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| Kropotkin Thinks | ... that patience is a virtue, which pays off in the end |
Submitted by Mat Oxley on
For many decades the wheels of motorcycle racing have been oiled by money emanating from unsavoury sources
Now that the initial hoo-ha over VR46’s alleged multi-million pound sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Aramco oil company has calmed down, perhaps this is a good time to take a long look at motorcycle racing’s historic relationship with dirty money.
Submitted by David Emmett on
One of the first things you notice when you look at the KTM RC16 MotoGP machine is that there is so much space around the front wheel. Where the other MotoGP bikes look like the front wheel is tucked as tightly as possible under the front fairing, the KTM's front wheel seems to be pushed forward and almost hanging loose, as if they've forgotten to add part of the fairing.
You can see it most clearly when you put the bike side by side. The gap between the front wheel and fairing on Brad Binder's KTM RC16 seems huge by comparison with Alex Márquez' Honda RC213V. The line of the Honda fairing follows the circumference of the wheel. The KTM fairing is more of a 'boomerang' shape, two straight lines connected by a section of an arc.
Submitted by David Emmett on
For some, the Monday after the Jerez race was a busy day, as they worked their way through a full program of parts and settings to prepare for Le Mans and beyond (and in Suzuki's case, for 2022). For others, they had a relatively easy day, especially the two factory Ducati riders – to the victors go the spoils. And for the unlucky ones of the weekend, they either barely turned a wheel, or not at all, as they headed off for medical checkups.
Fabio Quartararo took no part in the test at all. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider headed back to France to get medical advice on the best options for treatment on the arm pump issue which cost him the race on Sunday. With his home race up next, his priorities were clear.
Aleix Espargaro, who had also suffered with arm pump on Sunday, did ride a little, but he only put in 12 laps before heading back to Barcelona and seeking medical advice. Marc Márquez did a quick run out on Honda's new aero package – one of them, at least – before calling it a day after just 7 laps. The Repsol Honda rider had neck pain from his huge crash on Saturday, as well as stiffness in his shoulder, and elected to focus on his recovery instead.
Submitted by David Emmett on
Maverick Viñales leaves the Monday Jerez test as fastest, the Spaniard finding his customary speed in testing. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider finished ahead of the two Suzukis, a fraction faster than Alex Rins, and four tenths quicker than Joan Mir.
Taka Nakagami ended the test in fourth, the LCR Honda rider a fraction slower than Mir, and a tenth faster than Johann Zarco on the Pramac Ducati. Pol Espargaro was sixth quickest on the Repsol Honda, while Miguel Oliveira was the best KTM rider in seventh.
Times at the end of the Jerez Monday test:
Submitted by David Emmett on
With two hours of the Jerez test left to go, Alex Rins sits at the top of the timesheets, the first rider to crack into the 1'36s. Maverick Viñales is currently second, while Rins' Suzuki teammate Joan Mir is in third.
Submitted by David Emmett on
It has been a very busy time for the MotoGP grid, fresh off the back of the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. The bikes were off and out on track from 10am this morning, running through a batch of parts and settings for the next part of the MotoGP season. Fabio Quartararo is absent, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider having headed to France to get a medical assessment of his arm, with a view to surgery for arm pump.
Submitted by David Emmett on
"That's why we line up on Sunday. You never know what's going to happen," the late Nicky Hayden once said, in response to a particularly stupid question on my part. Jerez proved him right once again, events conspiring to confound what seemed to be an obvious conclusion from the very beginning.
What happened? At 2pm on Sunday, the MotoGP grid lined up with Fabio Quartararo on pole, starting as favorite after laying down an intimidating pace in practice. Alongside him were Franco Morbidelli on a two-year old Yamaha, and the Ducati of Jack Miller, while the second Ducati of Pecco Bagnaia started behind him.
It was obvious to the experienced Jerez hands that Fabio Quartararo would walk away with the race, the Frenchman having way too much pace for anyone else to stay with him over 25 laps. The Ducatis may have lined up third and fourth on the grid, but they would surely face; Jerez is not a Ducati track after all. The last Ducati victory at the circuit was way, way back in 2006, when Loris Capirossi kicked off the season with a win aboard the Desmosedici GP6.
Submitted by Zara Daniela on
Results:
Submitted by Zara Daniela on
Results and summary of the MotoGP race in Jerez:
Submitted by David Emmett on
The satellite bike situation for the coming five-year contract period in MotoGP is starting to crystallize. Today, KTM and Tech3 announced that the French team would be staying inside the stable of the Austrian factory for the entire five years of the MotoGP period, from 2022 to 2026.
That Tech3 would stay with KTM was hardly a surprise: the French team won their first ever premier class race last season with Miguel Oliveira, and the team is an important part of KTM's talent structure, which brings riders through all the way from the Red Bull Rookies to MotoGP. But the fact that it is a five-year deal is unusual, satellite team contracts in MotoGP are usually only for two to three years.
