Paddock Pass Podcast Episode 285: Quartararo Cracks At The Cathedral - Is The Championship Wide Open?

Submitted by David Emmett on

With 11 races in the books after just 17 weeks, MotoGP is heading into the summer break, with a thriller at the Cathedral to end the first half of the season. Neil Morrison, David Emmett, and Steve English discuss the highlights of a fascinating race at Assen. There was plenty to talk about.

We kick off with a look at the rider market, and who will be going where, and what we expect to be coming. We ask whether Alex Marquez will do well at Ducati and if Alex Rins is the right fit for an LCR Honda. Then we discuss Aleix Espargaro's remarkable charge through the field, and ask whether he has blown the championship wide open or whether Fabio Quartararo is still in charge, despite his mistake at the Strubben hairpin.

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Assen MotoGP Subscriber Notes: Quartararo vs Espargaro, Outstanding Ducatis, And Big Crowds

Submitted by David Emmett on

The Circuit van Drenthe, or the TT Circuit, as the glorious ribbon of asphalt to the south of Assen is officially known, always delivers, and Sunday was no exception. We had an outstanding Moto3 race, where the main championship contenders and promising youngsters broke away and fought down to the wire. We had one of the best Moto2 races in a long time, with action all the way to the finish. And we had an eventful, dramatic MotoGP race that saw some incredible battles from front to back of the field. It was a good day.

Adding a little spice to proceedings was the kind weather which is so unique to Assen. The race started dry, but the rain radar showed a very light shower heading for the track and likely to hit at around the two-thirds distance mark. It rained alright, but it was the worst kind of rain: the kind that leaves lots of spots on your visor, but barely touches the track. If you can blot the rain out from your mind, you can keep pushing just as hard, but it takes enormous mental strength and conviction. Worth the effort, though: even in the midst of the drizzle, riders were still posting 1'32s.

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Yamaha Press Release: Statement By Lin Jarvis On Fabio Quartararo Penalty

Submitted by Press Release on

Fabio Quartararo was handed a long lap penalty by the FIM Stewards after his crash on lap 5 of the Dutch TT at Assen on Sunday. Quartararo made his displeasure at the penalty known on his social media pages. But today, he has received the backing of Yamaha, with Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis issuing an official statement in which he criticizes the decision to award the penalty, and takes aim at the consistency of stewarding decisions.

The statement appears below:

OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY LIN JARVIS FOLLOWING SUNDAY'S STEWARDS PANEL DECISION TO PENALIZE FABIO QUARTARARO AT THE BRITISH GP

Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 28th June 2022

Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director & Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Principal Lin Jarvis expresses his disappointment with the long-lap penalty for the upcoming Monster Energy British Grand Prix that Fabio Quartararo received from the FIM MotoGP Stewards panel following a race incident with Aleix Espargaró on lap 5 of the TT Assen race.

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Repsol Press Release: Marc Marquez Blog On His Recovery So Far

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Repsol and the Repsol Honda team sent out the following press release, containing a blog by Marc Marquez on the progress on his recovery from his previous surgery:

Marc Marquez On: The road to recovery

Speaking with Box Repsol for his latest blog, Marc Marquez shares an update on his recovery from the operation on his right humerus and how he arrived at this point.

I’ve received many messages of encouragement from you, the fans, and they are appreciated, especially at times like this. I want to let you know how I am doing with my recovery.

The idea that perhaps I needed to have another operation was there since September of last year. We were checking my arm periodically, to see the evolution of the fracture after the third surgery. When preseason came around, I wanted to convince myself that I could do it, with the phrase “power is in the mind” as my motto. But as the season began, I realised that the limitations were very big. My idea was to compete the whole season –since the bone was not one hundred percent consolidated from the third operation–, but whilst knowing my limitations and hiding the discomfort, to avoid daily questions. Only those closest to me knew about the situation.

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Alex Marquez And Fabio Di Giannantonio To Race For Gresini Ducati In 2023

Submitted by David Emmett on

Another piece of the 2023 MotoGP rider line up has fallen into place. On Sunday morning, Gresini announced that they have signed Alex Marquez to race alongside Fabio Di Giannantonio for next year.

The signing did not come as a surprise. Rumors had been circulating all weekend that the younger Marquez brother was close to a deal with Gresini, and Di Giannantonio has show great progress in the last few races, including taking pole at his home race in Mugello.

The second seat at Gresini became available after initial talks with Miguel Oliveira failed to progress. That opened the way for Alex Marquez, who had in turn fallen out of favor with LCR Honda. Marquez' switch to Gresini opens the door for Alex Rins to sign with LCR, while Oliveira is likely to end up at the RNF Aprilia squad.

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