Jerez, Spain

MotoGP/WorldSBK News Round Up: Pol Espargaro Update, Oliveira Out Of Le Mans, Acosta To MotoGP, Bautista Back For 2024

By David Emmett | Thu, 04/05/2023 - 16:10

The motorcycle racing world never stops, and in between the MotoGP test in Jerez and the start of the fourth round of WorldSBK in Barcelona, there have been a couple of interesting items of news to pop up.

On the road to recovery

Let's start with a bit of good news, though in this case, it is still quite relative. On Wednesday, Pol Espargaro posted an update on his recovery on his Instagram page, in English and Spanish. The Tech3 GasGas suffered a number of injuries when he tumbled through the gravel during practice for the opening MotoGP round of 2023, breaking his jaw, and suffering eight fractured bones, including a couple of ribs and vertebrae in his neck and back.

Jerez MotoGP Monday Test: A Busy Day For All Five Factories

By David Emmett | Mon, 01/05/2023 - 22:37

With the field in MotoGP being so incredibly tight, the value of testing has increased exponentially. The more equal the bikes and manufacturers are, the more important testing has become. Smaller and smaller gains are making a bigger and bigger difference.

But as part of Dorna and the FIM's attempt to control costs in MotoGP, testing has been reduced to the bare minimum. Beyond the bare minimum, perhaps; there will be two days of post-race testing in 2023, but next year, that number has been bumped back up to three days.

Post-race tests are a fantastic opportunity to try new things at a circuit where the teams have a whole weekend's worth of data. The downside is that the circuit is also covered in Michelin rubber, meaning the grip is spectacular, which can hide all sorts of problems. And in 2023, the two post-race tests are taking place at Jerez and Misano, useful circuits for sure, but not great places for trying new aerodynamics, as the top speed is limited, and there are few corners where you are accelerating from very low speeds.

2023 Jerez MotoGP Test Final Results: Mooney VR46 Riders Fastest In Busy Test

By David Emmett | Mon, 01/05/2023 - 17:18

Marco Bezzecchi topped the timesheets in a busy at Jerez, the riders circulating in near ideal conditions on a track full of rubber and warm but not excessive asphalt temperatures.  Bezzecchi's Mooney VR46 Ducati teammate Luca Marini was second quickest, while Fabio Quartararo exploited the additional grip of the test to end as third fastest.

Fabio Di Giannantonio was fourth quickest, just under four tenths slower than Bezzecchi, the Gresini Ducati rider, like the two Mooney VR46 riders, not having much to work on beyond settings and his position on the bike.

Jerez MotoGP Sunday Subscriber Notes: A Return To Form, A Failure Of Stewarding, And Why There Are So Many Crashes At The Start

By David Emmett | Mon, 01/05/2023 - 12:06

What we should be talking about tonight is the return of MotoGP to the place that houses its soul, and the explosion of passion and racing that emerged from the Circuito de Jerez. But despite a tense race with a scintillating last lap that played out in front of the largest crowd to pack the Jerez track for perhaps a decade, the main topic of conversation is the level of stewarding. MotoGP at Jerez looked like the pinnacle of motorcycle, surrounded by adoring fans, and overseen by a bunch of amateurs.

The circuit was a cauldron of emotion from the crack of dawn. I walked down to Turn 10 to watch the warm up, to get a sense of who had drive out of that crucial corner, but to be honest I was captivated by the crowds. There was an intensity that has been rare in MotoGP since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, only seen at Le Mans, the Sachsenring, Assen. It felt like the old days.

Subscribe to Jerez, Spain