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Honda debut new machinery on Day 1 of MotoGP Testing at Misano

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PB
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After a damp morning at the 2021 Misano Official MotoGP™ Test, conditions improved and a busy and intriguing afternoon of action got underway. San Marino GP winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished fastest!

At Ducati, both Bagnaia and teammate Jack Miller were testing some new aero on the front of their machinery. ‘Pecco’ suffered a crash at Turn 10 while sporting the new aero, but the Italian was perfectly uninjured and came back out, very much proven by then setting the fastest time of the opening day. Miller was eighth, half a second back.

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Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) also completed some laps with the new aero package, with Ducati in fact having two new aero designs – the second of which divides one part into two elements. Martin’s Pramac teammate Johann Zarco had a new chassis to test, and then the Frenchman headed home and will be replaced by test rider Michele Pirro on Wednesday, as Zarco undergoes arm pump surgery.

After a crash early at Turn 6 in the afternoon session, San Marino GP podium finisher Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) ended his day early having completed just 11 laps. Teammate Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) managed to set a 1:31.998 to grab P7, and that time is a couple of tenths quicker than the Italian set in Q1 last weekend.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) described the Misano Test as “very important” for Honda, and test rider Stefan Bradl headed on track with a new RC213V. Eight-time World Champion Marquez – like a lot of riders – understandably waited until the afternoon to get some laps in, with the number 93 making the most of the better conditions to get some laps on the new bike on the board. The differences that can be seen on the new Honda range from the new aero and new air intake at the front, to the seat, tail unit and exhaust.

Marc Marquez completed 46 laps in the afternoon and finished P15. Pol Espargaro was second, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) just behind in fourth. They set their fastest laps of the day on their 63rd and 57th laps, respectively. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) got 55 laps in and tried the chassis recently raced by Pol Espargaro.

Over at Team Suzuki Ecstar, both Joan Mir and Alex Rins had the 2022-spec engine to test again – like we saw at the pre-season Qatar Tests. In addition, the Spaniards were testing some set-up and electronic improvements that are meant to go hand in hand with the new engine, with Mir and Rins also doing some work to gear up for the second race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli this season.

The big news over in the Aprilia garage was the 2022 aero that test rider Lorenzo Savadori was seen testing. It’s a smaller, thinner package than the one being used this year. Meanwhile, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was continuing his adaptation to the RS-GP, but a crash at Turn 15 while on a personal best lap hampered his afternoon running. Aleix Espargaro finished P3 on the opening day after accomplishing 51 laps in the dry afternoon session.

After a bit of early morning operating in the damp conditions to get some weather wet time in, World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was lapping on a 2022 prototype in the afternoon. A new chassis was visible and the Frenchman also had a new tail unit to try, with teammate Franco Morbidelli mainly focussing on working his way back to full fitness and getting to grips with the 2021 machine as he returns following knee surgery.

Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was another rider who was able to go faster than he did in qualifying at the San Marino GP. The Doctor finished 11th with a 1:32.170. New teammate Andrea Dovizioso continued to get to grips with the YZR-M1 after his debut weekend at Misano, the experienced Italian ended the day 19th, 1.1s shy of Bagnaia. An important and – from the outside – successful day for Dovizioso, who needs as much track time as possible to get back up to speed on very different machinery.

Test rider Dani Pedrosa was on track for KTM, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager Mike Leitner explaining that the MotoGP™ Legend was testing some future ideas. Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Miguel Oliveira and Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona were working on the current bikes.

Tomorrow, meanwhile, is a big day for the Austrian factory and their new 2022 recruits. Moto2™ World Championship leader Remy Gardner and Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Raul Fernandez will be getting their first taste of a MotoGP™ machine, a “treat” from the factory ahead of their full-time debuts.

 

MotoGP Reports: Pecco takes the pressure to paint Misano red

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PB
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Just over a week ago, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was still patiently waiting for that first MotoGP™ win. He was second in the standings and a consistent podium threat, but that box remained unticked. So he had the momentum, but could he do it again on home turf?

After another all-time lap record set on Saturday for pole, the signs looked good and the Italian bolted away immediately to make a solid bit of breathing space at the front on race day. But lap by lap, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) brought the Jaws music and the Frenchman was glued to his exhaust by the final lap. Pecco remained impervious under pressure however, and the Italian pulled the pin to cross the line for his second win in a week – in some style on home turf.

Quartararo was forced to settle for second but takes a valuable 20 points, with the podium completed by another incredible ride: rookie Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) blasted through from P12 on the grid to third, making his first visit to the rostrum in the premier class and at the venue that saw him take his first ever Grand Prix win back in Moto3™.

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As the lights went out there was nervy moment as the number 63 Ducati moved right on the limit, but not forward, and Bagnaia kept calm thereafter to take the holeshot from pole. The Italian put the pedal to the metal immediately too as teammate Jack Miller stayed second and the two gained some early breathing space. Quartararo duelled Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) for third just behind, before the Spaniard then fell early at Turn 14, although he was able to get back in it initially.

Bagnaia, Miller, Quartararo remained in an evenly-spaced top three, with Marc Marquez fighting Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) just behind. But Bastianini had something to say about that, the Italian rookie blasting through to pass first the Aprilia and then home in on the Honda. And he made it stick on first time of asking, taking fourth but as the podium fight pulled away into the distance… for now.

As Bagnaia pushed on at the front, Quartararo was homing in on Miller, aided a little as the Aussie headed slightly wide at Turn 13. By 14 to go the Frenchman was on the scene and sliced past, with the gap to Bagnaia up to 2.7 and Miller remaining on his rear wheel. It didn’t take long for the Yamaha to pull away and Bastianini to close down the number 43 though, the rookie gaining over two and a half seconds to take over in third.

Lap by lap, Quartararo was able to home in on Bagnaia as Bastianini was able to pull away from Miller. Marc Marquez had Aleix Espargaro and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for company in the fight for fifth too, but Miller held firm in fourth for the moment.

As the laps ticked down, the gap between Bagnaia and Quartararo did too and there was a frisson of tension for the race leader on the horizon: by four to go, El Diablo got within eight tenths and then half a second, making it game on.

The Yamaha kept pushing and pushing, gaining here and there and really tagging onto the back of the Ducati as the final few kilometres dawned. It was just over a tenth as the two crossed the line to start the last lap, with Quartararo setting his sights on victory. But he couldn’t make the move early and Pecco was impeccable through Curvone, stretching the gap back out and laying down the gauntlet with one final push. Could Quartararo go for a lunge? Not in the end, Bagnaia once again proving impervious under pressure, painting Misano red and taking his second win in a week.

Behind that duel, it was beauty from the ‘Beast’. Bastianini kept his stunning pace to the end, taking a comfortable third place. Comfortable is an understatement, however, as the rookie put together a truly stunning race on best lap record pace to take his first premier class podium, and on home turf to boot.

The fight for fourth became Miller vs Marquez vs Mir and it was a last gasp thriller. The reigning Champion attacked the number 93 first to move through onto the back of Miller, and the Suzuki then punched his way through on the Ducati at Turn 14. But both went wide and Marquez swept through into fourth. They stayed glued together but out the penultimate corner, Marquez just kept it in but Mir touched the green. So the eight-time World Champion keeps fourth, and Mir crossed the line fifth but is classified as sixth as Miller gains back that P5.

Behind that shuffle, Aleix Espargaro lost some ground and also lost out to brother Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) after a tougher last few laps for the former, with the 44 in seventh and the 41 in eighth. Ninth was another Sunday charge from Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the South African shot through from P17 on the grid, only four tenths off the Aprilia ahead by the flag.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completed the top ten ahead of Michele Pirro wildcarding for Ducati in P11, and he had Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) close behind after the Frenchman also did a Long Lap for having shortcutted Turns 1 and 2. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) scored some points in P13 and close behind the number 5, with HRC test rider Stefan Bradl and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) completing those points. Martin retired in the end despite rejoining, and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) crashed out with 10 to go. 

Francesco Bagnaia: “I knew with the soft rear maybe I would struggle a bit but I tried to push like hell in the first two or three laps to open the gap, then on the last laps when I saw Fabio was recovering it was very difficult but I tried to push, in the last part the pace was quite constant. With the medium he was a bit better in the last part but we were incredible today, the team worked so perfectly and two victories in a row is incredible for me. I was struggling to win my first race, missing something, and now already two!”

MotoGP™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 41:48.305
2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.364
3 Enea Bastianini* – Avintia Esponsorama – Ducati – +4.789

Moto2
Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) put in another stunner at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, taking his sixth win of the season and securing Rookie of the Year. But it was a pretty close run affair, with teammate and Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) taking second and four tenths off, hindered by a moment on a last lap charge for victory.

Any hopes Raul Fernandez had of an instant breakaway win after taking the holeshot were quickly dashed, going wide at Turn 9 as he tried to fight off a challenge from Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), but the Brit nudged ahead and led at the end of the first lap. There were also strong starts from Canet, Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) as they occupied the top five spots, with Gardner and front row starter Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) dropping a little further down the field.  

After four laps, the race lost Simone Corsi (MV Augusta Forward Racing) after an incident with Jorge Navarro, which earned the +Ego Speed Up rider a Long Lap penalty. But back at the front, Canet got the gloves off as he moved ahead of Raul Fernandez and set a race lap record in the process, while he soon had Lowes’ number to boot. A mistake from the Brit then let the number 44 through for the lead and Lowes dropped to third, with Gardner working his way back into the top four.

As the laps were chalked off, the front four formed a breakaway group and the Red Bull KTM Ajos began to find some pace, with Raul Fernandez eating away at Canet’s advantage until he eventually made what would prove the race winning overtake on Lap 15 at Turn 1. That prompted Championship leader Gardner to take action, the Aussie making his move on the outside of Lowes at the same corner.

Some small specks of rain threatened but it didn’t affect the on-track action, with Raul Fernandez soon responding to pressure from Canet with the first ever 1:36 lap around Misano. Despite his impressive speed, he couldn’t shake off the close attention of the men in P2 and P3 though.

In the closing laps, the number 25 looked like he’d finally pulled the pin and he extended his lead to nearly a second, but Gardner wasn’t done. Disposing of Canet on the penultimate lap, the Australian then began taking huge chunks out of his teammate’s time and we were set for a grandstand finish. The gap was down to less than half a second, and with a track limits warning not helping matters for Raul Fernandez it was game on.

Gardner was pushing to the absolute limit and setting up a move, but the decisive moment came at Turn 11. A wobble – at the scene of a crash last year – forced him from attack to defence, but he clung onto P2 and 20 crucial Championship points. Canet was forced to settle for third but took another podium, with Lowes fading slightly to fourth as Raul Fernandez took his incredible sixth win of the season.

Home hero Bezzecchi, on his fabulous pink-liveried machine, headed what had been a hard-fought group, the Italian holding off front row starter Augusto Fernandez as the number 37 was forced to settle for sixth. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) got right in that mix fighting for fifth and ultimately took seventh.

Vierge was a little further back in P8, but had some seriously close company from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) as the two crossed the line split by less than a tenth. Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) made some good progress up to tenth on Sunday. Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Navarro, who served that Long Lap, Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) and Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the points.

Moto2™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 40’40.563
2 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +0.402
3 Aron Canet – Inde Aspar Team – Boscoscuro – +0.569

Moto3
Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) remains the man with the momentum in Moto3™ as the Italian took another home win, this time in the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini as he made up yet more ground in the Championship fight.

Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46) took another impressive second place, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) completing an all-Italian podium on the Riviera di Rimini. It was nearly an Italian 1-2-3-4 too as Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) had looked on for victory as the Italian disappeared in the lead, but a heartbreaker of a crash ended his chances of a near-certain win.

Fenati took the holeshot from pole, off like a shot with Antonelli in second and Migno duelling Foggia just behind, a reshuffled Italian armada at the front with Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) shadowing early on.

Fenati had the hammer down at the front though, setting a new best race lap with a few ticked off, and Antonelli was the rider on the chase as the two kept some clean air between themselves and the chasing group. But the number 55 was stretching his legs and his lead, with fellow Championship players Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and Foggia all stuck in the second group.

Bit by bit though, Acosta was losing some ground and by 15 to go, the Spaniard was in the fringes of the top ten as Migno, Foggia, Masia, Garcia and Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) bolted on the chase behind Fenati and Antonelli. The latter then headed wide soon after though, slotting back into the group and leaving Fenati with a sizeable – by Moto3™ standards – gap at the front. 

With 10 to go though, heartbreak struck. Fenati suddenly went down out the lead, the Italian sliding off into the gravel and rider ok, but a near-certain win gone from his grasp. That left Foggia at the front of what was now a fight for victory, and the Leopard rider took over in the task of trying to break away.

Six riders were fighting for three places on the podium, and for two it was also chance to gain huge ground on Acosta as the Spaniard fought it out for seventh in the second group. By a handful to go, Foggia had got it done and pulled out a small gap back to Migno, Antonelli, Garcia and Masia, with Binder having dropped off the back into a ride for sixth.

Onto the final lap, Foggia was in free air and just needed to keep it clean to take another victory, and a very different one to Aragon. Antonelli had got past Migno and only had to keep the hammer down and the door closed there too, and that they all did. Foggia crossed the line half a second clear for his fourth win of the season, taking back more ground in the title fight and tasting the top step on home turf once again. The tricolore delight continued as Antonelli held off Migno but both were back on the podium, making it an Italian 1-2-3.

The fight for fourth had some elbows further out, with Garcia and Masia nearly side-by-side over the line to start the final lap and the number 11 heading through. As Masia tried to hang in there there was a touch of contact, leaving him back in fifth and with no time left to get back on terms with Garcia. So the GASGAS rider took P4, Masia completed the top five, and Binder took P6.

Acosta managed to take seventh and limit the damage, with Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) completing the top ten in a big group fight, Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) in touch with them in P11. Just behind, another group of Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completed the points.

Moto3™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Dennis Foggia – Leopard Racing – Honda – 39’17.002
2 Niccolo Antonelli – Avtina VR46 Academy – KTM – +0.565
3 Andrea Migno – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda – +0.817

 

Jordi Torres Claims 2021 MotoE World Championship at Misano

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PB
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Race 1 at Misano was a big one for the 2021 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, with the crown at stake already – and certainly a hotseat in the standings for the final race of the season on Sunday.

As the dust settles, it’s Jordi Torres (HP Pons 40) who emerges as the winner and the new points leader, with the Spaniard playing it to perfection in a wily last corner. Dominique Aegerter (Dynvolt Intact GP) was just pipped to it and was forced to settle for second after seeing off a late lunge from Eric Granado (ONE Energy Racing), with the Brazilian going in too hot and sliding out. Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse), meanwhile, rounded out the podium after an impressive return to action.

Stay up to date with all the latest MotoE news here…

There was drama from the off as points leader going in, Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE), crashed early on Lap 1, out of contention and also taken to the medical centre after the Italian suffered post-crash contact from Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE). Zaccone was then transferred to hospital for further checks and was found to have an iliac wing fracture in his pelvis. He’s unfit, so will sit out Race 2, and everyone at the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup wishes him a quick recovery.

As Zaccone sadly lost his chance to fight for the crown, that battle raged on at the front and was getting tight. Torres had made a great start, joined in a breakaway group by Casadei, Aegerter and Granado, the latter making up some ground, as the four bolted just over a second free of Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE). The pace was hot and the elbows out, with some stunning moves and certainly a scare for Torres as the Spaniard just clipped the rear wheel of Aegerter. But no harm done, and he slotted back in.

As the final sector of the final lap dawned, Aegerter was holding on in the lead as he put on another masterclass in door-closing, but Granado was close and Torres too. And Granado went for it right at the final corner, all-in and briefly edging ahead. But then hit the heartbreak as the Brazilian slid out, losing a key chance to gain big in the standings.

The attack left Aegerter slightly on the back foot and Torres capitalised to perfection, sweeping past and just able to beat the Swiss rider to the line. For the reigning Cup winner it’s the first victory of the season and it couldn’t have come at a better time, seeing him head into Sunday eight points clear of Aegerter at the top.

Casadei completed the podium after an impressive return for the final round, with Ferrari then classified fourth as he found his podium record at Misano take a dent. He was followed by rookie Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team). The final positions in the top 10 went to Kevin Zannoni (LCR E-Team); an impressive best yet, Fermín Aldeguer (OpenBank Aspar Team), Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing), Yonny Hernández (Octo Pramac MotoE) and Xavi Cardelús (Avintia Esponsorama Racing).

It’s now eight points in it between Torres and Aegerter, with Zaccone a further nine behind the Swiss rider and sidelined too. Granado remains in contention, just, but now 24 off the top. Race 2 will see the grid do battle for the final time in 2021, and that could all shuffle.

MotoE™ Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jordi Torres – HP Pons 40 – Energica – 12’11.858
2 Dominique Aegerter – Dynavolt Intact GP – Energica – +0.160
3 Mattia Casadei – Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse – Energica – +0.405

Race Two
The final race of the 2021 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup had everything on the line. On the way in, Jordi Torres (HP Pons 40) had eight points in hand over Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP), and the two at the top in the standings would also prove the key protagonists in the drama.

After an almighty duel between the duo, with the crown on the line, the contest ended in contact as Aegerter dived up the inside. Torres fell, although he remounted, and in parc ferme the verdict from the Stewards was in: Aegerter was given a Ride Through penalty, or the equivalent time, which was 38 seconds. That put him just ahead of Torres after the Spaniard made it to the line.. which wasn’t enough for the Swiss rider. So it’s #TwoTimeTorres at Misano.

That drama also decided the podium, with what had been a fight for third becoming the fight for victory. And it was King of Misano Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) who came out on top, winning the last race of the season to get back on the podium for the first time in 2021 – and extending his record at Misano to 5 wins from 7 races. Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) took second after more impressive speed, the only rider on the rostrum in both races at the season finale, with Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) rounding out the year in third.

It was Casadei who got the holeshot going into the first corner, with Aegerter attacking Eric Granado (ONE Energy Racing) and Ferrari taking the long way around the outside to jump both and slot into third. He duelled Aegerter briefly, with Granado just behind, as Torres took the lead and then took off in the lead too.

On the second lap, the race leader had begun to open up a considerable gap, jolting Aegerter into action and the Swiss rider moving past Ferrari into P2. He then got the hammer down, and was able to close back up on his race-leading rival.

From there, a duel for the ages erupted as Aegerter threw the kitchen sink at trying to take over at the front, and it was spectacular as the two exchanged the lead. Torres wasn’t backing down and Aegerter was putting it all on the line. But with just a handful of corners to go, it hit boiling point. Aegerter lunged for it, the two made contact, and Torres found himself on the floor… leaving Aegerter free in the lead to cross the line first. The Spaniard managed to remount and finish in P13, but it seemed the Cup was decided.

The incident was immediately put under investigation, however. After a tense wait in parc ferme, a penalty was announced and 38 seconds were added to Aegerter’s race time for irresponsible riding. That’s the equivalent of a ride through penalty in MotoE™ as Misano as per the regulations, and it dropped him to 12th – just ahead of Torres. The Spaniard had, therefore, taken the crown after all.

Behind all that drama for the overall Cup, there was a race to be decided too. The trio who’d been locked in their own battle for much of the race; Ferrari, Casadei and Pons, were on the podium. The Gresini rider was back on top, just ahead of Casadei, with Pons a few more tenths back but the rookie fast once again.

Fourth went to the absolute wire, with Kevin Zannoni (LCR E-Team) putting in a stunner but only just, just, holding off the final electric samba of the season from Granado. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) was next up, with Fermín Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team), Xavi Cardelus (Avintia Esponsorama Racing), Andrea Mantovani (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) and Corentin Perolari (Tech 3 E-Racing) completing the top ten.

Aegerter was P12 and Torres P13, and with a helping hand from his teammate. Jasper Iwema saw the Spaniard had crashed, waited for him, and followed him home. Every point can count.

In the end, it was a one-point swing as the dust settles, with Torres ending the season seven clear of Aegerter. Ferrari leapfrogged Granado by just two points to take third overall, with Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE) ending the year in fifth overall after his Race 1 crash and sitting Sunday out. And that’s a wrap on a dramatic, thrilling and truly electric season. We hope you enjoyed it… now recharge for 2022!

MotoE™ Race 2 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Matteo Ferrari – Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE – Energica – 13’54.140

2 Mattia Casadei – Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse – Energica – +0.348

3 Miquel Pons – LCR E-Team – Energica – +1.038

He’s won in Moto2™, he’s won in WorldSBK, and last season he took on a new challenge in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup. And it went pretty well as Jordi Torres took the crown despite being a rookie, putting together a consistent season and a fast one too. The Spaniard returned to the field in 2021, and he’s now become the first rider to win the Cup twice, back-to-back no less.

Torres’ ascent to the Grand Prix paddock was preceded by two titles in the Moto2™ class in the CEV, and he became a popular face in the intermediate class of Grand Prix racing thereafter. He took his maiden Grand Prix win at the Sachsenring in 2013, and that season took two more podiums too.

From Moto2™ he moved to WorldSBK for 2015 and added another feather to his cap with a race win at the end of the season in Qatar, impressing once again. 2018 then saw ‘Spanish Elvis’ make five appearances in MotoGP™ as a replacement rider, and he scored a point in the season finale – no mean feat in one of the closest eras in Grand Prix history.

2020 saw Torres take on MotoE™ for the first time, and the Spaniard got first podium on home turf in the second race of the season at Jerez. He took two more podiums at Misano and then, in France, tasted the top step for the first time in the electric series. He wrapped up the crown the next day.

This year, the rookie had become the reigning Cup winner and Torres had a target on his back. But he kept it calm – and fast – and started the season with a podium in Jerez. Another came at Catalunya, and Assen, and the Spaniard arrived at the double-header finale with a very real shot at the crown. In Race 1 the gloves came off and he battled for the win, able to sneak through at the final corner amid some drama, and that saw him heading into the last showdown of the season ahead.

After an incredible duel against closest rival Dominique Aegerter, Torres had contact from the Dynavolt Intact GP rider and slid out – remounting for P13. And in the end that was just enough for the crown, with the Swiss rider receiving the equivalent of a ride-through penalty to drop him to P12.

Jordi Torres: “When I saw the result and the flag I started to cry, I felt down, I felt like I was a loser and lost the title. I tried to squeeze the maximum in this race and focus 100% to do my pace, and when Domi tried to overtake me I tried to be calm to not make a mistake and manage well the situation. But all this work I did, and the work my team did all this year to arrive here, it’s like well.. all this in the rubbish and start again! I cried and arrived to my people, when I entered the pits they all said ‘ok take a break, don’t worry, we’ll see what happens’. I was still crying, and then when I saw the result from Race Direction it became happy tears, a rollercoaster of emotion, and I’m tired now after that!”

 

WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD 9 At Catalunya

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PB
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A pre-race rain downpour provided the perfect prelude for Saturday’s race one of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Barcelona’s Catalunya circuit as Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)  late surged late to claim victory ahead of Italian rookie Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing).

 

In the title fight, points leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) retired with an electronics issue on lap 15, while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaking Racing) despite a bad start  took fourth in the race, and goes into Sunday racing with a six-point lead in the championship.  (Rea – 376 points, Razgatlioglu 370 points, Redding 323 points).

Despite a bad start that saw him back to 10th at the first timing point,  world champion Rea fought back to lead the field while behind rookie Bassani was Eventually the warring duo found their way past Rea before Bassani took the lead when Razgatlioglu pulled over with an electronics mishap. As the 20-lap race progressed, the two factory Ducati riders of Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found pace.

In the closing stages, Redding passed teammate Rinaldi for second before making a move on the independent Ducati of Bassani for the lead, with a handful of laps to go.  Redding was the eventual winner, ahead of Bassani and Rinaldi, to claim Ducati’s first 1-2-3 finish since Assen 2012.    Rea came in fourth grasping valuable championship points after Razgatlioglu’s demise.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed fifth place despite applying late pressure to Rea as he looked to claim a podium finish for BMW. He was two seconds clear of former teammate Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who claimed sixth place.

There was a strong showing for Team HRC with Leon Haslam finishing in seventh place and Alvaro Bautista in ninth, sandwiching polesitter Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the British rider falling down the order at the start of the race, but managing a fight back for eighth.  Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) completed the top ten, finishing just 0.008s ahead of Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who finished as the lead Yamaha rider. Nozane got a great start from 12th to fight in the lead group in the early stages of the race.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) finished in 12th place after falling down through the order, finishing four tenths clear of French rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 13th place. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 14th place with Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) taking the final point from Race 1 with 15th.

Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) took home 16th place on his first start of 2021 with the Barni Racing Team with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) in 17th. Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) came home in 18th place ahead of Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) and Lachlan Epis (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in 20th on his WorldSBK debut in difficult conditions.

Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) did not take the race start after a crash on the Sighting Lap as he lost the rear of his Yamaha YZF R1 machine on the kerbs on the exit of turn 10 and on the run through turn 11, damaging his bike and preventing him from taking the start of the 20-lap encounter.

Scott Redding: “It was one of those races I didn’t expect to win. I thought I was going to finish today a little bit upset because I didn’t make a step. Then it all just started turning around. I got more and more hungry as it went on. At the beginning of the race, off the start, I got big wheelspin as we crossed the start line and made me drop back. I had no grip in the beginning. In one moment, I said ‘you’ve got to do something. If you go down, you go down, but it is what it is’. I planned a little bit what I could do, and I had Michael as a target which was quite good for me.”

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +1.577s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.326s

Tissot Sprint Race
There was action aplenty in the Superpole Sprint at this weekend’s round 9  of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Barcelona’s Catalunya circuit as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed a hard-fought victory over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) to win by two tenths.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led into turn one but was soon fending off challenges from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with Rea on Pirelli’s SC1 tyre while his rivals were on the SCX.

The battle continued through the first three laps before a Red Flag on lap four following an incident at turn 11 involving Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), with Davies taken to the medical centre. Davies was stable and conscious following the incident but was declared unfit, before he was transferred to Catalunya Hospital for further assessment. Mahias took to the grid for the restarted race but brought his bike back to the pits three laps in.

The grid for the restarted race was based on the last completed timing point for each rider, with Razgatlioglu, Rea and Redding starting the five-lap race from the front row, with Rea starting the restarted race on the SCX tyre. The first lap of the five lap restart saw fierce racing between the lead group, but it was Rea who beat home Razgatlioglu.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was in third place after starting the restarted race from sixth place, fighting his way up to claim his first podium since Aragon 2020, a wait of 37 races, and to claim a front row start for this afternoon’s race two. Bautista had been running second ahead of Razgatlioglu but was overtaken by the Turkish star, before battling Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) for the podium.

Lowes claimed fourth place in the Superpole Race to secure a second row start and he will be joined by Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing); Bassani starting race two from sixth place after the highs of his Saturday podium dampened by a big crash in Sunday’s warm-up.

Two Hondas will start from inside the top seven with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) claiming seventh place with American Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) recovering from a crash yesterday to take eighth place in the Sprint. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) took his best ever WorldSBK result with ninth after a battle with Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team); the Italian also claiming his best WorldSBK result.

The Tissot Superpole Race proved to be one to forget for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team with both riders retiring from the race after an incident between the two on the opening lap, with Michael van der Mark coming off his bike in the gravel while Sykes was able to bring his bike back to the pits. Van der Mark lost the front of his BMW M 1000 RR going through turn six and made contact with Sykes. Neither rider was able to take to the grid for the restarted race.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) retired from the restarted race on the opening lap after an incident at turn 11, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) also involved; the incident placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards with no further action required. Redding had to take to the gravel with that incident and lost considerable time, finishing the race in 15th place.

Tissot Superpole Race (Full Results Here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.211s
3 Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) +2.771s

 

Race Two
A tyre gamble played into Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s hands in world superbike’s race two at the Barcelona circuit of Catalunya, with the Italian Ducati rider running Pirelli’s SC0 tyre to take the weekend’s final victory over Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu with Ducati’s Scott Redding, also SC0 shod, in third.  

Defending champion, Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea who ran Pirelli’s SCX A0557 development option (as did the rest of the field) , could not maintain the pace of the front runners and crossed the line in sixth.  Coupled with a win in the midday Sprint and a 4th on Saturday, Rea has closed the gap on points leader Razgatlioglu to one point in the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with Razgatlioglu on 399 points and Rea on 398 points.  The next round is at Spain’s Jerez circuit next weekend (Sept 24-26) followed by Portugal’s Algarve on October 1-3 to make for a triple-header of intense competition.  

Race two started with drama, the red flags out on lap two of the 20-lap race following an incident involving Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) at turn one.  Although conscious, Sykes was taken to the medical centre and was diagnosed with a head injury and concussion and transferred to Catalunya Hospital for further assessments.

In the 19-lap restart, Rinaldi made a fast start and moved into the lead ahead of Razgatlioglu and Rea. Razgatlioglu went with Rinaldi throughout the 19-lap encounter but Rea dropped back with ailing tyres. Early on Razgatlioglu held the early lead over Rinaldi, but the Turk’s dominance lasted for just a handful of laps before the Italian took control, extending his charge to the finish line to claim victory by more than 3 seconds. 

With Rea battling for a podium spot, he fought to keep Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) at bay, but his attempts were in vain with the Italian rookie passing him on lap 10 before Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) followed through.

At the start of lap 18, Redding made a move on Locatelli into turn one for third place with Redding using the SC0 tyre, along with Rinaldi, while his rivals were on the SCX rubber. Bautista followed Redding through a lap later at the same corner. It meant Rinaldi claimed his first win since the Tissot Superpole Race at Misano.

Rea came home in sixth place, more than four seconds down on the battle for the podium, but three seconds clear of American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh. Gerloff was the top independent rider and finished ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in eighth. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed ninth place with Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) taking his first top-ten finish in a full-length race with tenth. 

Honda secured a points finish with both riders as Leon Haslam (Team HRC) crossed in 11th place, five seconds clear of Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) in 12th. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was 13th in race two after a strong weekend for the French rider.

Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had an incredible battle for 14th place with Argentinean rider finishing just 0.081s clear of rookie Viñales. Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) was the last classified rider in 16th.

Alex Lowes’ (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came to an end at turn two on lap one after he came off his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, and headed to medical centre where he was diagnosed with a left wrist contusion. 

Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) and Sydney’s Lachlan Epis (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) were mixed up in a back grid drama, with Epis retiring from the race after 7 laps. Mahias joined the restarted race but brought his bike back to the pits and retired from the race, while Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) also did not finish the race.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi: “I’m really happy about this win because we arrived from a difficult moment. Yesterday after the rain I was a little bit upset because I knew we had a strong pace in the dry. We managed third which wasn’t bad. I said, ‘today is my day, I need to go for it’. The tyre choice was difficult actually because everyone was going for the soft, but last year I saw there was too much drop at the end of the race. I took a risk, but it worked, so really happy about that.”

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.030s
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.207s

 Current Championship standings (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 399
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 398
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 339

 

Racer Test: T-Rex Racing Bimota YB5

By
PitBoard
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From zero rpm to 9000rpm you better hold on because this Bimota will get you to the next braking zone in a hurry."

Back in 1987 the Bimota YB5 was one of the most amazing, expensive, out of this world and radical motorcycles on the planet. It was fast, real fast. It was draped in the highest specification grand prix quality running gear!

It handled like a 250 despite housing the lump of an engine that the mighty Yamaha FJ1200 is.

Almost 35-years later the YB5 numbers don’t even count but the legend of the bike remains and with only 208 units originally made, is as rare as it gets…

Check out our other bike tests here…

So rare, in fact, it took Australia’s T-Rex Racing’s Rex Wolfenden (International Island Classic Team Captain), an eternity to find himself an immaculate low mileage example. But he did it. He got hold of one and landed it on the bench in his immaculate Melbourne, Australia, workshop that is famous Down Under for building championship winning motorcycles, particularly specialising in Honda 750 Fours of the classic Forgotten Era class.

A nervous moment for Jeff as he takes a look around the ultra rare YB5 before taking it out for a thrash around SMSP.

The Barry Sheene Festival Of Speed here features many of Rex’s bikes, which usually win a few classes including the Barry Sheene trophy with rider Chas Hern taking the weekend on this very bike. So Rex got his hands on the immaculate and rare YB5 and, as you do, stripped it immediately and began the process of turning into what we think is the only YB5 racebike in the entire world. If there is another, we can’t find it!

Rex first of all removed the standard FJ1200 engine and built it to his specification, which is already tested and proven with an FJ1200 racer that is very successful over here, which you may have read about in Classic Racer.

“The engine was bored 1mm oversize and JE forged pistons fitted to Carrillo conrods, which swing off a lightened and balanced crankshaft on oversized main bearings.”

The engine was bored 1mm oversize and JE forged pistons fitted to Carrillo conrods, which swing off a lightened and balanced crankshaft on oversized main bearings. The cylinder-head was reshaped and ported by Rex, who also installed oversized IN and EX valves and the appropriate springs and retainers. Rex had some camshafts made to his specification as well. The original five-speed gearbox was undercut and a slipper clutch was fitted to the bike post my test.

Feeding the FJ engine are four Keihin 37mm CR carburettors. Mixture is fired by a Dyna 2000 ignition system and gasses exit via a stunning Over Racing Titanium four-into-one exhaust system and T-Rex alloy muffler. The sound is out of this world… at both ends! With a comfortable 150-horsepower the chassis now needed setting up. Rex braced the spindly chro-mo swingarm heavily but aside from that the amazing YB5 frame is standard.

Kayaba 43mm units with T-Rex valving and 1kg springs, slotted back into the original YB5 triple-clamps, replaced the Marzocchi forks. At the back end a custom made to order Ohlins shock was fitted via T-Rex linkages. Wheels at both ends are cast alloy ZX12 items, while the old Brembo brakes were given the flick in exchange for more modern four-piston Brembo calipers. These squeeze SBS race compound brake pads onto semi-floating stainless steel NG rotors via Venhill brake lines – at both ends of the bike.

With the rolling chassis complete and the engine slotted back in Rex got to work on the controls, brackets and fairings.

The original fairing was cut up (ouch!) and molds were taken off it to make a set of race fairings. These are wafer thin and ultra lightweight. The single seat unit is a work of art and the way Rex has retained the profile of the original fuel cell cover is a nice touch. The steel fuel tank was replaced by an aluminium item made by Rex’s equally as talented brother and ex long term Honda Factory Superbike Team Manager Clyde Wolfenden, at C&C Motorcycle Engineering. Clyde also knocked up the rearsets, ‘bars and other billet bits and pieces. His work is stunning.

The bike debuted at the 2016 Phillip Island World Superbike round, where Rex slotted it up the back of his garage and quietly entered it in the support races. His hope of anonymity was short lived as soon the bike was the talk of the paddock and there were swarms of people looking at it.

Once the bodywork was back from the painters the whole bike was assembled and you have to agree, it is an absolute stunner of a bike.

A few months later after some more development the bike was raced in anger at the 2016 Barry Sheene Festival Of Speed. Originally pencilled in as a back up bike for rider Chas Hern, who planned on running Rex’s Harris Honda, Chas soon found he was faster on the Bimota so chose that and won the weekend convincingly. No mean feat. The lap times were only seven seconds off domestic factory superbike record times…

THE RIDE 

Having ridden Rex’s Harris Honda, I knew the bike would be good. Plus, with such an exclusive and irreplaceable bike, I was not too nervous about the test and damaging the machine as, like the Harris Honda, I could tell by watching it in action that I was going to feel comfortable on the bike within three or four corners. And I was right.

“It was the Thursday before the BSFS that I had the opportunity to try out this amazing motorcycle that I had already drooled over at Phillip Island.”

Hopping on, the bike feels narrower than it looks, although it is still wide. The recess in the fuel tank cell cover is immediately annoying. The ‘pegs are high and wide and feel good, the ‘bars really wide but with a good angle and draw. The screen is enormous – when you are used to the miniscule screens these days.

“Rex has an ability to make a bike behave in a way that makes the rider confident and comfortable. It’s a knack that takes most of the hard work out of going fast before even sitting on the bike.”

With the bike fired up on the roller (starter motor removed) I select first via the reverse shift lever and head out of pit lane. The engine idles high as at this stage there is no slipper clutch fitted. The exhaust note is deep and angry.

Jumping on such a rare bike would be a nerve-racking experience for anyone! It even made Jeff nervous.

The bike is actually a little intimidating to be honest! However, I roll out onto the circuit and as expected within four corners my knee is on the ground and I feel like I have ridden this bike many, many times. I’m at home.

Check out Jeffs on-board footage!

Before I can fully explore the glorious torque of the T-Rex FJ engine I start to get a feel for the chassis dynamics and immediately feel there is a problem at the back with the tyre. The rear feels like it is sitting low and there is a hesitation on initial turn-in, caused by the rear tyre shape. It is also spinning up in a big way off turns.

Just as the nerves washed away, Jeff began feeling issues at the rear of the bike.

I stay out for the session to get photographs for the test and try to use the time to test the brakes, suspension and that stunning engine.On return Rex agrees that the tyre is probably not right and swaps it for a new slick. The profile lifts the bike and transforms it to heaven on two wheels. It’s a little taller at the back but the tyre is also more triangulated.

Stability on the brakes is impressive aside from some rear chatter caused by engine braking, remember my test is pre slipper clutch. The brake package is fantastic and I’m surprised how good the Nissin mater-cylinder works, with good initial bite, feel and modulation at the lever right on lock-up point through the braking process.

Braking hard on turn-in is the best way to get the ultra stable set-up into the turn quickly, along with a heap of muscle. But once that initial turn and commitment is made, the YB5 falls very gracefully on its side with absolute surprise-free progression. If I could get forward more it’d help but I would not sacrifice that original tank profile myself.

It thrives on old school fast lines, which suits me fine. Cracking the quick-action throttle is just a real pleasure as the perfectly set-up Keihin CRs gently feed on, the cams coming in nicely, plenty of compression and all that together bringing the big 1200 to life. Just before the apex, I could wind it on hard and have it at full throttle exiting the turn. The Pirelli hooking up and driving the YB5 forward. It was like being fired out of a canon!

“Once over, I could just about take my hands off the ‘bars! The bike sits at full lean, planted, with incredible mechanical grip and turn of speed.”

The front wheel paws for the sky in this situation and as I tuck in and grab another gear on the slick shifting ‘box I can’t help but smile. It reminds me of watching the on board footage of early era superbike races. I just love these bikes so much. They have true character.

The power and torque is proper old school no electronics grow a beard and some big balls type of power that is gone these days in most bikes. It is serious fun. Clicking through the gears at full throttle, with a sharp pop to the next gear after a roll off of the throttle, I’m amazed at just how quickly the bike accelerates. It would eat any modern Japanese 1000 for lunch, sucking it up in the intake and spitting it out the exhaust pipe.

“From zero rpm to 9000rpm you better hold on because this Bimota will get you to the next braking zone in a hurry.”

The riding experience of the T-Rex Racing YB5 was a memorable one and a true pleasure. I would not change it much at all, if anything, a tiny bit more raceable in the steering but that might take away the rock solid stability. Rex is already working on this with Chas and they are on the money.

I would rate this bike as one of the best handling motorcycles I have ridden in my career and it is not that much younger than I am! If only Rex was mass-producing these amazing motorcycles – I’m sure there’d be 40-something year-old riders whipping credit cards out all over the world… Stunning.

T-Rex Racing Bimota YB5 Specifications 

ENGINE: 1988 Yamaha FJ1200 engine, standard 63.8mm stroke, 1mm over 78mm bore, 11:1 compression up from 9:1, polished and modified standard crankcases, lightened and balanced crankshaft, Carrillo conrods, JE forged pistons, T-Rex Racing camshafts, T-Rex Racing cylinder-head porting and reshaping, oversized EX and IN valves, standard oil cooler and galleries, standard five-speed gearbox with gears undercut, slipper clutch, Dyna 2000 ignition system, Keihin 37mm CR carburettors, Over Racing Ti exhaust system, T-Rex Racing muffler.

CHASSIS & BODYWORK: 1988 Bimota YB5 double cradle chro-mo frame and swingarm with T-Rex swingarm bracing, 43mm KYB forks with T-Rex valving, 1kg springs, 7wt oil, Ohlins custom made shock, 11kg spring, Brembo four-piston calipers, NG semi-floating rotors, SBS brake pads, Venhill line, Nissan master-cylinder (f), Brembo caliper, NG rotor, Venhill line (r), Kawasaki ZX12 wheels 3.5 x 17in, 6.00 x 17in, Pirelli slicks, C&C Engineering levers, rearsets, handlebars, fairing brackets, alloy fuel tank, remade Bimota bodywork

PERFORMANCE: 150hp-plus at the wheel, 182kg dry

THE ORIGINAL
The Bimota YB5 was tagged as the fastest, maddest, most expensive hyperbike on the planet when it was rolled out in 1987. With 130-horsepower from the amazing FJ1200 engine the YB5 was what the Hayabusa is now, only with the flair and exclusivity that comes with a bike that is hand built and one from a run of only 208 units, 12 of which were sold as kits and assembled by the owners.

The original YB5 was very trick for the era; with a double closed chrome moly steel cradle frame running machined billet aircraft alloy sideplates. It ran high end Marzocchi 42mm forks, a single Marzocchi shock, 280mm Brembo rotors, Brembo calipers, braided stainless steel lines, weighed just 463lbs and had a genuine top speed of 250km/h thanks to the FJ powerplant that was lightly tuned but still featured 9.7:1 compression ratio, a five speed gearbox and 36mm Mikuni CV carburettors.

By 1988 the production run was over and lucky collectors had a true piece of history.

The YB5 was designed for a pillion and Bimota, when releasing the bike at the 1986 Cologne Show, stated it was a bike designed as a two-up sportster.

The wheelbase was very close to an era 750 but the steering geometry was closer to a 250 with 23.5 degrees of steering angle and 112mm trail. It also ran 18in lightweight wheels but they were wrapped in ultra low profile Michelins that gave an aspect ratio closer to a 17in wheel anyway.

The YB5 cost close to a year’s salary in 1987 at approx $11,000 USD and was much faster in acceleration than the GSX-R1100 and CBR1000. It could well have been the fastest production bike in the world back then.

T-Rex Racing Bimota YB5 Gallery

 

Getting Started With Racing: Everything You Need To Know!

By
PB
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The decision to take up road racing is as old as the sport of motorcycle racing. Chances are that you already own a bike that can be raced. These days there are classes for just about anything with two wheels!

Theres a category for just about every kind of bike now! So it’s easy to find a cheap way to get into racing.

The next thing to do is to join a club that includes people with a common interest or are located locally. Log on to Motorcycling Australia’s website  (www.ma.org.au). MA are the sanctioning body for all motorcycle racing (other than drag racing) in Australia. On their website you’ll find a full list of clubs in your state or territory. While you’re on the site, download their ‘Getting started in Motorcycle Sport’.

Check out our rider training articles here…

Don’t be scared about checking out a few clubs before joining one. They’re all unique and finding the right one for you will make the transition to road racer much easier.

Getting this piece of plastic is one of the most important steps to starting your racing career!

Getting Licensed
Every club has a secretary who looks after licencing and they will be more than happy to guide you through the process that includes an open book theory test. If you have a civil rider’s licence or have attended a suitably accredited riding school, that should be enough to satisfy the MA State Controlling Body otherwise you may have to undergo a practical riding test to make sure you know the clutch lever from the front brake lever. 

Protection
While we don’t like talking about it, people do fall off motorbikes on racetracks. MA requires all licence holders to have their own personal Ambulance subscription. We’d recommend that you have your own income protection and that it includes coverage for motorcycle racing. No one wants to use up all of their sickies and holidays recovering from an accident.

Riding gear is one piece of equipment you need to spend some time deciding on! A good quality set of leathers and a full face helmet with AS1698 approval are a must!

Protection also includes your own riding gear. Starting from the top, you require a full-face helmet that is approved to AS1698, which is the Australian Standard for helmets for street use anyway. A set of one-piece leathers that fit is the preferred way to cover the larger parts of your anatomy. Make sure they’re roomy enough for you to wear the mandatory back protector underneath, and a chest protector is recommended too.

The best leather gloves you can afford will keep your digits intact if you’re sliding down the track and using your hands as brakes. There’s a huge variety of suitable boots on display at any decent-sized motorcycle shop. Take the time to find a pair that fit properly without being too tight. Tight boots will ruin your day very quickly.

You will need to make some changes to your standard road bike before you can race. Rest assured they’re all very straight forward.

Getting Your Bike Ready
If you’re not overly mechanically minded, don’t worry, your local bike shop should be able to check your bike over before you venture on track for the first time. A full service and tune-up now could save you from a big bill later. All racing classes have common rules to ensure bikes don’t fall apart or leak fluid on the track. Before you’re allowed on track at any race meeting, your bike will be inspected by a scrutineer.

Don’t give them a hard time if they pull you up and point out something you’ve forgotten. The majority of them have been doing this for a long time and don’t want to see anybody get hurt due to an oversight. Full rules for your class are in the Manual of Motorcycle Sport you receive from MA once licenced. But keep in mind that bike preparation is very important and quite in-depth for racing. Like you, your bike needs controlled fluid retention.

Tips For Keeping Comfortable
Assuming you’re like the rest of us, you’ll be carting yourself and your bike to the track in a trailer, ute or van. There are a few things we’d advise you chuck in. These may sound obvious but people still forget. Grab an esky and fill it with ice bricks and bottles of cold water. You’ll be amazed at just how easy it is to dehydrate while racing on a hot day.

Even though racetrack food has improved from the days of dodgy hamburgers and warm soft drinks, chuck snack-type things in the esky along with sandwiches. You’ll burn off a lot of calories in a day and replacing them with racetrack food could send you broke.

Keep everything organised so you’re not running around on raceday looking for a missing logbook or licence!

Not all racetracks offer covered pit areas so some sort of shade device will make your day much more enjoyable. Don’t forget the sunscreen either. The most important thing to take with you is a sense of humour. On its own this could be the difference between a day best forgotten and one of the best experiences of your life.

If you think you can’t afford to race think again. It costs the same to race as it does to maintain a road bike or a track day bike, and entry fees for club racing are around that of a ride day – but you get a lot more laps at many race meetings…

“All fluid retaining fasteners need to be lockwired, fairings need catch areas in the bellypan, you need a tether kill switch, brake callipers bolts need to be lockwired.”

The Bike
You’ll need to spend a bit of time here – all fluid retaining fasteners need to be lockwired, fairings need catch areas in the bellypan, you need a tether kill switch, brake callipers bolts need to be lockwired and you need good suspension, brakes and bodywork. You also need a bullet-proof engine because you are going to thrash it beyond any ride day or road level of thrash! No need to spend big. Start racing on an old bike that you can crash. A lot. Because you will… 

Get Your Gear On
You need the best you can afford and then some more. Spend more on your gear than your bike if you have to but, like is the case with your bike, having shiny new parts is a waste if you are learning. You will inevitably test your riding gear. A lot. So go for an affordable compromise. Don’t buy the most expensive graphics on your lid if a plain white one is going to be cheaper, for example. But don’t skimp on quality…

 

Track Days: William’s First Time On Track

By
PB
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Having never been to the track before, I was so excited when my Father asked if I wanted to go for a day with him and his friends. I couldn’t stop smiling just thinking about it. I had accepted but I had no idea what I needed to prepare for the day.

William headed out to SMSP to spend a day pushing his bike to the limit for the first time!

I had no gear and at the time I had very little money to sort out what I needed for the day. My Father managed to organise a one-piece race suit that I could use for the day. I called a good friend of mine to see if I could borrow his race boots. Luckily they were a perfect fit.  I managed to pick up a pair of AXO motorcycle gloves for $80 the week before the day as well. I had gotten pretty luck in preparation for this day so far.

Check out our other ride day articles here…

The night before the track day, I could barely sleep. I had prepared everything the night before. Leathers out, boots together, a once over of the bike and a full tank of fuel. I rode to the track as I didn’t have a trailer to take the bike. I filled up the tank again at the Shell right by the track. Just to be sure I wouldn’t run out.

Heading to the riders briefing will eliminate a lot of fears you have after listening about how safe track days are!

Arriving at the track safe and sound I parked my bike in our garage in the pit and upstairs for an orientation where (Paul) talked us through the track day. They went through all the different flags and what we should do in case of an emergency. It was good as I had no idea about any of the procedures for the track.

While I was upstairs scrutineering was underway where they check over the bikes. They taped over the speedo and mirrors. My Father also checked the tyre pressures and pre pumped them up to 32psi at the front and 30psi at the rear as per the recommendation of Paul Bailey at orientation. Now my bike was 100 per cent ready to go out on the track.

I started my bike and let it warm up at the five-minute warning before my group went out. It was now my time. The first session out on the track we were instructed to follow one of the mentors from the California Superbike School. Just to get a feel for the track and the lines to take. Just following along behind, getting used to the surroundings and letting the tyres warm up properly. After the two laps we were on our own. What a feeling! Every corner felt amazing. Being able to accelerate full throttle, come in to the corners as fast as possible and go as fast as my bike could go down the main straight.

I came back into the pits after my first session. I had a smile from ear to ear. Before the second session I had been talking with Mark Weaver as he was there for the day with us. He was giving me tips on how to get the most out of my track day from riding position to the line I was taking. He decided he would just come out on the track with me and show me the best way to go about it. 

“Heading out for the first run, I didn’t break any land speed records, but I did manage to get to a top speed of 180km/h.”

Back out onto the track again, this time my Father was out on the KTM 390. It’s a bit bigger capacity then my Kawasaki ZX-R 250 but I knew we would be blasting around the track at about the same speeds and I was a lot more confident. I was following Mark’s lines. He was getting his knee down on every corner. I was trying to do the same but just not getting there. We came back in after what felt like two minutes. Time really does fly when you’re having fun and Mark told me I was so close to getting my knee down. 

Ready and confident for the next session, I head out from the pits with a clear mind. I let the tyres warm up for the first two laps. Then I started pushing harder on the third lap. I go into turn two prepared for the double apex. I was half off the seat, arms relaxed, looking through the corner, knee out and it touches! What a feeling. My confidence went through the roof. I roll on the throttle all the way. The bike revs out to 20,000rpm in second, I come out the corner change into third, roll on the throttle to full and knee down again on turn three. I am smiling so hard by this point. Loving every second of being out on the track. 

“Each corner became easier and easier. I felt I was riding a lot smoother.”

Each corner became easier and easier. I felt I was riding a lot smoother. Not like the first sessions where I was coming in too hot to the corners and having to over brake and lose all of my momentum.

On this session my father was in front of me. It was a great feeling to be on the track the day before his birthday with him. The best part was through the last few corners before the straight. Our little bikes were overtaking the bigger bikes. That was probably one of the best feelings of the day. 

After the final session, William said he was so happy with how much he had improved through the day, being out with his Dad on the track and getting his knee down for the first time!

Overall though its all about having as much fun as you can and going home in one piece – you and your bike. I would recommend every one to get out there and have a go at the track. It’s the best experience you can have on a motorcycle. 

A big thanks to Jeff for letting me come along for the day and my father for helping me set everything up for the day. Can’t wait for the next one!

Track Day Recommendations 

  • Appropriate gear under leathers, such as an under suit.
  • Watered down energy drinks, plus food.
  • Tyre pressure gauge with release valve.
  • Check all your bike’s fluid levels and for leaks.
  • Check chain tension, fill up with fuel before arriving.
  • Check tyre, brake pad and brake rotor wear.
  • Tools for general adjustments or to remove mirrors.

Richard’s Thoughts
It’s really weird at first riding with your son on his first track day. First thoughts are to say, ‘Do this, don’t do that,’ but then how can you say that when you are going to do the exact opposite and will be seen doing it! 

Being William’s first time, he went into the white group as did I. When the first white group session started, all the first timers went out with a California Superbike coach to do a couple of slow – no overtaking allowed – sighting laps. Then the rest of the group are allowed to join, so I waited for William to appear down the main straight so I could hook in with him and show him the lines I take, then follow him for a while to observe.

“I would like a dollar for every time William said best day ever, even now” said Richard

Any fatherly concerns are gone as he picks his lines really well and I can see that he is a natural and if he was on a bigger bike, probably quicker than his old man. His Kawasaki ZXR250C ‘screamer’ handles like a dream in his hands. Unfortunately my Ducati had an issue, which was my preparation fault, so I parked it for the day, as we had a KTM 390 to test, which I took out in later sessions. What a hoot to ride, specially in corners, but not a match for the Kawasaki.

Fortunately Mark Weaver was with us on his GSX-R1000 and spent a lot of track time showing William lines, how go through the apexes, entry, speed and body positioning/weight distribution techniques, plus coaching back in the pit.  After a couple of sessions and Mark’s coaching, William had his knee down, scraping the knee sliders on the one-piece suit loaned by Jeff. It made me feel pretty good and more at ease that he obviously knows how to control his bike on the track and road. 

Track Day Requirements:

  • Provisional motorcycle license or Motorcycling Australia licence.
  • Full leathers (one piece or zip together).
  • Leather boots that overlap pants (with replaceable sliders recommended).
  • Gloves – gauntlets, not wrist length.
  • Helmet – minimum of Australian AS1698 standards.
  • Motorcycle in good mechanic order.
  • Metal tyre valve caps – no caps no go.
  • Cameras are allowed but with very specific requirements.

William heads to SMSP for his first track day, with his Dad along for a truly memorable experience… Words: William Collins, Richard Collins  Photography: Tim Munro

Rider Tips: Cracking The Throttle

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PB
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This topic is one of those things that ‘we racers’ always tend to be a little impatient in getting done. The old saying has always gone when someone asks you how you are going to go quicker the automatic response is ‘brake later and open the throttle earlier’. If only it were that simple.

Andrew has quite the resume when it comes to going fast, he says that its not just about pointing it down the track and twisting the throttle.

Before really getting into throttle opening, there was always one part of the setup that I needed very smooth before I could really focus on throttle opening and that is the initial pick-up of the throttle or the transition from closed throttle to that first crack. This is just to get the bike settled and pick-up the drivetrain and feel the connection with the rear tyre.

Check out our other rider training articles here…

On a new bike or even when a new map was installed and particularly since the heavy reliance on traction control has come to the fore, that initial pickup became the priority that everything else was built on.

Even in todays era with traction control and assists, getting the right amount of drive and applying just the right amount of throttle is imperative for good lap times.

The first day of testing a new bike, and sometimes just the arrival at a new circuit, could mean plenty of time spent on smoothing out the aggressiveness of that initial crack of the throttle. When it is too aggressive the bike tends to jump, which unloads the front suspension then reloads it when you try and get it back under control. The compromise is definitely two-way with the need for feel from the direct connection to the rear tyre but also not too soft on opening so that you can’t really feel the grip level of the rear tyre.

Once the desired pickup is achieved and the rider has the confidence to then really open the throttle it becomes a matter of laps and each particular corner in working out the quickest way to exit the particular turn in question.

“In a long constant-radius-type turn like the Southern Loop (Turn 2) at Phillip Island, it requires getting back on the throttle quite soon after releasing the brakes and hitting that first apex on the entry.”

In a long constant-radius-type turn like the Southern Loop (Turn 2) at Phillip Island, it requires getting back on the throttle quite soon after releasing the brakes and hitting that first apex on the entry. It is more to keep a constant speed around the corner and get the bike loaded and set up for the exit. When you have it turned and pointed down towards turn three, you then start to pick it up more to the centre part of the tyre or off the edge of the tyre and really get the throttle open.

The opposite type of corner is Honda Corner (Turn 4) which is much slower and more of a stop corner that involves much lower corner speed but then a sudden need to get the bike up and accelerating back to speed again down towards Siberia. It is pointless trying to carry a lot of corner speed around a corner like Honda Corner. Getting on the throttle too early you run out wider on the exit and therefore never really get the bike off the side of the tyre and sometime never really to full throttle.

The opposite type of corner is turn four which involves much lower corner speed but then a sudden need to get the bike up and accelerating back to speed again down towards Siberia.

I always found it better to sacrifice a little mid-turn speed around Honda and get the bike turned and over the little bump in the middle of the corner so that I could pick it up and get the throttle opened to full as soon as possible in order to use the power the bike has on the fat part of the tyre.

I touched earlier on traction control and its effect on throttle opening. Put more correctly and simply would be to say traction control lets you open the throttle earlier. When a rider feels that the task of getting the tyre hooked up on the first part of the opening is being taken care of electronically you tend you get more and more confident with throttle opening but it does depend on traction still and if the traction is simply not there then the bike just won’t go anywhere. Keep in mind though that it is still very much possible to highside a bike with traction control. 

Andrew has raced in the eras of no traction control and traction control. He says it’s still possible to highside a bike with TCS, so don’t just crank the throttle while leaning over.

The point where you can open the throttle can also vary a lot from the first day of practice when the circuit is dirty to race day when the track is a lot faster. Usually on day one, tyres are not working really well on the dirty track and as the rubber gets laid down things will improve. 

A wet track and wet tyres can change things quite a lot too, compared to your reference points in the dry. In the wet, I generally found that I picked the throttle up quite early just to keep the bike loaded around the turn and balanced because any sudden movement can leave you sliding up the road on your arse or head. I’m only talking maybe five per cent throttle opening but just enough to keep the tyres loaded. Of course, once you start opening it on the exit you really need to be smooth and consistent all the way to full throttle. I found the mental concentration was really intense in the rain but staying on top of it really allowed you to reap the rewards.

“In the wet, I generally found that I picked the throttle up quite early just to keep the bike loaded around the turn and balanced because any sudden movement can leave you sliding up the road on your arse or head.”

Once wheelie control started to be introduced, that also made throttle opening quite a bit easier whereas before you had to control it with the rear brake or try and short shift a little and keep it out of the power a bit. The wheelie control allowed you to just open the throttle to the stop and get on with it but again the delicate balancing act was in not taking too much power out of it so you lost out on acceleration.

Another interesting experience I want to share with you is the ‘against all logic’ of opening the throttle on qualifying tyres. You really need to forget what your brain is telling you and open the throttle so much earlier and harder on the side of the tyre for one lap.

Something a lot of riders struggle with is going against their instinct, you want to open the throttle as early as possible. This may take some trial and error to find the sweet spot, but it’s often earlier than you think.

The most fun I had one day was when I was testing the factory Yamaha M1 800 for Michelin in Spain when we were trying to get the tyres on the pace of the Bridgestones. We spent a whole morning testing rear qualifiers and then front and rear qualifiers together. With the fronts I could simply brake hard all the way to the apex and then crack the throttle almost as soon as I got off the brakes and get it onto the super-sticky rear qualifier that didn’t move.

The trap there was that straight after lunch I was back out on race tyres and sure enough I took the bait and fell straight into the trap of losing the front on the brakes entering a fast right-hander. Lesson learned I suppose. In summary, the biggest piece of advice I could give on throttle opening is to go by the conditions of the track and the type of corner you are going through because no two corners are the same and therefore openings will vary. Of course you need keep in mind that old saying of ‘Sometimes you need to slow down a little to go faster.’

 

Track Guide: Winton Raceway, Victoria

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PB
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Winton is an exciting track in rural Victoria, often seeing ASBK championship battles heat up as there’s no room for error. One mistake will often send you to the back of the pack, so here’s how to get the most out of a lap at Winton Raceway.

Winton is a highlight of the ASBK season for fan as you can see most of the track from pit lane!

THE ESSES
Into the Motorsport Esses could present you with a real chance to get past someone even on the first lap, but it was still a bit desperate and you had to lock it all up and somehow get through the chicane and out the exit on the black stuff. 

The Esses were a challenging part of the track, these used to be the final two turns but have since become the first.

On a flying lap I took it in third because it was quite a fast chicane and second would have slowed me down too much. Third on the exit seemed a little lazy but the boys assured me I wasn’t losing out up the hill to the finish line.

Check out our other track guides here…

TURN THREE
I am going to call Turn three the old Turn one (Honda Corner) up on top of the rise where the grid was when I raced there.

So it was all about braking on the outside of the track and back to second, while tipping in – trying to apex where the track dips away on the inside. This corner has a really nice camber allowing you to pick up the throttle early, driving towards Turn four. You had to watch a little on the exit as you drifted towards the outside of the track when the camber flattened and the rear tyre would step out a little just as you were picking it up.

TURN FOUR 
Still in second for Turn four grabbing just a little brake to wash some speed off and pull it into the apex setting yourself up for a really good hard exit carrying as much momentum into the long fast Turn five.

Exiting Turn four I would grab third gear as the front was going light trying to pull it over to the right for the entry of Turn five.

“Turn five was where you could really get some time especially on the run in on the front but to do this you needed confidence in your front tyre and setup.”

TURN FIVE
Turn five was where you could really get some time especially on the run in on the front but to do this you needed confidence in your front tyre and setup. I found the best way was to run in quite fast trying not to grab too much brake as washing speed off then meant you needed to crack the throttle early again to get the momentum up again.

It was easy to panic a little getting in there really fast and grab too much front braking on the side of the tyre. I saw a lot front lockups there and bikes cart wheeling through the infield. The trick was to get as far around the corner as you could on your entry speed, then picking up the throttle later just to keep it rolling along.

Turn six is a fast sections where you have to flow through to get a good run throw the hairpins at the top of the hill seen above, if you’re late enough on the brakes then turn seven presents a good chance to overtake.

TURN SIX
The next flick through this section reminds me a lot of the uphill left right over the hill at Wanneroo where you need hold it tight around the left until exactly the moment when you flick it right and try to straight line it through. Though it is a bit easier at Winton because it is flat and you can see the right. Hold third through here and rev it all the way to the limiter on the outside of the track before grabbing the brakes while straightening up, to be able to brake as hard as possible for the Turn seven hairpin.

TURN SEVEN
Turn seven was one of the few passing spots at Winton because it is mostly a one line track but here if you had gotten the previous two corners right you could find yourself with an unexpected chance to jump up the inside of someone. Honestly if you had made a really good job of Turns five and six you could be almost alongside someone before you grabbed the brakes. It was critical to get it stopped here though because if you missed the apex just by a metre then who ever you passed would be back past you.

Turn eight can feel quite slow compared to the rest of the track, but it’s a section where you can make up some good time.

TURN EIGHT
This next corner was where you just needed to give it a smooth, gentle little squirt from apex to apex and letting it run in and around the corners, trying not to stop/start it too much. This was where Kev was good. I did all this in second thinking it felt slow but actually it turned out to be the quick way through it all smooth and keeping the bike balanced.

TURN NINE
Turn nine had you approaching a bit faster and braking hard into the apex to hit the apex and set up for a run along the short straight and maybe try and get up the inside of someone but when you are racing factory Ducatis on Michelin tyres you’re kidding yourself if you even think you can stay close to them on acceleration. Especially with jockey size Craig Connell on one! Even though Steve Martin had to carry quite a few more kilos there was no keeping up with him on acceleration either. Around somewhere like Winton with all the stop/starts it was the never-ending stretching rubber band game. They would jump away out of the turns and I would pull it all back on the brakes.

TURN 10
Turn 10 was back from third into second again trying to get it stopped because if you missed your apex just a little you lost so much exit speed down the next little straight trying to stay on the track and get the throttle open.

TURN 11 & 12
Turn 11 was exactly the same if you rushed in too fast shifting back from fourth to second you ran out too wide on the exit and couldn’t open the throttle between 11 and 12. So it was a matter of outside white line braking into turn 11, then inside white line apex, drifting out to outside white line while picking up the throttle before 12 and then trail braking into the inside white line apex for 12 to get that exit onto the start/finish straight.

The ZX-7 could stretch its legs slightly more here getting into fourth for only the second time all lap and into fifth for the only time. 

 

 

MotoGP Race Report: Quartararo Claims Portimao

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PB
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Fabio Quartararo converted pole position into victory at the Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal as the MotoGP™ race saw some big names crash out, but the Frenchman remained cool and calm at the front despite intense pressure from Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

It wasn’t to be for the number 42 though as he crashed out, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) then carving his way through to second and just holding off third placed Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The returning Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) battled through the pain to finish P7 after a few feisty exchanges.

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The initial getaway from polesitter Quartararo was about as good as it gets, but in the second phase of the start, Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Rins got the better of the Yamaha man and it was the Suzuki who actually grabbed the holeshot. Zarco hit back to take over as the early race leader though, and Marc Marquez made a searing start to move up and battle Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) for P3. Mir made a typically great start and was up into the top five, and it was Mir vs Marquez again on the opening lap. Before long, the reigning World Champion shoved his GSX-RR up the inside of the Repsol Honda at Turn 11 for P3.

Zarco led the opening lap and at Turn 3, Marc Marquez and Mir came close again – too close. The eight-time World Champion tagged the back of Mir, who luckily stayed on, but it allowed Quartararo to squirm back through to fourth past Marquez. Miller and then Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also passed Marquez as the number 93 to P7, with Rins showing a wheel to Zarco at Turn 13 nearer the front.

Lap 3 saw Quartararo make a clean move up the inside of Mir at Turn 1 for P3, the Frenchman making swift progress after getting a bit beaten up at the start. A Turn 13 move on Zarco stuck at the third time of asking a lap later. By Lap 5, Rins was now the race leader, but Zarco blasted back through on the straight. Then, suddenly, the sound of a bike hitting the deck was heard and as the cameras panned out, we saw Miller down at Turn 3 at the beginning of Lap 6. The Australian’s Portuguese GP was over after just over four laps, a disaster for the factory Ducati man. On the same lap, Miguel Oliveira’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) hopes of another dream home round rostrum were also over as the Portuguese star was down at Turn 14. He remounted but it was game over for Oliveira.

Meanwhile, Quartararo had followed Rins through on Zarco and the Yamaha man now had his radar firmly set on P1. Just like he had on the other Suzuki of Mir, Quartararo dived up the inside down the hill into Turn 1 and El Diablo was now at the head of the race. This was now where Quartararo and Rins started to display some superiority and a handful of laps later, third place Mir was one and a half seconds down on the leading duo, with Lap 14 seeing Quartararo set a 1:39.680 – the fastest lap. However, Rins was matching the Yamaha every step of the way for now, and the duo exchanged fastest laps on numerous occasions. Some colossal drama was about to unfold, however,

First, we saw Rins crash at Turn 5 on Lap 19 of 25. The downhill, tricky left-hander caught out the Spaniard who was right behind Quartararo, and it was race over for the number 42. That gave Quartararo a 4.2 second lead over Zarco, with Bagnaia grabbing P3 off Mir at Turn 5. Then, a lap later at Turn 11, the former World Championship leader was down. Zarco’s front washed away the top of the hill and the Frenchman slid out of contention, just after Bagnaia had picked him off at Turn 5.

And so, barring a disaster, victory was Quartararo’s. The podium battle, however, was still well on. Bagnaia was holding P2 and looking good, with Mir having Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in his mirrors heading into the final exchanges. With two to go, the trio were locked together but Pecco wasn’t buckling, and fifth place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was less than a second away from Morbidelli’s rear wheel to boot. Mir was pressuring Bagnaia but the Italian was holding firm, and on the last lap, the Suzuki rider looked tempted…

Five seconds down the road, Quartararo cruised over the line to pick up his second win of 2021. A commanding victory for factory Yamaha’s new recruit, and one that sees him take a 15-point lead into Jerez – a circuit he was quite successful at last season. That makes it three from three for Yamaha for the first time since 2010, too. Behind that, Bagnaia was just able to keep it pinned to the line to complete an awesome recovery from P11 to P2 after some qualifying heartbreak, and he’s up to P2 in the standings with his first podium of the year. Mir couldn’t get past the Ducati but he held off the Yamaha of Morbidelli by 0.179s to earn his first podium of 2021, an important result from the World Champion and another rostrum after starting from outside the top two rows. More of his podiums come from further down the grid than not, somehow.

It was a return to form for fourth place Morbidelli as the Italian got back in the podium hunt throughout to hopefully banish his Losail woes. Binder’s P5 proves once again the South African is a Sunday rider through and through, and that’s a morale-boosting result for KTM and Binder ahead of Jerez – where the then-rookie had some serious speed last year. Aleix Espargaro earns Aprilia an equal-best MotoGP™ result in P6, yet another great ride from the Spaniard, who was 4.3 seconds ahead of the next man on track…

That man is Marc Marquez. The eight-time World Champion completed his first race since the 2019 Valencia GP finale, and emotions were shown by the Spaniard when he arrived back in his box. And in his debrief.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) bagged his first top 10 of the year in P8, with reigning Moto2™ World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) picking up his second top 10 MotoGP™ result in P9. It was another brilliant ride from ‘The Beast’, and what an absolutely superb effort from 10th place Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) too. The battered and bruised Japanese rider has been in considerable pain all weekend since his huge Friday Turn 1 crash, but a P10 sums up just how tough – physically and mentally – MotoGP™ riders are.

Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) didn’t recover from a horror start, and in the end benefited from a few crashes to pick up P11.Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) slipped to P12 from a P8 start but it was nevertheless a very promising weekend for the Italian, and a job well done after some awesome speed in practice. Injured Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) completed the points, and Oliveira was the final finisher in P16 after his crash.

Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) crashed at Turn 11, rider ok, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) pulling into pitlane in the early stages with a technical issue.

And on we go. Quartararo marches on in the 2021 title race and two wins from three is the Frenchman’s tally heading to Jerez. A weekend off is followed by the Spanish GP at the end of April/start of May, and already the title race is twisting and turning. After all, this is MotoGP™… so make sure to come back for more!

Fabio Quartararo: “Good to feel back! I feel full of confidence. Bringing that confidence from Qatar. Now we know what we need work to go fast. I only need to feel the front and I go fast and just focus on my riding. Woah, what a pace, I didn’t expect it, I was less than half a second from my qualifying lap on the pace. It was amazing, also the pressure of Rins in the back, I wanted to make a gap. He made a mistake and then… I was riding well; I was riding easy and still making a gap to Pecco.”

“We did an amazing job, we were P1 all day yesterday, P1 today, thanks to the team. Important points, and now we go to one of my favourite tracks in Jerez. I can’t wait to be there, thanks to my family for watching. It will be a great celebration for my birthday in two days.”

MotoGP™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 41:46.412
2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +4.809
3 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +4.948

Moto2
Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) just loves the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. After dominating at the track last season to sign off from Moto3™ with a win, the Spaniard returned in Moto2™ with a podium already under his belt and it seemed somewhat like fate.

Fighting his way through a few big rivals, the Spaniard crossed the line a second and a half clear for his first intermediate class win, underlining his impressive form so far and moving up to second in the Championship. Aron Canet (Solunion Aspar Team) took his first Moto2™ podium in second after an impressive ride, with Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) charging past Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) late on to complete the podium. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out at Turn 1, leaving his key rivals with an open goal…

Lowes was the first big headline, that sending shockwaves through the race. Late on the brakes into Turn 1 after a tough start, the Brit was careering straight towards Gardner’s rear wheel and was forced to pick it up and run wide, the rear end then kicking him off. Rider ok, but some big drama to start the Moto2™ race.

At the front, Gardner led on Lap 1 but Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) was the man on the move in the opening exchanges and blasted past on the home straight. Roberts had made a good start from P8 to battle Gardner for P2 as the latter got out of shape coming out of Turn 1. Bezzecchi was able to pull out a healthy one second lead at the front but Canet was making moves and soon, the lead was cut to nothing as Gardner and the five other chasers reeled in the Italian.

Yet more drama unfolded just behind as we saw a huge crash involving Yari Montella (Lightech Speed Up) and Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40) at the final corner, both bikes catching fire in the gravel trap. Montella, who highsided, was taken to the medical centre for a check-up and later declared fit. And more: at Turn 5, the two Idemitsu Honda Team Asia riders were down as Ai Ogura made contact with American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier. Ogura got out of shape and couldn’t help but crash into Somkiat Chantra, an unfortunate racing incident between the two teammates.

Lap 11 saw Canet take the lead, but Roberts then pounced at Turn 1 as Canet and Bezzecchi went wide. Bezzecchi slipped to P4 as Gardner also passed the Italian, but one of the pre-race favourites then made a couple of mistakes in the soaring Portuguese heat. That saw the Aussie lose valuable ground as Canet and Roberts made a breakaway, but the Spaniard and American scrapped it out for a few laps and Canet also got a track limits warning. Enter Raul Fernandez. The rookie was lapping far superior to his rivals and he soon picked off both Roberts and Canet to take the lead with four to go, late race pace searing him through.

The rookie pulled 0.7s clear in three laps, setting another fastest lap of the race on Lap 21 of 23, a 1:42.86, and his teammate Gardner was finding some late pace too in P4, the Australian reeling in Roberts and Canet. Three personal best laps from Gardner was mega stuff but nothing was going to stop Raul Fernandez, on the final lap his lead was up to 1.2 seconds and it seemed the job was done as attentions turned to the three-way scrap for P2 and P3.

Roberts lunged up the inside of Canet at Turn 11, but Canet then dived back at Turn 13,  but both ran slightly wide to give Gardner an invitation. Roberts switched to the inside for Turn 14 but the narrow line he took saw him open a small gap for the Aussie to squeeze into, an that he did – making some contact but getting through, Roberts staying on but watching the podium fade away.

Up the road though, Raul Fernandez had rounded the final corner to win his first Moto2™ race, with Canet cementing his first intermediate class podium with a hard-earned P2, escaping the discussion on whether rubbing is racing raging just behind him. Gardner’s third, however, sees him head to Jerez as Championship leader for the first time.

Roberts was unlucky to lose out on a podium in Portimão but it was nevertheless a great ride from the American. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) backs up his Doha P6 with P5 as the Spaniard continues to find form in 2021, and Bezzecchi was eventually forced to settle for P6 having led in the early laps. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was a second behind Bezzecchi in a solid P7, with Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) earning his first points of the season in P8. Beaubier is a top 10 Moto2™ finisher after a brilliant ride to P9 on his first visit to the Algarve International Circuit, and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top 10.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Solunion Aspar Team), Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) were the remaining point scorers. Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed at Turn 8 unhurt, with Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) taking out compatriot Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) at Turn 1.

Moto2™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 39:47.377
2 Aron Canet – Solunion Aspar Team – Boscoscuro – +1.600
3 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +1.968

Moto3
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) has done it again! The rookie sensation took a hard-fought victory at the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal after a brilliant last lap move on Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), keeping it pinned to the line to make a little more history.

After becoming the first rider to win from pitlane in Moto3™ last time out, Acosta is now the youngest rider with three Grand Prix podiums in a row and the first rider since MotoGP™ Legend Daijiro Kato to take podiums on his first three GP appearances. Oh, and Acosta extended his Championship lead to a stunning 31 points after just three races. Behind the duel for the win won by the Spaniard, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) converted pole into a podium after showing great pace all weekend.

It was Migno who took the holeshot, the Italian off like a shot from pole and into the lead ahead of a storming start from Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing). Foggia slotted into third ahead of Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Valresa Aspar Team), with a lead freight train forming from the off. Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) had his pitlane start first, before five seconds later Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) set off. Then, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing).

Back at the front, Artigas took the lead at the end of Lap 1, but the rookie’s impressive race would sadly provide the first drama as a touch from Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) sent him tumbling out of contention. Rodrigo was given a Long Lap penalty for the incident, and the freight train rolled on.

Foggia was the man doing a lot of the work in the lead, the Leopard rider looking confident out front and Acosta tagged onto him, up at the sharp end immediately alongside teammate Jaume Masia, Garcia, Migno, Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and a few more familiar frontrunning faces. By nine to go, there was more drama as Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) collected Izan Guevara (GASGAS Valresa Aspar Team) and the two crashed out. The leading train was 11 riders, with Rodrigo back on their tail after his Long Lap.

The next drama came from Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) as the rookie collected the veteran, leaving a nine-rider group fighting for the win – and the familiar Leopard and Red Bull KTM Ajo colours at the front. As the laps ticked on the fervour went up a few notches, and with four to go the Turn 1 shuffle was getting brutal as Acosta headed a little wide with nowhere else to go, Migno took back the lead and Foggia had to settle for second.

By the penultimate lap, Foggia led Acosta and that’s how the final lap began as just behind, Garcia somehow saved a highside but that was the Spaniard’s podium hopes over. Meanwhile, Masia was up to P3 but then there was yet more drama at Turn 5 as the number 5 slid down the road, his hopes of a race win over too. Now, it was a straight fight between Foggia and Acosta.

Acosta was a monster on the brakes at Turn 11 and clawed back enough ground and then, at Turn 13, the rookie sensation made his move: late on the brakes, up the inside, full lean angle, clean pass. Just two corners remained before a run to the line, but coming over the crest of the final corner, Acosta’s KTM was squirming. Somehow he didn’t crash, but it did help Foggia as the two pinned it and tucked in for the line.

It was only 0.051, but Acosta held it and won his second consecutive race as he extends his points lead to a stunning 31, making yet another statement with another win. Foggia is back on the podium for the second time on the Algarve, and it was Migno who emerged from the battle to complete the podium to take third, just 0.013 ahead of Sasaki as the Japanese rider was back in the fight at the front.

Rodrigo finished P5 despite his long lap, and he beat Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) by less than a tenth as the fastest seven riders finish 0.773s apart after some incredible racing again in Moto3™. Garcia was in amongst it throughout but that late, out the seat moment on the last lap cost the Spaniard and he took eighth. Despite the Turn 5 tumble, Masia salvaged ninth to slot in behind the freight train out front.

Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP) picks up another top 10 in 2021 with P10, and he led Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) and teammate Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert PrüstelGP) over the line. Filip Salac (Rivacold Snipers Team) took home P13 from Portimao, with Alcoba and Öncü doing well to pick up the remaining points despite pitlane starts on a five second delay.

Moto3™ podium (Full Results Here)

1 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – 38:01.773
2 Dennis Foggia – Leopard Racing – Honda – +0.051
3 Andrea Migno – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda – +0.584

 

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