took home his 113th career victory.
Teammate Lorenzo had a strong start and tucked in behind team-mate Rossi in second place. The local hero is known for being strong on the opening lap and built on the pressure on his fellow Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider. He was eager to find a way past the number 46 rider after a few attempts that weren‘t to last, but soon he had to focus on protecting his second place from a fast approaching Marc Marquez.
However, the race was far from over. With 10 laps to go Lorenzo was able to turn the tables on Rossi and started to close down the margin. It looked like a second battle for the win was about to take place when suddenly the Spaniard suffered from wheel spin on the long straight just as he started to reel in his team-mate. Keeping his head cool, Lorenzo finished the race calmly and secured his 100th premier class podium.
Rossi remains in third position with his first place podium finish, now on 58 points and seven points behind Lorenzo, who is in second place with a total of 65 points, 17 behind the leader in the championship standings.
The team will be back on track tomorrow at the Circuito de Jerez for a one-day test.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
It was an incredible Grand Prix for the whole team. We finished a perfect weekend in first and second place and led almost all the session. What we accomplished here is an important result, especially because of the significant gap to the other manufacturers at what is one of the home Grand Prixs of our title sponsor, Movistar. Valentino has been strong since Friday and we are thrilled for him to take home such a stunning victory. He had a good start and rode a perfect race and led from the first to the last lap without making any mistakes. He did everything right and fully deserved this win. It was unfortunate that Jorge was slowed down by wheel spin towards the end of the race, because he was also looking very strong, especially at the start and also just after the mid-way point of the race. He again showed that he is an incredible professional and clever rider to be able to ride around the problem and take home valuable points for the championship. I want to thank the entire team staff who made this result possible. Now we have a few hours to enjoy today‘s achievements and then we will focus on tomorrow‘s test.
VALENTINO ROSSI
I think that this was the perfect weekend. We started to go faster from Friday morning and we worked very well. The bike, in the race, was fantastic and we worked very well with the team so I have to say “thank you” to the whole Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team, especially my crew. I had a good pace and a good start and felt good with the bike from the beginning, so I could push. Sincerely, it was a special taste to have a win like this, so thanks a lot!
JORGE LORENZO
The positive thing is that the Yamahas went better and also 20 points and second place is good for the championship. Because Rossi crashed in Austin, he is still behind in the championship standings and we made up some points to Marquez. The only thing is that we could have won the race without the problem on the front-straight. Going through the gears the bike didn‘t stop spinning and I couldn‘t fully open the throttle. Just when I started recovering metres on Rossi this problem started, so I had to slow down a lot and I didn‘t have the chance to fight with him for the victory, but sometimes this happens. Now Michelin have to find out what is going on. They improved the front tyre and now I am sure they’ll work on the rear to solve these kinds of issues.
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Espargaro signs off in top independent position at Jerez
The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro pulled off another solid performance today to clinch 8th in Andalucía. The 25 year old kicked off the fight from the third row on the grid and leapt forward when the lights went out before completing the opening lap one place higher. He quickly set into his formidable race pace and by the mid point of the GP, he remained in 7th. The Spaniard kept pushing but despite his best efforts, he was overtaken by the Factory Ducati of Andrea Iannone in the final third of the race. Nevertheless, he comfortably finished ahead of the pursuing riders in 8th in what was his fourth top ten result this season. Now, Espargaro confidently looks on to the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team’s home Grand Prix in a fortnight’s time.
Meanwhile, Bradley Smith gave his all today after a tricky qualifying campaign and he met the chequered flag in the race in 12th position. The young Briton launched from the middle of the fifth row of the grid and whilst muscling his way around the track, he was pushed back to 15th by the close of the first lap. However, he dug deep as he intended to rise through the field and by lap 10 he snatched 12th. His progress continued and he opened a gap to the pack behind before powering to the end in this position. The 25 year old will use the test day tomorrow at the Jerez circuit as an opportunity to improve so that he can repeat his 2015 form at Le Mans, the next round of the MotoGP World Championship.
Pol Espargaro
Position: 8th Championship: 5th Points: 36
“I am pleased to walk away from Jerez with another strong set of points but it certainly was a challenging race. The weather changed so much from the practice sessions and it was very hot out there today, so that it was tough to choose the tyres and then ride a decent race yet we did what we could. At the beginning I was just adjusting to the conditions, but I upped the pace in the middle and then went quick at the end. I feel, along with some of the other satellite riders for sure, that the gap to the factory guys is still considerable. We saw them going and just had to think about the end of the race otherwise we would wear the tyre and not finish. It’s a pity that you cannot extract all of the potential from your bike because the tyre is limited. Having said that we are in a development stage, so for sure this will improve in the future. Anyway we still managed to get 8th but we need a bit more so that we can fight a bit higher in the opening laps which we will aim to discover tomorrow. In the final third of the GP, Iannone had a bit more traction than me when exiting the corners. My rear tyre was worn so I didn’t want to push too hard and risk it all. Le Mans is next, which is the Monster Energy sponsored race and the home GP for my team. I like the track but not the weather as it changes a lot! We are all motivated and in a good position in the championship so I know we can have a positive time there.”
Bradley Smith
Position: 12th Championship: 12th Laps: 20
“Without a doubt it was a tough weekend for me but at least I got something out of it in terms of points, and I am determined to have a more successful time at the next round in France. In the race I had an ok start off the line but the Aprilias and Ducatis were really strong during the opening laps. Unfortunately I also lost some positions in the first lap due to contact with another rider so I ended up behind Hernandez and Bautista. I felt like it cost me some time following them, but with the lack of grip I experienced on the rear tyre, I could not push any harder at the beginning and already after ten laps I knew that I was in trouble. Therefore, I just tried to be as smooth as possible and reach the finish flag. The good thing is that we managed to improve my feeling with the front over the weekend and I felt more comfortable when compared to the previous races, so tomorrow in the test we will focus on trying to find a solution to the rear. However, saying that is very easy and this may not be the case in reality. Yet, we will work hard and take full advantage of tomorrow so that we can be strong in Le Mans like last year.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager :
“To be honest I have mixed feelings about this race. I, like most of the people, was expecting an incredible fight but at the end of the day it wasn’t such an exciting Grand Prix. Yamaha demonstrated by claiming first and second, that in the hot conditions they have an incredible package. Regarding Tech3, Pol had a strong weekend from the first session on friday morning until the end of the race and he finished in almost all of the practices as the top independent rider, including qualifying. During the race itself, he had a good start and pushed hard but we could see that it was going to be tricky for him to be better than the top independent bike. He tried to stay in front of Iannone but the rhythm was too different and I think he was very wise to take the points in 8th which sees him in 5th in the championship standings. I want to thank him because this year he is a lot more mature, determined and involved in how he is working with the team so we are glad to have him onboard. Heading to our home Grand Prix and being 4th in the team championship is something that we feel proud about. Regarding Bradley, it was another tough weekend for him, but just like in Austin and Argentina, he managed to better everything on race day. His start was not ideal but the pace, especially in the second part of the race, was constantly improving and he was getting closer to Pol and maybe with one more lap it would have been possible to pass Cal. Altogether it was a challenging weekend, and I think this year he is just not comfortable on the bike yet. However, Brad and Tech3 along with Yamaha plus Michelin all need to work together and I’m sure we will find some solutions so that he can show his true potential which we saw in 2015. Lets hope Le Mans will be the turning point of the season so that he can be fighting with Pol for the top independent position.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Iannone finishes seventh in Spanish GP at Jerez, while Dovizioso retires
The Spanish Grand Prix at the Jerez de la Frontera track failed to produce much satisfaction for the two Ducati Team riders today. Andrea Iannone finished the fourth round of the season in seventh place, while team-mate Andrea Dovizioso had to retire on lap 10.
At the start Iannone was not able to get away well and he crossed the line at the end of lap 1 in fourteenth place. Despite having very little feeling with the front tyre, the Italian embarked on a recovery that took him to seventh place by lap 22 and he finished the race in that position.
It was another luckless day for Dovizioso, who started from row 2 thanks to the fourth quickest time he set in qualifying yesterday. The Italian completed the first five laps in fifth position but was passed by Viñales and then slowed by a problem with his Desmosedici GP’s water pump on lap 10, which forced him to retire.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 7th
“I didn’t expect such a difficult weekend, and right from the start of practice I did my best to do a quick fix on the situation. In the race I started some way down the grid and this penalized me, especially because I didn’t make a good start and the feeling with the bike in the early laps was not at its best. It’s a pity because then I managed to improve lap after lap, making up a lot of positions, and in the end my pace wasn’t bad. A seventh place is for sure not our target, but we took home some important points for the championship”.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team # 04) – DNF
“It was a pity because another no-points score in the championship was the last thing I needed. We had a problem with the water pump: some water came out and finished on the rear wheel and I almost crashed three times so had to retire. If however we try and look at the positives, we are working well, my feeling with the bike is good and this is the most important thing for me, even though it’s true that here at Jerez we never managed to be as competitive as in the first three GPs. On a personal level it’s important for me to be sure that I haven’t made any errors in the last three races, and this gives me the confidence to try and be competitive again immediately, starting from Le Mans”.
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
Rossi rocks Jerez
The Gran Premio Red Bull de España saw Valentino Rossi lead from start to finish, winning from Lorenzo and Marquez with ease.
All weekend the leading three were in a league of their own. Rossi, Lorenzo and Marquez had filled the top three spots of almost every practice session and lined up next to each other on the front row of the grid. The three biggest names in MotoGP™ were alongside each other once more and everything in practice had indicated that there was almost nothing to choose between them. As is typical of the Spanish GP, the grid was packed with mechanics, guests and officials but the riders did their best to block it out and run through their race plans.
With all three on the same hard front and medium rear tyres, managing tyre life could very well decide the race but those concerns would come later. The sun beat down on the grid and getting into, and out of, Turn 1 quickly and safety was all any of the MotoGP™ riders were worrying about. Races can’t be won in the first corner, but they can certainly be lost. Right hands gripped throttles; riders leaned forward and tensed as the lights came on. Off the lights went, the crowd erupting into applause and cheers as Valentino Rossi made a great start to lead into Turn 1. But he wasn’t alone Jorge Lorenzo right behind with Repsol Honda Team duo Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa within touching distance.
Perhaps the best start of the race was from Pedrosa who quickly put his RC213V into third midway through the first lap. Across the line they went as the second lap began as the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP pair stretched their lead. Marquez attacked Pedrosa into Turn 6, running wide as his line was blocked. Through Turn 9 Lorenzo launched a similar attack on Rossi, the Italian holding off his teammate as the Hondas clawed back the gap with Marquez now in third.
Fans were transfixed on the leading four, few noticing the incredible start of Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team MotoGP) who was in eighth as the third lap began and the leading Independent Team rider. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) chased Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for fifth with Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the tail of his Ducati. Dovizioso’s teammate, Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) was having a terrible race, dropping like a stone down to 14th in the opening laps.
All of the leaders lapped in the mid 1’40s, Rossi trying to escape as Marquez looked for a way through on Lorenzo. His lead would soon be over half a second, Rossi upped his pace lap after lap and drew out hundredths of a second at each corner. Before long the gap was at a second, Valentino Rossi seemingly doing as his teammate had done so many times before and breaking the field early in the race. No matter what Lorenzo did he was unable to close in on Rossi nor shake off Marquez.
Disaster struck for Dovizioso on the tenth lap as yet again, through no fault of his own, his race came to an end. The factory Ducati rider was forced to sit up as his Desmosedici GP encountered a terminal issue, forcing him to ride back into the pits and once again make the long walk across the garage to spectate the race.
Rossi and his team had focused on race setting throughout the weekend, ‘The Doctor’s’ work paying off as the gap soon grew to over two seconds as no one was able to match his lap times. Behind him Lorenzo had his hands full fending off Marquez, the Repsol Honda rider not quite close enough to attack but able to apply ample pressure.
Overtakes were scarce at the front but the battle for seventh place produced some thrilling racing, Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) leading the group ahead of Laverty. Just behind them Andrea Iannone and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) pushed each other hard for 10th position, not what either rider wanted before the race. In front, Pedrosa had Aleix Espargaro to contend with, Pedrosa working hard to hold off the Suzuki man. Since his fifth in Austin, Espargaro has been in some of the best form of his career after a setup breakthrough.
With over half race distance gone, Lorenzo broke Marquez and opened up a one second lead on his fellow Spaniard. Marquez had chosen to run winglets on his Honda, which assisted with keeping the front end down but also ran the risk of overheating the front tyre over the race. With ten laps to go, Lorenzo hadn’t just broken Marquez but he also began to close in on Rossi. A gap that was once three seconds quickly dropped to two and that gap continued to fall by a couple of tenths a lap, would it be enough with eight laps remaining?
His chances of victory would fade as Rossi responded to Lorenzo’s increased pace and once again dropped into the low 1’41s. The gap would grow to over three seconds, Lorenzo unable to push any harder and settling to take valuable championship points. Marquez also continued to drop back, his chances of a home victory long gone as he found himself over five second behind Lorenzo.
After a terrible start to the race, Iannone set about making up for lost time and quickly got past Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and ran away with seventh place. This would be one of the last battles of the race as the field stretched out, only a handful of riders within a second of each other.
For the 113th time in his career and the 87th time in the premier class, Valentino Rossi pulled a wheelie across the line to celebrate victory. After the disappointment of Austin, the result is exactly what ‘The Doctor’ needed. Behind him Jorge Lorenzo took his 100th premier class podium finish and Marquez was able to keep the lead of the Championship, his lead reduced slightly to 17 points.
Pedrosa withstood Espargaro’s challenge to end in fourth ahead of the Spaniard.
Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team), Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team MotoGP) and Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) completed the top ten.
Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) crashed out of the race at Turn 11 after battling with Cal Crutchlow in the opening stages.
The Monster Energy Grand Prix de France will seem them do it all again for round five of the 2016 World Championship.
Lowes takes first win of 2016 with perfect Spanish GP
He may have had to fight in the opening laps, but once Lowes was ahead he was untouchable. Folger and Rins joining him on the podium.
The sun blazed down on the thousands of fans gathered at the Circuito de Jerez to witness the Moto2™ World Championship race at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. It was a reduced grid as both Julian Simon (QMMF Racing Team) and Edgar Pons (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) withdrew from the race on medical grounds. All riders, aside from Alessandro Tonucci (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) chose to run the medium front and hard rear tyres.
At the head of the grid Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) remained focused on the task ahead, the Brit knew he had the pace to win but had crashed several times throughout the course of the weekend. With a number of his title rivals such as Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) and Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) starting outside the top six, the scene was set to opening up his championship lead.
Red flag removed and lights out, Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) shot off the front row of the grid to grab the holeshot into Turn 1. There were a number of moments behind but everyone made it through the first corner safely. Xavi Vierge (Tech 3 Racing) and Ratthapark Wilairot (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) had a heavy fall at Turn 5, but the racing continued. The pair was taken to the medical center where Wilairot was diagnosed with cranial trauma and taken to a local hospital.
Folger continued to up the pace, Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) unable to match the speed and sliding off at Turn 2. Try as he might, Folger was unable to hold off Lowes who took the lead midway through lap two. From seventh on the grid, Rins made the start he needed and put a hard move on Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) to get up into third. Unfortunately Zarco did not make as strong a start and was battling down in 12th in the opening laps.
The leading four were all within touching distance, Lowes unable to shake off Folger as they traded fastest sectors. Their speed was brutal and the top three opened up a second leader over Morbidelli. Lap times were quick but the conditions caught many out as Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed early at Turn 2. Luca Marini (Forward Team) slid off at Turn 13 at the end of lap four and Sandro Cortese’s (Dynavolt Intact GP) front row start ended in the gravel at Turn 2 on lap five.
Danny Kent (Leopard Racing) crashed and remounted at Turn 6 as Axel Pons (AGR Team) was another victim of Turn 13. All of these falls occurred within the first six laps, the conditions slightly different to Qualifying and proving difficult.
No such issues for the leading three as they maintained their pace in the mid 1’43s, Rins just dropping back slightly as the race crept towards half race distance. Morbidelli was having a lonely ride in fourth, but fellow Italian Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Team) was steadily closing the two-second gap.
Having worked on used tyres for the majority of Free Practice, many were expecting Alex Rins to be strong towards the end of the race but as the laps went by, the Spaniard dropped further back. With 16 laps remaining, Lowes and Folger had opened up a second on the local rider and looked set to decide victory between them. The German and the Brit were taking radically different lines around the Jerez circuit, but the gap remained constant.
By lap 13 Baldassarri was with Morbidelli and fighting for fourth, the Forward Team rider waiting for his chance and spending several laps behind him. Morbidelli would respond and up his pace to open up a half second advantage over his compatriot.
Lowes continued to push ahead at the front of the race, his Kalex bucking and weaving underneath him as he extended his advantage over Folger to near a second on lap 17. Each time Lowes had a moment, Folger would up his pace and continue pushing the Brit in an attempt to push him over the limit. But Folger’s attacks would work and soon Lowes opened up a lead of over a second and a half, the Brit just needing to remain upright for the final six laps.
Further down the order there were great rides from the likes of Miguel Oliveira (Leopard Racing) who battled with Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten) for sixth, the pair ahead of Zarco. After a challenging start to the race, Zarco found his rhythm and was able to get inside the top ten. Disaster struck for Oliveira on lap 21 as he slid off at Turn 4, his bike tumbling through the gravel trap.
Zarco eventually got past Luthi to move into sixth with four laps to go, the leading five too far ahead for even the reigning Moto2™ World Champion. But Zarco would benefit from a late fall by Baldassarri, the Frenchman promoted into the top five.
The last lap began with the podium set in stone, Lowes crossing the line over three seconds ahead of Folger for his first win of 2016 and just the second of his Moto2™ career. Alex Rins would complete the podium with a steady ride to third position. Unfortunately Rins encountered problems on the cooldown lap and had to ask Zarco for assistance in getting back to the pits.
After the pressure of Baldassarri, Morbidelli took his best race result of the year with fourth ahead of Zarco.
Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Interwetten), Luis Salom (SAG Team) and Xavier Simeon (QMMF Racing Team) formed the top ten.
Victory is exactly what Lowes needed, the Brit extending his championship lead to 10 points over Alex Rins. Johann Zarco takes third with 56 points, 16 behind Lowes. Folger, who took his fifth podium in six Jerez visits sits fifth with 47 points.
Marcel Schrotter (AGR Team) also crashed at Turn 13, remounting to later crash at Turn 9.
The Monster Energy Grand Prix de France will host round five of the Moto2™ World Championship in early May.
Binder destroys field and takes career first win from last on the grid
A thrilling charge through the field saw Brad Binder taking his first World Championship victory from Navarro and Bagnaia having started last.
Drama began even before the Moto3™ World Championship lined up on the grid as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was sent to the back of the grid, moving every rider up a position on the grid. The penalty came as the result of a mapping infringement, the South African’s KTM was found to be using non-homologated ECU software after Qualifying.
With the morning fog gone and the championship leader starting last, it was set to be as thrilling a Moto3™ battle as ever. Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) lined up in pole ahead of Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) with Francesco Bagnaia (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3) moved onto the front row due to Binder’s penalty. Conditions were ideal, the track at 26°C and ambient temperature at 18°C. Jules Danilo (Ongetta-Rivacold) was the only rider to deviate from the medium front and rear tyre trend, the Frenchman running a soft front.
Excitement continued to build as riders revved their engines, the 35-rider field lurching forward as the lights went out. From third Bagnaia made a great start on his Mahindra to lead into Turn 1. Meanwhile the drama continued as Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold) was forced to start from pit lane due to an issue on the grid. Further down Binder quickly picked his way through the field.
Turn 6 claimed both Fabio Quartararo (Leopard Racing) and Jorge Martin (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3) on the first lap, both riders rushing to their bikes. Meanwhile Jorge Navarro had taken control of the race with ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia tucking in behind him in an attempt to break away, but fellow Italian Bulega loomed large behind them. This small group began to quickly open a gap, a second ahead of Romano Fenati (Sky Racing Team VR46) as they started lap three.
The start of lap three also saw Binder inside the points, the South African having forced his way up to 15th from 35th in just two laps. Binder rapidly closed on the group battling for fourth, setting a 1’46.922 on lap four, while the leading trio continued to press their advantage. All three remained calm and in line, working hard to open up a large gap and ensure their fight would be one for victory.
It was all calm until with 18 laps to go Bulega took control of the leading group, sliding up the inside of Navarro and tightening the three up again. But Bulega’s size worked against him, Navarro taking the lead back at Turn 1 the following lap. The battle at the front was exciting, but Brad Binder’s charge was awe-inspiring as the South African was inside the top ten after just six laps. Almost every corner offered Binder another chance to gain a place, slipping through with incredible ease.
Before even a third of the race was gone, Binder was fourth and leading the chasing group. Could he defy the odds and claim victory from the back of the grid? He had 15 laps to close the 3.7-second gap, fighting at the front helping him immensely. The leading three lapped in the low 1’48s while Binder produced a steady flow of mid 1’47s.
Turn 6 was the stage for a number of attacks at the front, the long straight before hand giving Navarro and Bagnaia the chance to get past each other. Unfortunately fighting on lap 11 allowed Binder to close an entire second, just 1.5 seconds behind a podium finish.
Eyes were focused on Binder, but the fight for fifth remained an intense brawl as the likes of Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) and Philipp Oettl (Schedl GP Racing) traded positions.
As the laps ticked down, so did the gap to the front and soon Binder was involved in the podium battle, moving to third at Turn 1 on the 14th lap. Not long after Binder would move into second as Bagnaia ran wide at Turn 1. The leading group gathered together once more, but it didn’t worry the South African as he pushed his way into the lead at Turn 6 on lap 18.
Clear track ahead, Binder began to open up a lead as Navarro and Bagnaia diced for second. As the final three laps began Binder had a one second lead over second, still lapping in the mid 1’47s. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was gone but the fight for second was fierce as Bulega struck at Turn 6, slamming his way into second but Bagnaia and Navarro responded. All three traded places and it all came down to the drag to the line after an incredible move by Bulega into Turn 13. It was enough to ensure Bulega took second and thus a debut podium with Bagnaia taking his second podium of the year with third.
The gap would grow to an unbelievable 3.4 seconds as Binder became the first ever South African to win a lightweight class race. With his first victory, Binder extended his championship lead to 15 points over Navarro.
Jorge Navarro lost out on the podium in the final corner, forced to settle for fourth. Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) would eventually win the battle for fifth.
Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), Romano Fenati (Sky Racing Team VR46), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3), Jules Danilo (Ongetta-Rivacold) and Phillip Oettl (Schedl GP Racing) completed the top ten.
There were a number of falls throughout the race with Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing), Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia) and Karel Hanika (Platinum Bay Real Estate) all going down together on the third lap. Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was in contention for the top ten until he fell at Turn 1 on lap six.
John McPhee (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) fell at Turn 2. Several laps later Niccolo Antonelli would also fall, but at Turn 8 as he attempted to recover from his pit lane start.
Round five will commence on the sixth of May at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
CRUTCHLOW SECURES FIRST POINTS OF 2016 IN SPAIN
Cal Crutchlow brought home his factory LCR Honda at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez on Sunday, to take his first points of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship. Having had a difficult weekend all round, the positives of keeping in the battle despite feeling uncomfortable throughout the 27-lap event, mean that the team can now start to build from this platform.
Track temperatures were at their highest of the weekend by the time of the MotoGP race, and Crutchlow was unable to replicate the solid sequence of laps he put in during the morning warm-up session. Having started from tenth on the grid Cal strived to keep tabs on the Ducati riders ahead of him, but struggled with grip in the latter stages, eventually settling into a rhythm which meant he was finally able to open his account for the season.
The LCR Honda Team now stay on for a day’s testing at Jerez, before moving onto France for the fifth round of the MotoGP series.
#35 Cal Crutchlow – 11th (5 points)
“The weekend was tough and I am pleased that I finished the race. We believe we had a tyre problem because earlier I had a good warm-up with race distance on the tyres. I feel I rode a lot smoother in the race, but just wasn’t going anywhere. The last ten laps were a real struggle. We’re not too sure why just yet, but we just know there was a lot of vibration and I had to change to sixth gear on the straights where I’d normally use fifth – just to try and stop the spin.”
“There are no excuses, we have what we have. I finished eleventh, but finished the race. Obviously that doesn’t make me happy at all. Before the race I felt I could have been battling with Dani Pedrosa if I’m truly honest. I have no doubt in my mind I could battle up there today, but for some reason the Honda pace dropped a lot across the board with ten laps to go. Honda are working so hard though, and we will at least give them some information on full race distance which can hopefully help things.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
SPIRITED RACE FOR TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR IN JEREZ
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales both put in spirited performances at today’s Jerez MotoGP™ World Championship race in Spain to finish in fifth and sixth positions.
Espargaró, who qualified his GSX-RR sixth on the grid, kept his position off the start of the 27-lap race around at 4.42km Jerez de la Frontera circuit, before moving to fifth and then hunting down the fourth-placed rider. His race-pace was solid and faster, and therefore he managed to get very close to the fourth place, even though this wasn’t enough to overtake. He finally settled for fifth, equalling his result at the previous race in Austin. His performance today also confirmed that he is finally finding his confidence back with the GSX-RR and the development work done so far has been effective.
Viñales slipped to sixth on the start, but rode a consistent pace throughout in what was a lonely race for the 21-year-old Spanish rider. His struggle with the rear grip continued, preventing him from being more competitive, but the weekend, overall, was positive although not quite as good as he wanted.
With four races of the 2016 MotoGP™ World Championship now run, both Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders are setting themselves in good positions with Viñales now sixth and Espargaró seventh, with only one point between them; 33 to 32 respectively
Both riders will stay at Jerez de la Frontera tonight for a day of official testing tomorrow, where the team will have the opportunity to further investigate the rear grip issues and introduce some modifications in the set-up that will hopefully help the riders to find more efficiency.
Satoru Terada – Project Leader:
“Today we finished the race in fifth and sixth and I think this result is ‘so-and-so.’ Of course we need to get closer to the top, but I can also say that we are improving and we made steady progress, as this race also proved, but we still need to step-up more. Apparently we are struggling with the tyres or the set-up because we lack in rear grip, so we have to improve this area particularly. Tomorrow we have the chance to make a one-day test and we already have some ideas that will be applied to the machines and we will examine the outcome. In particular we will work on the settings, because we believe we can find better solutions working on the mechanics rather than electronics.”
Aleix Espargaró:
“I’m happy, I was waiting for this GP because since FP1 in Argentina we have been making continuous steps forward; in every session in Argentina and Austin we registered improvements and I knew we were getting closer. Here we really focused on the preparation for the race, I suffered a little bit in qualifying because I wasn’t able to run fast with the softer tyre, but doing such a fast lap in qualifying with the harder tyre meant that we were ready and competitive for the race. In fact the race pace trials we did during the weekend gave me good feelings towards the race. I was very focused on the grid and I made a good jump, recovering immediately one position in the first corner and then another one right away. Then I tried to catch-up to fourth position and almost succeeded, but unfortunately towards the end of the race the rider in front of me could keep a faster pace and I settled for fifth. It’s a good result, after a slow beginning to the season, but I’m getting closer to the top with good results but, most-importantly, improving my feeling on the bike. Tomorrow’s test will be very important, we still have issues with the rear grip – especially in slow corners – but Suzuki is doing a great job to support us and deliver some solutions, therefore we already have some ideas that we’re going to test and hopefully these will be positive ones. We are not so far from the fastest, we can improve a lot yet; and this leaves me confident for further improvements.”
Maverick Viñales:
“Finally the result of the race is not bad, but it was very difficult as I struggled for the whole race with the rear grip and I regret we could have achieved an even better result. We are not exploiting the bike 100%, we still miss something in the set-up or in the tyre performance and this forced me to push very hard in race. We are making a lot of progress, the Suzuki Factory is giving full support to us, but now that we see we can be closer it’s a pity that we cannot get even closer. I think tomorrow’s test will be very important and we will work on the set-up to find better grip on the rear and try to be more effective.”