We are saddened to report that the Go Show has passed away. Just about every rider over the age of 35 has a Go Show story to tell, a way that Anthony impacted them, influenced them, or inspired them. It is safe to say, Anthony was a character and shone brighter than the average human being.
It is with great sadness that we report today that Anthony Gobert, ‘The Go Show’, peacefully passed away yesterday.
Anthony went into palliative care approximately one week prior, on the Gold Coast, Queensland, after a brief illness. Gobert won everything there was to win on the dirt. As a young motocross and supercross fan, I was in awe of Anthony. Here was this superhuman, only one month older than me, and already a multiple (I mean dozens) supercross and motocross champion in the junior ranks. I would ride my RM80 around the local laneways in my Go The Rat jersey and imagine I was The Go Show… He was the real deal!
I remember he went to the senior ranks and again, being the same age of about 16, I could not believe this guy was racing up the front with all the big names on the big bikes. Can you imagine being the fastest rider in the country on a 250 when you are only 16? And even riding up front on a KX500!
Anthony Gobert Muzzy Kawasaki.
Around the outside of Slight out of Stoner corner. The Go Show would eventually pass Aaron around the outside of Honda after several thrilling attempts. People still talk about that move!
To me and many of my friends, Anthony was a God. I’m up the Old Pacific Highway on a weekend riding up and down on my TZR250, on P Plates, and this guy the same age as me is a factory superbike rider! But for me, it was 1994 and 1995 that Anthony ‘The Go Show’ Gobert truly made an impact on my life. Without going too deep, 1994 saw me move to a big, bright, modern bike shop in Sydney, a Kawasaki dealership called Parry’s Kawasaki. It was a year of extreme personal tragedy for me, and at the same time one of the best years of my life. It’s strange how that happens…
Gobert was out there battling the likes of Troy Corser and Aaron Slight… and winning!
I could have gone either way with life, but I focussed on bikes to get me through and with a bit of a push from my bosses Ian and Bill Furlong and work mates and friends, and a previous push from my ex-boss Len Willing, I started planning to begin racing from late 1994. The late nights building my RGV250, the Gobert posters (then on an RC45) as motivation… I could go on.
What happened later that year when Anthony stepped ontop the Muzzys Kawasaki at Phillip Island WorldSBK is a thing of legend. Etched in the minds of millions of fans. It was the most inspirational thing I had ever seen in my life, and I still recall it on WorldSBK Classics when I need something to motivate me and give me a push.
Gobert on the Lucky Strike Suzuki.
Gobert on the Lucky Strike Suzuki.
The Go Show had arrived, and the hype was like nothing there had ever been. The 1995 WorldSBK season was so exciting… He added colour and fun, incredible battles and made racing cool. He arrived in the motorcycle racing scene with the same impact that Nirvana made when they released Nevermind. It was fresh, fun, connected with an entire generation that were begging for something alternative… What a legend…
The leathers off and throwing them into the crowd at Phillip Island… man, what an epic stunt. One of so, so many. Watching from afar, as a fan, I only ever saw a smiling, laughing, happy human being (well, he was an alien on a bike). Millions of us never knew what was going on inside that head of his. We don’t need to go down that track… But it must have been so difficult for him and his family… Fame like that at that age? Phew…
Back at the Kawasaki dealership, things changed rapidly. They say what wins on Sunday sells on Monday. Well let me tell you, we were busy pre delivering Kawasaki ZXR750s and then ZX-7R for years, daily, after Anthony hit the scene. Every fan wanted a ZXR and a Gobert replica AGV. It was crazy… and exciting, and that was just one shop of hundreds around the globe that would have been experiencing the Go Show hype…
Anthony Gobert.
Anthony Gobert.
Over the years ahead, I would become a publisher and meet Anthony many times at a professional level and at various race meetings, and he would always say hi and have a chat. I only saw his troubled side out in the open two more times after that GP, and aside from that, it was always a positive experience. I even had the pleasure of sharing a track with him when I rode the Joe Rocket Honda superbike in an ASBK round one year and Anthony was also on a Honda…
Fogarty, Gobert and Corser, Australian SBK 1995. Gobert still as a teenager on the top step of the podium.
The thousands of posts and comments about Anthony’s passing already on social media really say something about this man. He was only on the scene at the top of his game for a short period in the scheme of things, but he made more on an impact than any rider in our generation… I do wish he could read all of the comments of love and support. Maybe he can. Hopefully he is up there ripping a massive wheelie! Rip #23. Jeff Ware
Early Life and Career
Born March 5th 1975 in Greenacre, NSW
Begins his career in dirt racing aged 10
1989 – Wins the New Zealand Supercross Championships 12-13 years old category
1990 – Wins the New Zealand Supercross Championships 14-15 years old category
1990 – Wins the Australian Restricted License Holders title
1991 – He becomes the youngest ever rider to win both the 1991 125cc Australian Supercross Championship and National Supercross titles
1992 – Leads from the start and wins the premier 250cc class against names like Glen Bell, Craig Dack and Eddie Warren
1993 – Anthony leaves dirt racing to pursue road racing
Early WorldSBK Career
1993 – Gobert races in the Australian Superbikes quickly climbing the ranks of 250 Proddie and Superbike Class riding an RGV250 and Honda RC30
1994 – Gobert wins the Australian Superbike Championship on a Honda RC45
1994 – He makes his debut in World Superbikes on a Honda for one round at Sugo, Japan
1994 – Gobert switches to Kawasaki for the Australian round, gets a podium in Race 1 before winning Race 2… On his Kawasaki debut at 19 years old.
1995 – Anthony signs with Kawasaki for a full WorldSBK season under the management of the legendary Rob Muzzy.
1995 – The Go-Show wins three races and scores three podiums in his first full time season
1995 – He finishes the season in fourth behind the WSBK regulars – Carl Fogarty, Troy Corser and Aaron Slight.
1996 – Gobert wins three more races on the Kawasaki including a clean sweep at his home race of Phillip Island
Gobert Goes To 500GP!
1997 – Gobert replaces Scott Russell on the factory Lucky Strike Suzuki team
1997 – Scores a best finish of seventh at the Austrian GP
1997 – Dismissed from the team mid-season
AMA Superbikes And Success A Wildcard
1998 – Signs with the Vance & Hines Ducati Team
1998 – See’s success aboard the Ducati, proving he can ride anything given to him
1999 – Gobert wins a WorldSBK Race at Laguna Seca as a Wildcard! A clean sweep was in sight before he came off and his teammate won Race 2
1999 – Back to 500GP for three rounds with MuZ Walker Team
The Final Years Of Gobert’s Career
2000 – Signs to Bimota for a full season
2000 – Gobert proves he’s unbeatable at Phillip Island by scoring a win on the SB8R
2000 – The Bimota team folds but they name a streetbike after the Go Show, the SB8K
2000 – He hits the BSB championship for three rounds on the Virgin Mobile Yamaha, no wins but shows promise on a bike he was new to
2000 – The final time Gobert throws a leg over a 500GP machine, Kenny Roberts’ KR3 Modenas Team.
2001 – 2003 – The Go Show heads back to the USA for AMA to ride the YZF-R7 in the premier class and the YZF-R6 in the Supersport class. Before moving to a Ducati for 2003
2006 – Gobert replaces David Checa for a few rounds on the World Supersport Yamaha for two rounds.
2007 – Anthony’s final season on a motorcycle, racing a Kawasaki in the Australia Superbike series.
A superb final round clean sweep from Troy Herfoss in the 2023 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, at The Bend has secured the Queenslander a stunning third Australian Superbike title!
Troy Herfoss has done it again! Claiming the 2023 ASBK championship in style at The Bend.
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Paris Hardwick side by side down the main straight during Friday free practice at the Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss pulls a stoppie before entering the pits at the Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Penrite Honda Racing, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Josh Waters, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Josh Waters, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Josh Waters.
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Mike Jones, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Josh Waters, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Cru Halliday, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Mike Jones, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Cru Halliday.
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Broc Pearson, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Peerless across every measure, but with championship rival Josh Waters (McMartin Racing with K-Tech Ducati V4R) alongside him on the front row the celebrations will be short and sweet for Herfoss.
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Mike Jones, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Josh Waters, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. %%captureTime_d MMM yyyy%%. Final round of the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 1 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
The Queenslander turned up the wick on his Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R in the second Alpinestars Superbike qualifying session at The Bend, and the spoils were spectacular: the first rider to go under the 1m50s bracket.
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Glenn Allerton(14), GT Racing BMW at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Max Stauffer(27), GTR MotoStars Team Yamaha YZF-R1M at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Cru Halliday(65), Yamaha Racing Team at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Mark Chiodo(2), Honda at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Mike Jones(1), Yamaha Racing Team at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Arthur Sissis(61), Unitech Racing Yamaha YZF-R1M at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Cru Halliday(65), Yamaha Racing Team at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 2 December, 2023. Mike Jones, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Mike Jones.
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 2 December, 2023. Cru Halliday, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 2 December, 2023. Ted Collins, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Broc Pearson.
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 2 December, 2023. Cru Halliday, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 2 December, 2023. Troy Herfoss, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 2 December, 2023. Bryan Staring, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 2 December, 2023. Josh Waters, Australian Superbike Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Troy Herfoss.
Herfoss defeated Waters in a tight race one finish, before a mid-race crash from Waters in the decider took all the pressure off the new 2023 champion, who signed off from his career with Honda in fairytale fashion.
Herfoss’ previous ASBK titles came in 2016 and 2018, while it’s now a dominant 12 championships for Honda in the 35-year history of Australia’s premier road racing category.
Race two saw Stauffer and Staring both crash out within the first two laps, but the most telling departure was Waters after losing the front end on his V4R at turn six while in second place.
The opening 11-lap race saw Herfoss lead from start to finish, with Waters running line astern for the majority of the journey save for a brief period when defending ASBK champion Mile Jones slotted into second.
Michelin Supersport
Ty Lynch.
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Olly Simpson(45), Yamaha at the final round of the Australian Supersport Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
THE BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 2 December, 2023. Pictured, Olly Simpson(45) at the final round of the Australian Supersport Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Olly Simpson.
Michelin Supersport is also delicately poised, with returning internationals Harrison Voight and Tom Toparis leading the qualifying charts ahead of the three riders vying for the championship: Olly Simpson, Cameron Dunker and Ty Lynch.
THE BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 1 December, 2023. Pictured, Olly Simpson(45) at the final round of the Australian Supersport Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
THE BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 1 December, 2023. Pictured, Cameron Dunker(3) at the final round of the Australian Supersport Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
THE BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 1 December, 2023. Pictured, Jack Favelle at the final round of the Australian Supersport Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
THE BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 1 December, 2023. Pictured, Olly Simpson at the final round of the Australian Supersport Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
THE BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 1 December, 2023. Pictured, Mitch Simpson at the final round of the Australian Supersport Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Sunday Supersport 600 The Bend.
Tom Toparis.
The final race of the year was almost a mirror image of the opener as Simpson and Voight diced with each other and Dunker eventually settled into fourth behind Jonathan Nahlous (Complete AV YZF-R6) to wrap up the championship.
In race one, Voight led off the line but it wasn’t long before Simpson muscled his way into the lead with the knowledge that he had to win both races for any chance of wresting the title from Dunker’s grasp.
Supersport 300 & R3 Cup
Brandon Demmery.
Cameron Swain.
TAILEM BEND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 Dec 2023. Cameron Swain(26), Yamaha (right) leads Henry Snell(12), Yamaha, Tara Morrison(95), Kawasaki at the final round of the Australian Supersport 300 Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park. Credit Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Marcus Hamod is the 2023 Supersport 300 champion after a 3-1-1 scorecard in the final round saw him finish on 327pts, just in front of Cameron Swain (323). Brandon Demmery (300pts) was third.
SUREFLIGHT SUPERBIKE MASTERS
Only one 2023 champion was crowned today: Keo Watson in the popular Sureflight Superbike Masters class.
TAILEM BEND, AUSTRALIA 2 December, 2023. LTR: Keo Watson (2nd), Dave Johnson (1st), Ryan Taylor (3rd), on the podium following Race 1 of the Australian Superbike Masters, The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. Credit: Karl Phillipson/Optikal
Sureflight Superbike Masters.
Keo Watson (Yamaha FZR1000) already had the overall title in his keeping, and he finished first and second on Sunday to increase his lead in the final standings to a whopping 77pts (228 to 151) over Murray Clark (Suzuki GSX-R1127).
A superb final round clean sweep from Troy Herfoss in the 2023 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, at The Bend has secured the Queenslander a stunning third Australian Superbike title. Check out all the action below… Release: MA
Troy Herfoss has done it again! Claiming the 2023 ASBK championship in style at The Bend.
Saturday
Alpine Superbike
Troy Herfoss was determined to make his Honda swansong a fairytale after unleashing a towering qualifying performance in round seven of the 2023 mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul.
Troy Herfoss was determined to make his Honda swansong a fairytale after unleashing a towering qualifying performance in round seven of the 2023 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship.
The Queenslander turned up the wick on his Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R in the second Alpinestars Superbike qualifying session at The Bend, and the spoils were spectacular: the first rider to go under the 1m50s bracket at the world-class 4.95km circuit.
The Queenslander turned up the wick on his Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R in the second Alpinestars Superbike qualifying session at The Bend, and the spoils were spectacular: the first rider to go under the 1m50s bracket.
“I have never done a qualifying lap that good,” the ebullient 36-year-old said. “I was hoping I could do a 1:49 but I didn’t think it would actually happen. I know it was just qualifying but it’s the most fun I’ve had in one minute and 49 seconds in my life! It’s a pretty emotional weekend and I want to finish it off in the best possible way and work out what I want to do after that.” said Herfoss.
Mike Jones.
Broc Pearson.
Herfoss’ pole-sitting time was 0.409s ahead of Waters (1:50.298), followed by Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, 1:50.312), Max Stauffer (GTR Moto Stars YZF-R1, 1:50.550) and Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team, 1:50.688).
Peerless across every measure, but with championship rival Josh Waters (McMartin Racing with K-Tech Ducati V4R) alongside him on the front row the celebrations will be short and sweet for Herfoss.
Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW M 1000 RR, 1:50.881) will complete row two Sunday, with Bryan Staring (MotoGo YZF-R1, 1:51.265), South Australian Arthus Sissis (Unitech Racing YZF-R1, 1:51.274) and Anthony West (Addicted to Track YZF-R1, 1:51.325) on row three.
Michelin Supersport is also delicately poised, with returning internationals Harrison Voight and Tom Toparis leading the qualifying charts ahead of the three riders vying for the championship: Olly Simpson, Cameron Dunker and Ty Lynch.
Michelin Supersport Michelin Supersport is also delicately poised, with returning internationals Harrison Voight and Tom Toparis leading the qualifying charts ahead of the three riders vying for the championship: Olly Simpson, Cameron Dunker and Ty Lynch.
Last year’s double winner Voight (Voight Construction Yamaha YZF-R6) will start from pole position after setting the new best lap around The Bend – 1:54.618. Toparis (Cube Racing Stop & Seal YZF-R6, 1:54.770) and Simpson (Simpson Crash YZF-R6, 1:54.825) are right on Voight’s hammer, so we’re unlikely to see a runaway winner – it’s going to be a tight affair.
Tom Toparis.
Olly Simpson.
Ty Lynch.
Cameron Dunker.
Meanwhile, Dunker (GTR Moto Stars YZF-R6, 1:55.322), the championship leader, knows what final round pressure is all about, and he’ll start from grid position No. 4 alongside Lynch (AMR Sports YZF-R6, 1:55.571) and Harry Khouri (Addicted to Track YZF-R6, 1:57.851) – another Aussie expat back in town for the ASBK finale.
R3 Cup/Supersport 300
Two races also await the Supersport cohort Sunday, while three of the other SBK classes – Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, Supersport 300 and bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup – are already in competition mode but remain ‘live’ rubbers.
Cameron Swain.
Brandon Demmery.
After a forced restart following an Abbie Cameron crash which brought out the red flag, the racing in the Supersport 300 opener was as tight as ever before boiling down to a three-way fight between Cameron Swain, Brodie Gawith and Marcus Hamod.
And that’s how they finished in a blanket finish, with Swain victorious by just 0.013s to move into the title lead by 9ts over Hamod. The Yamaha Finance R3 Cup produced more Swain magic as he claimed the spoils from Gawith, while Hamod just held out Henry Snell and Jordan Simpson for third. Swain also holds sway in R3 Cup by 9pts, with two races remaining in each class.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
Polesitter Archie Schmidt won race one in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup after a nail-biting finish saw him execute a perfectly timed pass on Jake Paige on the last turn. The pair, in a very unusual OJC scenario, cleared out from the main pack, with Rikky Henry finishing in a lonely third before the pack tightened up. Schmidt also set a new lap record of 2:30.941 in a brilliant OJC outing. He now has a 9pt lead over Bodie Paige, who was fourth in race one.
Only one 2023 champion was crowned today: Keo Watson in the popular Sureflight Superbike Masters class.
Sureflight Superbike Masters
Only one 2023 champion was crowned: Keo Watson in the popular Sureflight Superbike Masters class. Watson heads into the Sunday with a championship under his belt.
The Sureflight Superbike Masters grid was stacked with Aussie racing legends: three-time MotoGP winner Garry McCoy Yamaha TZ750), Isle of Man Classic TT winner David Johnson (Suzuki Katana) and dual World Superbike champion Troy Corser (Yamaha 0W01).
Sureflight Superbike Masters.
Sureflight Superbike Masters.
Sureflight Superbike Masters.
Watson and Ryan Taylor (Suzuki GSX-R1100) completed the podium in race one, and in race two McCoy was runner-up ahead of Taylor. McCoy had earlier fluffed the race one start on the big two-stroke before slicing his way back to fourth.
Alpine Superbikes A superb final round clean sweep from Troy Herfoss in the 2023 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, at The Bend has secured the Queenslander a third Australian Superbike title.
The 36-year-old was peerless in round seven Alpinestars Superbike action on the South Australian circuit, with his maximum points haul on the immaculately prepared Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R.
The 36-year-old was peerless in round seven Alpinestars Superbike action on the South Australian circuit, with his maximum points haul on the immaculately prepared Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R keeping the door firmly shut on his main championship rival, Josh Waters (McMartin Racing with K-Tech Ducati V4R).
Herfoss defeated Waters in a tight race one finish, before a mid-race crash from Waters in the decider took all the pressure off the new 2023 champion, who signed off from his career with Honda in fairytale fashion.
Herfoss defeated Waters in a tight race one finish, before a mid-race crash from Waters in the decider took all the pressure off the new 2023 champion, who signed off from his career with Honda in fairytale fashion. After the anguish of losing previous ASBK Championships by slim margins, today’s victory was all about pure adulation.
Troy Herfoss.
Broc Pearson.
Herfoss completed the seven-round championship on 344pts, ahead of Waters (324) and Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, 260), the latter nabbing third from Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW M 1000 RR, 259) at the death knell.
As well as the two race wins and the championship spoils, Herfoss now owns the fastest Superbike lap around the 4.95km circuit – icing on the cake for what was a brutally efficient campaign from first practice on Friday until today’s heroics. Herfoss methodically piled on the pressure bit by bit, which ultimately proved too much for the opposition – even Waters.
Herfoss’ previous ASBK titles came in 2016 and 2018, while it’s now a dominant 12 championships for Honda in the 35-year history of Australia’s premier road racing category.
“It doesn’t get any better than this, as the riders I compete against are so hard to beat,” said “Herfoss. To be able to finish up with Honda with a championship is just incredible. We have grown a lot as a team this year and just got better and better. And this is the best I have ever ridden a motorbike. But I want to pay credit to my opposition, and particularly Josh who I also battled with in the 2017 championship. He’s such a tough competitor and literally rode his bike into the ground to try and beat me. And I know he’s in a lot of pain with his injuries: I’ve got a of respect for him and his team.”
The opening 11-lap race saw Herfoss lead from start to finish, with Waters running line astern for the majority of the journey save for a brief period when defending ASBK champion Mile Jones slotted into second.
The opening 11-lap race saw Herfoss lead from start to finish, with Waters running line astern for the majority of the journey save for a brief period when defending ASBK champion Mile Jones (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1) slotted into second. Waters’ move back into second coincided with Herfoss setting a new race lap record (1m50.529s), which saw him stretch his lead to just under one second.
Josh Waters.
Cru Halliday.
Waters dug in his heels, though, and he was running with Herfoss by the final lap. However, Herfoss was impregnable and held on by 0.253sec and increased his championship lead to 6pts, with the slow-starting Halliday third ahead of Jones, Allerton, Max Stauffer (GTR Moto Stars YZF-R1), Bryan Staring (MotoGo YZF-R1) and Anthony West (Addicted to Track YZF-R1).
Race two saw Stauffer and Staring both crash out within the first two laps, but the most telling departure was Waters after losing the front end on his V4R at turn six while in second place.
Race two saw Stauffer and Staring both crash out within the first two laps, but the most telling departure was Waters after losing the front end on his V4R at turn six while in second place. He remounted and finished 10th, but Herfoss only had to keep his powder dry over the final four laps to guarantee championship success. He was duly untroubled, and could even acknowledge the crowd on the final lap – an early reward for a stellar season which yielded eight wins and 12 podiums.
Herfoss 2023 ASBK Champion.
Herfoss 2023 ASBK Champion.
Halliday passed Jones on the final lap in the battle for second, while Allerton was fourth from West, Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), Marcus Chiodo (CBR100RR-R) and Ted Collins (Livson Racing M 1000 RR). Halliday’s rich vein of season-ending form saw him finish third in the championship.
Michelin Supersport
History was created during the final round of the 2023 mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, when Cameron Dunker became the youngest winner of the Michelin Supersport title since its inception 30 years ago. And the icing on the cake? Dunker turned 16 on the day of his championship success.
History was created during the final round of the 2023 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, when Cameron Dunker became the youngest winner of the Supersport title.
“It’s a dream come true, because at the beginning of the season I had no idea this would be possible,” said a delighted Dunker. As the year went on it started to take shape, and me to be champion is something I will be very proud of for many years. It has also given me extra confidence I can take into the future. I’d like to thank my team, my family and everyone else who has been a part of this journey. It’s going to take a while to sink in.”
Sunday Supersport 600 The Bend.
Sunday Supersport 600 The Bend.
Coming into the round Dunker (GTR Moto Stars Yamaha YZF-R6) was in a title fight with South Australians Olly Simpson (Simpson Crash YZF-R6) and Ty Lynch (AMR Sports YZF-R6). Adding to the spectacle was the return of some fast Aussies from overseas, led by 17-year-old Harrison Voight.
In race one, Voight led off the line but it wasn’t long before Simpson muscled his way into the lead with the knowledge that he had to win both races for any chance of wresting the title from Dunker’s grasp.
In race one, Voight led off the line but it wasn’t long before Simpson muscled his way into the lead with the knowledge that he had to win both races for any chance of wresting the title from Dunker’s grasp. Dunker was smart letting them duke it out, quite content to watch the drama unfold in front of him. Voight won the race from Simpson by just 0.019sec after overtaking him on the drag to the line.
The final race of the year was almost a mirror image of the opener as Simpson and Voight diced with each other and Dunker eventually settled into fourth behind Jonathan Nahlous (Complete AV YZF-R6) to wrap up the championship.
The final race of the year was almost a mirror image of the opener as Simpson and Voight diced with each other and Dunker eventually settled into fourth behind Jonathan Nahlous (Complete AV YZF-R6) to wrap up the championship. Voight won again from Simpson to make it a perfect weekend with pole position, a lap record and two race wins.
SUPERSPORT 300 AND YAMAHA FINANCE R3 CUP
Marcus Hamod is the 2023 Supersport 300 champion after a 3-1-1 scorecard in the final round saw him finish on 327pts, just in front of Cameron Swain (323). Brandon Demmery (300pts) was third.
Marcus Hamod is the 2023 Supersport 300 champion after a 3-1-1 scorecard in the final round saw him finish on 327pts, just in front of Cameron Swain (323). Brandon Demmery (300pts) was third.
Cameron Swain was initially awarded the championship before a protest was lodged against him for passing under a yellow flag in race two. The protest was upheld, and Cameron Swain was demoted from first to second in the race – and by the same spot in the championship.
Swain wasn’t left empty-handed, though: he won the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup after 1-1-5 results over the weekend.
Swain wasn’t left empty-handed, though: he won the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup after 1-1-5 results over the weekend. He finished on 297pts, from Brodie Gawith (287) and Henry Snell (276). Gawith was second in all three races, with Hamod, Jordy Simpson and Snell filling the podium places.
SUREFLIGHT SUPERBIKE MASTERS
Keo Watson (Yamaha FZR1000) already had the overall title in his keeping, and he finished first and second on Sunday to increase his lead in the final standings to a 77pts (228 to 151) over Murray Clark (Suzuki GSX-R1127), with Ryan Taylor (Suzuki GSX-R1100, 138) in third. Sunday’s race two was won by David Johnson (Suzuki Katana), while Garry McCoy (Yamaha TZ750) also finished on the podium.
Keo Watson (Yamaha FZR1000) already had the overall title in his keeping, and he finished first and second on Sunday to increase his lead in the final standings to a whopping 77pts (228 to 151) over Murray Clark (Suzuki GSX-R1127).
OJC
Another breathtaking year of bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup competition came to an end at The Bend circuit in South Australia on December 3, with teenage sensation Archie Schmidt winning the title emphatically after a trio of victories.
Another breathtaking year of bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup competition came to an end at The Bend circuit in South Australia on December 3, with teenage sensation Archie Schmidt winning the title emphatically after a trio of victories.
As the intensity grew in every race – the lap record was broken on consecutive occasions – Schmidt was equal to the task as he completed the title on 327pts ahead of Bodie Paige (297) and Haydn Fordyce (277).
As usual, there were thrills, some spills and wafer-thin winning margins, all on the free-flowing circuit where the diminutive and bulletproof Yamaha YZF-R15s were stretched to their limit. Race one on Saturday saw Schmidt best Jake Paige and Rikki Henry, with the latter then finishing on the tail of Schmidt in Sunday’s two instalments. Bodie Paige and Valentino Knezovic also scored podium finishes.
What an amazing season it has been for Ducati across multiple international championships. Álvaro Bautista came out victorious for 2023 on his Aruba.it Ducati V4 R in the World Superbike Championship. Check out all the best shots!
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 628
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 552
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 370
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 327
5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 251
Both Jonathan Rea and Alvaro Bautista went down at Turn 4 in FP2, while Toprak Razgatlioglu had an FP1 crash at Turn 10.
It also warrants mention that Gardner impressively recorded the fastest lap time on both days of the post-season test at Jerez, which will certainly give him some crucial confidence heading into next year.
An incredible move at Turn 3 allowed Bautista to claim victory using the #1 plate after a wet first race of the year in Australia started the season in style.
Bautista started from second place but got the holeshot at the start of the race before being passed by Rea, who took his 378th WorldSBK start in Race 1 and moved ahead of Troy Corser.
Behind the leading duo, it was a bit of a lonely race for polesitter Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) as he finished in third place but six seconds down on Bautista.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing) was another who gained places throughout the race as he took seventh place.
Philipp Oettl concluded Day 1 in fifth as the fastest Independent rider.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi was the lead Ducati rider in second ahead of teammate and 2022 WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista, with only 0.035s separating them.
Six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took seventh spot after he lost time and positions on the opening lap after he was forced wide by Dominique Aegerter.
Behind the two Ducati riders, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) claimed his first podium of the season with third place.
Razgatlioglu looked to make a move around the outside of Lowes heading into Turn 4 on Lap 17. Lowes lost the front of his ZX-10RR machine heading into Miller Corner, the right-hand hairpin, which collected Razgatlioglu.
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was able to fight his way up to sixth place behind Oettl and Bassani while double WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter.
Rea’s second was his 247th in WSBK, as well as his 24th at Assen which puts the track level with Aragon and Portimao.
Rea crashed out in the first half of the race, promoting Bassani to third, Locatelli then fought for the podium spot…
The battle for the lead involved Bautista, Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the early stages of the race with all three taking their chance to lead throughout the race.
Bassani was fifth at the end of the race, ahead of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who passed Lowes and Redding in the closing stages, in sixth.
History was made in WorldSBK at Assen as Ducati claimed their 400th WorldSBK win after Bautista’s hat-trick.
As the race approached the final few laps, Bautista started to pull out a gap over Rea to claim victory in the Superpole Race and claim first on the grid for Race 2.
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) went head to head with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK).
Bautista’s victory gave him his 46th win in WorldSBK and is now on a streak of 10 consecutive wins in WorldSBK, while he also has 14 wins in 15 races this season with his fourth hat-trick of the season.
Bautista was one of two riders to use the SCX tyre as everyone else opted for the new SCQ at Misano.
Bautista and Rinaldi gave the Italian fans something to cheer by taking a race one Ducati 1-2 at Misano.
Razgatlioglu had to withstand some early pressure from Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) but the 2021 Champion was able to resist that pressure before pulling out a gap over his rivals.
WorldSBK Misano Tissot Superpole.
WorldSBK Misano Tissot Superpole.
Second gave Razgatlioglu his 100th WorldSBK podium and his 16th consecutive rostrum finish; the joint sixth-longest all-time streak.
The reigning Champion battled hard for victory at Imola as he edged closer to history while Toprak Razgatlioglu claimed his 100th podium on Saturday.
Rea racked up his 252nd podium, while Razgatlioglu and Rea have now shared the podium 75 times together.
The opening laps were a sensational fight in front of the passionate Italian fans.
There was little to separate the pair throughout the first two-thirds but an error from the Turk allowed Bautista to pass him on the run down to Rivazza 1.
On Lap 8, Bassani made his move on Razgatlioglu for first. He looked to overtake into the Villeneuve chicane first but that didn’t work out, before he went up the inside of his rival at the left-hand hairpin of Tosa.
The Turk was able to hold on despite last-lap pressure from the defending Champion to claim his third win of the season and close the gap in the Championship standings by three points.
Toprak Razgatlioglu denied Axel Bassani an emotional maiden victory but gained 25 points on Alvaro Bautista as the reigning Champion crashed out.
The Superpole Race was a stunning affair in Italy as Razgatlioglu beat Bautista by just 0.244s to secure a win.
Razgatlioglu was able to claim his 36th career win and his 102nd podium, while it was also Yamaha’s 410th in WSBK.
The opening laps proved to be beneficial for the wet tyre runners with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) storming away from fourth on the grid to have a six second lead over Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha) at the end of Lap 2.
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) concluded the strongest weekend of his WorldSBK career with sixth as he finished three seconds down on Rinaldi.
Bautista didn’t get away well from the line as the lights went out but still found himself into the lead heading into Turn 1, before he tried to pull out a gap.
The win was his 50th in WorldSBK, but it was also a historic one: the 18th win of his season means he has now won more races in one season than any other rider.
Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) also didn’t stop as he claimed fourth place despite starting from the pitlane.
WorldSBK MOST Race One.
WorldSBK MOST Race One.
Rea was able to go with the wet tyre runners in the opening laps while other intermediate riders dropped down, including Razgatlioglu, before battling back.
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Jonathan Rea secured third after making gains before an early-race fight with teammate Alex Lowes, who initially passed the six-time Champion at Turn 5 for third, before falling behind the Ulsterman.
Two laps later and the two Champions were side-by-side throughout much of the lap, with Razgatlioglu holding on to second place before Rea tried another move a lap later.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) bounced back to claim victory in Race 2 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours as he took advantages of his rivals battling behind him.
The #65 looked to overtake his rival on Lap 3 through Turn 4 and into Turn 5 but the Yamaha star cut back, before Rea made a similar move on Lap 6 and made it stick.
Razgatlioglu now has 107 podiums to his name, only two fewer than Carl Fogarty, while Rea’s moved onto 259 podiums.
Six-time Champion Rea withstood a late charge from Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) to claim third and his 258th podium and his 20th at the iconic French venue.
The #1 put in a series of race lap records to close the gap to his title rival but the 2021 Champion claimed victory by a second to become the first rider to win four consecutive races at Magny-Cours.
There was drama everywhere you looked in France was the title battle closed up again with Razgatlioglu winning ahead of Bautista.
Tissot Superpole Jerez.
At Turn 13, Bautista looked for a move on the inside before the Yamaha cut back to stay ahead on the straight.
Tissot Superpole Jerez.
A race that will live long in the memory: Bautista victorious in unbelievable Razgatlioglu fight with 38 passes for the lead in the final 10 laps, Rea tumbles on Kawasaki farewell.
Bautista got the holeshot when the 20-lap race got underway and immediately looked to pull out a gap over his rivals.
The #77 tumbled down the order in the opening stages after suffering a technical problem…
The two-time Champion continued his stunning form with victory in the 8-lap race…
Dominique Aegerter stormed to a maiden podium after he finished 1.5 seconds away from the two-time Champion.
It’s been a crazy year for MotoGP, with Martin vs Bagnaia coming down to the final race of the year in Valencia. Ultimately, it was another year of domination for all Ducati teams and we saw eight different Grand Prix winners. Check out all the best shots from the season below…
It’s been a crazy year for MotoGP, with Martin vs Bagnaia coming down to the final race of the year in Valencia.
1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team –467 points 2 Jorge Martin – Prima Pramac Racing –428 points 3 Marco Bezzecchi – Mooney VR46 Racing Team –329 Points 4 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – 293 points 5 Johan Zarco – Prima Pramac Racing –225 points
2023 Season Best Shots
Australian Red Bull KTM star Jack Miller ended his 2023 MotoGP campaign in mixed fashion, with some solid efforts in Malaysia and Qatar before closing out his campaign with a DNF at Valencia in the finale.
Saturday saw Rins on the podium, surprise errors at the front, some serious charges through the field and a single point in it at the top of the standings…
The race began as the classic Moto3 freight train, but bit by bit a front, smaller group managed to escape: Sasaki, Masia, Artigas, Moreira, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Ortola.
Marini brought home his Ducati for second and a first Grand Prix podium in the MotoGP class.
539 days and 24 Grands Prix have passed since Honda were last on top, and Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) has brought that long wait to an end with a truly impressive ride to glory at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.
Back at the front, Bagnaia began to stretch out the field as he put down some lightning-fast pace.
The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas did not disappoint as MotoGP leaves the USA.
Behind Rins’ headline-grabber, Marini made his own as he held station in second once he was past Quartararo, and the Italian takes his first Grand Prix podium!
As the lights went out, it was the perfect start for Pecco as the Italian took the holeshot, with Rins in hot pursuit.
Bagnaia was untouchable once again. Getting on the front early and staying there…
Rins was unstoppable, simply blitzing the field and having some spare time to celebrate.
Martin managed to score his second Tissot Sprint podium of the 2023 season!
There was adrenaline from the moment the lights went out for the Tissot Sprint at the Grand Prix of The Americas.
Marini was shadowing Quartararo’s every move though, and with 3.5s to the battle for 4th behind, the duo were putting the hammer down in hopes of catching the LCR Honda man out front.
Ducati and KTM test the limits of awesomeness in Jerez, with some sideways poetry, pitch perfect defence and a dash of chaos for some big names.
The KTMs still began to pull away from the two Ducatis though, and by four laps to go the gap was half a second.
Bagnaia was forced to drop one position after that earlier contact, letting Miller back past.
Split by just two tenths over the line, it was fitting it went to the wire after a stunning race.
It was a KTM one-two once again, but Martin soon got back past Aleix Espargaro to start bothering Miller again.
It’s been a massive month for our Aussie talent racing internationally. Check out what Edward has for us this month…
take two was another KTM show from lights out as they slotted into a 1-2, with Binder leading Miller as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) slotting into third.
Ready to race? You bet. The KTMs attacked straight away on take two, with Binder grabbing the lead from Miller and both Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Bagnaia also slicing past polesitter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing).
Miller unfortunately ended up letting the Ducati through, but still did a spectacular job to stay on the podium.
Marco Bezzecchi made history on Sunday as the race winner at the 1000th FIM Grand Prix! Check out all the action from Le Mans!
A four-rider battle for victory had formed as Miller now found himself with Marquez, Bezzecchi, and Martin for company, before Bezzecchi pushed his way through on Marc Marquez – and dropped the Spaniard from 2nd to 4th.
With six to go, Martin thought it was time to pounce on Marc Marquez. The Spaniard tried to push his way through on the eight-time World Champion, but the Repsol Honda man was not giving in easy.
With 15 laps to go, Bezzecchi had 1.2s in his pocket to Marquez behind, who was 0.5s up the road from Martin, who had found his way through on Miller.
Martin ensured he’s the top scorer at Le Mans this year, and then the home hero reached the flag.
The grid formed in front of the biggest crowd MotoGP has ever seen and it was Marc Marquez who shot into the lead as Bagnaia dropped down the order to P5.
The Tissot Sprint at Le Mans was another jaw dropper throughout the field, and we have a new name in the history books as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) put in an inch-perfect ride to take his first Sprint win in MotoGP.
Binder was on the move, pushing his way past Marini to set the fastest lap and latch himself onto the back of the top 3.
Marquez pushed his way through at the Dunlop chicane with 8 laps to go…
Martin crossed the line to take his first Sprint win as well as his first Grand Prix points at Le Mans, bouncing back in style as Binder took second to gain in the title fight, ahead of Bagnaia completing the podium.
It was Bagnaia who stormed off the line to take the holeshot as the lights went out, whilst Jack Miller shot into P2.
The front two began to break away as Bagnaia attempted to stretch out the field, with Martin clinging onto the coattails of Pecco as chaos started to unfold behind in the battle for third.
Bagnaia kept it pitch perfect to manage the gap ahead of Martin. It was down to only a second on the final lap, however, as the number 89 pushed on and Zarco homed in on him in turn, but Bagnaia kept it calm.
The pack began to shuffle as the rain came down on the far section of the circuit with nine laps to go.
Chaos at Mugello! Saturday proved Ducati is a force to be reckoned with by locking out the podium on Saturday.
The fight for the final spot in the top 3 was decided by less than a tenth of a second!
The pressure was on for Bagnaia but the #1 responded in true Champions’ fashion stretching out the field with four laps remaining. Bagnaia put the hammer down setting the fastest lap of the race, giving himself some breathing space.
Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Martin, Luca Marini, Bezzecchi, and Miller was the order the first time across the line.
Lap 3, Turn 12 – a change of the lead. Martin pounced on Pecco and with it, the Sprint victor set the fastest lap.
In one of the closest ever finishes at the Sachsenring, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) came out on top against reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in a duel that went right to the wire.
As Martin crossed the line for another stunning Sprint win, Bagnaia and Miller secured their visits to the rostrum.
So that’s that. An instant classic and a maximum of 37 points means it’s a perfect weekend for Martin in Germany.
Miller got a rocket ship launch on the KTM RC16 once again, he had the inside line for Turn 1 but Bagnaia hung it around the outside to hit the front at Turn 2.
Martin and Bagnaia looked like they were out of reach for the chasing pack. Binder was 2.9s adrift with 17 laps to go, and Bagnaia starting to put pressure on the shoulders of Martin.
Lap 6 ticked by and Martin was asking big questions – a 1:20.990 saw the Spaniard sit eight tenths clear of Bagnaia, who had also now overtaken Miller.
What do you get when you add the two riders at the top of the standings to a record crowd at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland? One hell of a show!
Bagnaia tagged the back of the Pramac ahead, with no harm done but some metres lost for the reigning Champion. The race was really, really on now.
Bagnaia did hold on to a crucial P3 as Martin made no mistake to cap off a sensational weekend. Bezzecchi bagged P2 despite his injured hand to gain ground in the title chase.
Disaster then struck for Binder at Turn 14 on Lap 8. The KTM star was down at the tight right-hand hairpin as his podium hopes ended, handing Pedrosa the lead KTM baton.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was back in business at Misano, putting in an inch-perfect performance to take victory.
David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), take a bow. The young Colombian takes his third victory in four races after beating Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in a phenomenal Moto3 battle.
The number 89 is unmatched to deny Bezzecchi a home win as the reigning Champion fights off a Legend and Binder throwns down with everyone else in the Sprint.
Martin led by a second over Bezzecchi as we strapped in for a KTM vs Bagnaia scrap for the final podium place.
With five laps to go, Martin’s gap to Bezzecchi was up to 0.8s as Pedrosa reeled in Bagnaia in by 0.4s.
Martin got the exact launch he’d have wanted from pole as he grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1, as Bagnaia powered his way around the outside of Bezzecchi to grab an early P2.
Martin’s lead grew to over a second for the first time as the #89 began to get the hammer down.
Bagnaia was fading. Pedrosa was coming. 0.7s split the double World Champion from the three-time World Champion, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing).
Pecco held on to third against Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) but Martin wasn’t so lucky, getting shuffled back behind the Italian and left with a little more work to do from fifth.
MotoGP Sepang Sprint.
With five to go Alex Marquez struck with a brutal, clean move for the lead. And then came Martin attacking Bagnaia.
The rider who got the best start on the front row was actually Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). the Beast played it to perfection for teammate Bagnaia as the Championship leader didn’t come under attack as he grabbed the holeshot.
MotoGP Sepang Sprint.
The number 89 was all over the number 1 but he attacked and was denied, attacked and was denied as the two scythed round Sepang near side-by-side. It was stunning, and it could prove important in terms of more than just points.
At the front, Bastianini pounded on. With just over a second in hand, the Beast was keeping very calm as he carried on.
For the final and most important time in 2023 it was time to race. Bagnaia got the dream getaway from pole to grab a crucial holeshot, with Martin also making a fantastic launch to grab an early P2.
With three laps left, 0.3s was still the gap between Pecco and Zarco. But Di Giannantonio was on a mission.
Following a highly dramatic Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the 2023 MotoGP World Champion is Francesco Bagnaia after Jorge Martin crashed out of the race following an incident at Turn 4 with Marc Marquez.
Five to go. The gap in the Championship was 14 points between Sprint leader Martin and fifth place Pecco
Martin soon got back past Marquez as we watched Bagnaia drop into the clutches of the group behind that included Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – the Frenchman making a phenomenal start.
Bagnaia got a dream launch from P2 to grab the holeshot into Turn 1 as Martin also got away well. Maverick Viñales immediately bit back at Turn 2 with a late lunge on Pecco though as Binder nearly slipped up the inside of Martin.
Martin led Binder, with Bagnaia still holding Diggia behind him. Halfway around the lap, Binder still wasn’t close enough.
It was an immediate shot of adrenaline in the title fight in Turn 1 too, with Marini getting the holeshot as Alex Marquez slotted into second – but there was contact right behind the two between Martin and Bagnaia.
The next move saw Diggia attack Marini for second, and from there the number 49 set off after Martin.
Martin hit back not long after, putting him right back on the rear wheel of Bagnaia. On Lap 2, it got seriously close again as the number 89 opened the door for himself and made it through, with Diggia trying to do the same.
The battle for victory, however, was now a duel: Bagnaia vs Diggia. The laps ticked down and the gap went out to a few tenths then back down, but no move was made in a tense game of chess.
Right at the front though, Bagnaia held firm with a few tenths in hand – ahead of quite a squabble too. Diggia got through on Marini and Alex Marquez tried to follow suit, but had to wait a few corners before he got through.
As the lights went out, everything changed in an instant. Split by just 0.022 and one position on the grid, by the exit of Turn 1 Bagnaia had shot through to steal the holeshot from Marini as Martin suffered a difficult start.
At the front, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio still had Binder for company, but the gap would start to increase from there on out as the KTM was left to battle Alex Marquez and Marini instead.
Martin heads Binder and Marc Marquez on the Tissot Sprint podium as it all comes down to Sunday. It wasn’t meant to be as tension, drama, heartbreak, glory, history, and happiness: Valencia delivers a season finale to remember. Pecco seals back-to-back championships… Report: MotoGP.
Tension, drama, heartbreak, glory, history, and happiness: Valencia delivers a season finale to remember.
Tissot Sprint Race Bagnaia got a dream launch from P2 to grab the holeshot into Turn 1 as Martin also got away well. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) immediately bit back at Turn 2 with a late lunge on Pecco though as Binder nearly slipped up the inside of Martin.
Lap 1, Turn 11 was where Martin made his move on Pecco. Binder, on the cutback, managed to squeeze up the inside of the pair of them and heading into Turn 12, so did the fast-starting Marc Marquez. Suddenly, Bagnaia went from P2 to P5 in the space of two corners.
Bagnaia got a dream launch from P2 to grab the holeshot into Turn 1 as Martin also got away well. Maverick Viñales immediately bit back at Turn 2 with a late lunge on Pecco though as Binder nearly slipped up the inside of Martin.
Martin soon got back past Marquez as we watched Bagnaia drop into the clutches of the group behind that included Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – the Frenchman making a phenomenal start. With nine to go though, Quartararo’s Sprint was over as he attempted to overtake Pecco at Turn 6. The front of his Yamaha let go and that was all she wrote for El Diablo on Saturday.
Up front, the top four were locked together – Viñales, Binder, Martin and Marc Marquez. Binder and Viñales were getting very busy with eight laps left and lurking just behind was Martin. At this stage, Bagnaia was 1.6s off the fight – and the Italian had Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) climbing all over his tailpipes.
Martin soon got back past Marquez as we watched Bagnaia drop into the clutches of the group behind that included Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – the Frenchman making a phenomenal start.
Seven to go. Now, Binder was leading. Marquez showed a wheel to Martin at Turn 6 as the two made slight contact. Unfazed, Martin then carved his way past Viñales for P2 at Turn 1 with six laps to go and as expected, Marquez wasted little time in following Binder and Martin through. With five and a half laps to go, a huge moment occurred – Martin was P1. Binder went wide at Turn 10 and left the door wide open, with Martin walking through with ease.
Five to go. As things stood, the gap in the Championship was 14 points between Sprint leader Martin and fifth place Pecco. Di Giannantonio had passed Bezzecchi and was looking menacing behind Bagnaia, with Martin still holding Binder at bay.
Five to go. The gap in the Championship was 14 points between Sprint leader Martin and fifth place Pecco.
Three to go. Binder wasn’t close enough to make a move on Martin but he was still too close for comfort. Marquez was half a second further back, and Viñales was being caught by Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi.
LAST LAP! Martin led Binder by 0.3s, with Bagnaia still holding Di Giannantonio behind him. Halfway around the lap, Binder still wasn’t close enough. Turn 10 passed by with Martin still leading and the KTM wasn’t close enough into the final corner either. Martin rode brilliantly to secure the most important 12 points of his career, as Binder and the impressive Marc Marquez bagged Valencia Sprint rostrums.
Martin led Binder, with Bagnaia still holding Diggia behind him. Halfway around the lap, Binder still wasn’t close enough.
Viñales had to settle for P4 after setting the early pace, as Bagnaia came home P5 to collect five points. Not the result the Italian was searching for as the Championship chase goes down to the final day, but it could still yet prove to be a huge five points.
Di Giannantonio couldn’t find a way past Pecco and claimed P6, with Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) picking up the final points-paying positions in the Sprint.
Sunday Following a highly dramatic Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the 2023 MotoGP World Champion is Francesco Bagnaia after Jorge Martin crashed out of the race following an incident at Turn 4 with Marc Marquez. Pecco went on to claim victory as a phenomenal fight for P1 played out, with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Johann Zarco locked onto the Italian’s rear wheel. ‘Diggia’ crossed the line in 2nd with Zarco 3rd. However, a post-race sanction for Di Giannantonio due to wrong pressures demoted the Italian to P4 with Zarco being promoted to P2 and Brad Binder inheriting the final podium position.
Following a highly dramatic Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the 2023 MotoGP World Champion is Francesco Bagnaia after Jorge Martin crashed out of the race following an incident at Turn 4 with Marc Marquez.
Because of a Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) three-place grid penalty for ignoring the black and orange flags in Warm Up, Pecco was promoted to pole position for the final showdown, with Martin still launching from P6.
For the final and most important time in 2023 it was time to race. Bagnaia got the dream getaway from pole to grab a crucial holeshot, with Martin also making a fantastic launch to grab an early P2. Pecco P1, Martin P2 – that’s how it was after the opening lap, with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pair of Binder and Jack Miller P3 and P4.
For the final and most important time in 2023 it was time to race. Bagnaia got the dream getaway from pole to grab a crucial holeshot, with Martin also making a fantastic launch to grab an early P2.
Between the title fighting duo, it was as you were after the second lap but a monumental moment then took place at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 3. Martin was right in the slipstream of Pecco and as the duo chucked the anchors on into Turn 1, Martin got sucked in and made slight contact with Pecco. Martin was wide – well wide – and dropped to P8, with Pecco unhindered by the incident. Huge drama early on. The fightback began on Lap 4 for Martin. P8 became P7 as the Spaniard got the better of Alex Marquez. Martin tried to do the same to Viñales a lap later but the latter bit straight back – and a repeat played out at Turn 11.
Up front, Binder was crawling all over the back of Pecco but focus was elsewhere. A battle was raging between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), with that enabling Viñales and Martin to close in.
With Martin out, no matter what Bagnaia did, he would be the 2023 World Champion. ‘MARTIN OUT’ was signalled on his pit board as the two KTMs of Binder and Miller were now first and second, with Zarco and Viñales chasing Pecco.
What happened next ultimately decided the Championship. Martin was getting visibly frustrated and on Lap 6, having finally got through on Viñales, Marc Marquez was next in line. At Turn 4, Martin lunged up the inside of the eight-time World Champion but contact was made. So much so, the pair were tangled together. Martin ran straight into the gravel as Marquez was thrown into a vicious highside, as two of the home crowd favourites were down and out. Marquez’s final race with Honda ended in huge disappointment, with Martin’s title hopes vanishing. A painful end to a wonderful campaign for the Prima Pramac star.
With Martin out, no matter what Bagnaia did, he would be the 2023 MotoGP World Champion. ‘MARTIN OUT’ was signalled on his pit board as the two KTMs of Binder and Miller were now first and second, with Zarco and Viñales chasing Pecco. 12 laps to go though, Binder made a mistake. A big one too. Just as he did in the Tissot Sprint, the South African was wide at Turn 11, and that dropped him from P1 to P6. Miller now led Pecco by just over a second.
With three laps left, 0.3s was still the gap between Pecco and Zarco. But Di Giannantonio was on a mission.
Binder’s comeback began with an aggressive move on Alex Marquez at Turn 4, and it was one that saw him handed a drop one position penalty. With nine laps left, Miller’s race then ended. The Aussie crashed at Turn 10 which handed the lead back to Bagnaia, who had Zarco just 0.3s behind him. A disastrous few laps for KTM.
The Championship might have been decided, but the race certainly wasn’t. Binder was just 1.5s away from the lead again and Diggia tagged himself onto the rear wheel of the KTM. Soon, the Italian was into P3 with five laps to go.
With three laps left, 0.3s was still the gap between Pecco and Zarco. But cue the jaws music – Di Giannantonio was on a mission. On Lap 25 of 27, the top trio were split by 0.3s over the line. At Turn 4, Di Giannantonio shoved his Ducati up the inside of Zarco’s and made a move stick for P2. Next: the World Champion elect.
LAST LAP OF THE SEASON: Three riders, only one could win. Would Bagnaia claim the title with a win or would it be Di Giannantonio or Zarco standing on the top step? Halfway around the lap, there was no way through. A head shake from Di Giannantonio told us frustrations were there, but Pecco rode superbly to fend off both his compatriot and Zarco to win the World Championship in the best way possible: victory. A classy ride from your top three. The podium result would later change however with Di Giannantonio’s three-second penalty demoting him to P4 and promoting Binder onto the podium.
Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) earned his best result of the season with a fantastic P5. Alex Marquez was P6 with Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) capping off his Yamaha career with a solid P7, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Luca Marini in his final Mooney VR46 Racing Team appearance and Viñales rounded out the top 10.
An unwell Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) finished P11 after feeling ill, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Lorenzo Savadori (CryptoDATA RNF Team) and Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) the other finishers, as the latter ends his full-time MotoGP™ career – for now – in P14 after a crash and remount.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) were the other riders to DNF, Bezzecchi after an early race crash with Marc Marquez. And just like that, 2023 draws to a dramatic close. Bagnaia is now a three-time World Champion as Martin gets set to come back even stronger in 2024. What a season it’s been.
Moto2
That’s a wrap for 2023 in the FIM Moto2 World Championship and Fermin Aldeguer (CAG SpeedUp) stole the limelight yet again as he took his fifth victory of the season and fourth in a row. The Spaniard was untouchable as Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) had to settle for P2, with Alonso Lopez (CAG SpeedUp) coming out on top in the battle for the final podium spot in P3.
The Boscoscuro rider stretched the field right from the beginning as he had Canet clinging onto his coattails in second place. With 20 laps to go they already had a substantial gap to Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing) in third as the hot pace from Aldeguer stretched out the top five.
That’s a wrap for 2023 in the FIM Moto2 World Championship and Fermin Aldeguer (CAG SpeedUp) stole the limelight yet again as he took his fifth victory of the season and fourth in a row.
Ramirez was out of touch to threaten the top two and had Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) for company as the Brit was desperate to find his way through with the prospect of a third overall in the Championship still tangible. However, at the front Canet was confidently responding to Aldeguer’s pace, and the two were Dixon’s rivals in the fight for third overall. With 17 laps to go Canet was the fastest rider on the circuit too as he set the quickest lap of the race so far and bettered it one lap later.
The battle for 3rd then began to hot up even more as a flying Lopez caught Ramirez and Dixon as he brought Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) to join the party with him. But Lopez made his way through on Dixon with 14 laps remaining. The Spaniard was on a charge after fighting his way up from 14th on the grid to sit in fourth place with his sights set on Ramirez ahead of him.
Canet was confidently responding to Aldeguer’s pace, and the two were Dixon’s rivals in the fight for third overall.
12 laps to go and Aldeguer was able to extend the gap to 1.5s. The Spaniard continued to put down his relentless pace and took victory in Valencia by 3.982s, with Canet bringing home second. The fight for the final place on the podium went absolutely to the wire as Lopez got through on Ramirez but the American Racing rider then went for a lunge at the final corner on the final lap. It was a well-judged one, but Lopez got the cutback and won the drag to the line.
Behind Ramirez in P4, Chantra got the better of Dixon in the end as the Thai rider capped off his 2023 season with a 5th place as he pulled eight tenths on the Brit in P6. Dixon ends 2023 fourth overall, with his compatriot Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS) completing his final Grand Prix race in seventh as he gets set for a move to the WorldSBK paddock.
Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) took eighth ahead of his teammate Dennis Foggia, with Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the top 10. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) claimed P11 ahead of World Champion Acosta, who ended his season with a P12 after a fraught start and tougher race. The Spaniard’s attentions now turn to Tuesday’s Valencia Test.
The final point scorers were Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Mastercamp), Barry Baltus (Fieten Olie Racing GP) and Jeremy Alcoba (Gresini Racing Moto2™) who took 13th, 14th, and 15th respectively.
Moto3 Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) has done it. He is a Grand Prix victor in 2023 – and he did in style! The Japanese rider put on quite some show as he fought tooth and nail in a five-rider scrap for victory at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. The final race of 2023 went down the wire in typical Moto3™ fashion as David Alonso (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) left everything he had out on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo as he pushed Sasaki right until the final corner. Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) was very much in the mix as well. The Spaniard came home in P3 after getting his elbows firmly out on the last lap, almost snatching second from Alonso in a close drag to the line.
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) has done it. He is a Grand Prix victor in 2023 – and he did in style!
The riders lined up on the grid for the final race of the 2023 Moto3™ season, and with the Championship decided it promised to deliver barnstorming lightweight action. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) started from pole position but it was Sasaki who took the hole shot down in Turn 1 as the Moto3™ bikes barrelled in.
The Japanese rider had Veijer and Öncü for company as the riders scrapped for position in the opening sector. We lost a couple at Turn 2 as Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) went down and out of the race. Xavi Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) was later awarded a double long lap penalty after causing the incident.
The Japanese rider put on quite some show as he fought tooth and nail in a five-rider scrap for victory in Valencia.
The top three remained line astern throughout the first lap as Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) and Ortola looked keen to threaten the podium spots. Veijer then took over the lead from his teammate one lap later as he dived up the inside at Turn 2. Veijer, Sasaki, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Kelso, Ortola was the order as the race began to settle with 17 laps still remaining.
As the laps ticked away a leading group began to form as Alonso and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) put themselves in contention in a seven-bike battle for the lead – Alonso getting his elbows out as he got firmly stuck into the battle for victory. The pace was hot as they were consistently putting times under the race lap record with Veijer leading the way lap after lap. With 10 laps to go it became it a battle of five as Kelso and Rueda began to fall off the back of the group.
A big move came from Alonso with seven to go as the Colombian chucked it up the inside of Öncü at the final corner with very little room to come through. The two made contact as they both ran wide and lost time to Sasaki and Veijer ahead. Alonso quickly recovered the time in a matter of corners and one lap later he made his move on Sasaki to put himself into P2. Veijer, Alonso, Sasaki, Ortola, Öncü was now the order in the top five with Öncü finding himself almost a second back.
Veijer cracked for the first time with five to go as he finally lost the lead with a small mistake seeing him run wide and drop to fourth, promoting Sasaki to the lead with Ortola and Alonso hot on his tail. Sasaki led the way on the penultimate lap as Deniz Öncü was now back in the mix and joined onto the back of the group. The heat was turned up as Veijer shot up the inside of Ortola to take third. Ortola bit back at the beginning of the last lap and it was now or never on the final lap.
Sasaki led the way as they barrelled through the first two sectors for the final time. Alonso was all over his rearwheel with Ortola shadowing Alonso’s every move. It came down to the final corner in the end as the Colombian tried all he could to throw it up the inside but had couldn’t find his way past the Japanese rider as he took his first Grand Prix victory ahead with Alonso fending off Ortola in close drag to the line.
It was heartbreak for Veijer after he led the majority to end up having to settle for fourth, and Öncü did recover to catch the leading group but didn’t manage to make any moves as he brought home P5. Rueda finished in a lonely sixth place with Kelso a further second back in P7. 1.5 seconds back from the Aussie was a 3-rider scrap for eighth place which was won by Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) who got the better of David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Ryusei Yamanaka (GASGAS Aspar Team) in ninth and 10th.
Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) finished his 2023 campaign with P11 ahead of Fillipo Farioli (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing). The newly crowned Champion had a steady end to his title-winning season as he took 13th with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) taking the final point-scoring positions.
Our homegrown talent has been battling it out on track and making us proud! Check out our monthly column that follows all things Aussies racing Internationally on and off-road, from MotoGP to AMA Motocross. See what our future and current champions are up to…
It’s been a massive month for our Aussie talent racing internationally. Check out what Edward has for us this month…
Jack Miller – MotoGP
Australian Red Bull KTM star Jack Miller ended his 2023 MotoGP campaign in mixed fashion, with some solid efforts in Malaysia and Qatar before closing out his campaign with a DNF at Valencia in the finale.
Beginning the month of November with a strong display at Sepang, where his highlights included a third in Friday practice, a handy sixth in the Sprint and a crafty eighth in the race. Miller was, however, concerned with his lack of speed and how he couldn’t find any specific reasons as to why he was way back from the frontrunners.
Australian Red Bull KTM star Jack Miller ended his 2023 MotoGP campaign in mixed fashion, with some solid efforts in Malaysia and Qatar before closing out his campaign with a DNF at Valencia in the finale.
Moving on to Qatar for the penultimate round of the campaign, a ninth in the race was actually a decent result considering he struggled throughout the weekend and was 12th in the Sprint. Then for the last stop on the calendar at Valencia, Miller showcased good speed all weekend, with him notably securing fourth in qualifying and scorching into the lead in the race before disappointingly crashing out with nine laps to go.
“Not much to say. I didn’t do much different compared to the previous lap. I’d had a few moments with the front so decided to take it easy and not do anything too savage and, yeah, she just got away from me. It could have been an amazing result, but we’ll take stock and bounce back,” he reflected.
Ending the season 11th in the final MotoGP championship standings on his first year with Red Bull KTM, he’ll now enjoy a well-deserved break and then get straight back to work in his quest to enjoy an even better 2024.
“It has been a year of firsts in many ways and a bittersweet way to end because it’s nice to know we have pace and we’re heading in the right direction. We have been working our butts off. The rider is just one small part because there is so much going on behind the scenes. Everyone has worked tirelessly, so I thank them all for that.”
Ending the season 11th in the final MotoGP championship standings on his first year with Red Bull KTM, he’ll now enjoy a well-deserved break and then get straight back to work in his quest to enjoy an even better 2024 and get back up the front.
Concluding his 2023 term at Valencia, it was great to see Joel Kelso finding his form in the early stages of the event, for he was third quickest on Friday and qualified fourth by virtue of his rapidity on the Saturday. Photo: Kelso Racing.
Joel Kelso – Moto3
Starting off his November in fine style, Joel Kelso bagged an excellent seventh in Sepang, with him thankfully surviving the carnage around him to finish where he began the race. Venturing to Qatar, there were many positives to be extracted from his output here despite enduring an untimely mistake during the main bout while in the top five. The Darwinian admirably recovered to 13th to still salvage some points, as he was ultimately left to rue what could have been at Losail.
Concluding his 2023 term at Valencia, it was great to see him finding his form in the early stages of the event, for he was third quickest on Friday and qualified fourth by virtue of his rapidity on the Saturday. Enjoying a successful body of work in his Pruestel GP team’s last race in Moto3 as the CFMOTO factory squad, Kelso transferred his speed over nicely into the main event and handled the occasion smartly to claim a credible seventh – crossing the line less than five seconds behind the winner.
Kelso will now be lining up in Moto3 under the BOE Motorsports awning in 2024. Photo: Joel Kelso Racing…
“The second half of the season has been good; we moved up six places in the standings and were on the front row of the grid five times, almost six yesterday! Happy enough. This is motorsport so it can go anyway and I started off with a broken leg! Thankfully the second half of the year has been better and I hope I did the team proud. I always gave my maximum and I think they appreciated that. An emotional time,” Kelso explained.
The young Aussie sensation on the rise will now look to carry his momentum into 2024, where he’ll be lining up in Moto3 under the BOE Motorsports awning.
Remy Gardner – World Superbike
In what’s been an up and down debut season in WorldSBK, it was positive to see Remy Gardner end his crusade on a high. Looking the goods at Jerez from the outset, grabbing a fifth in Superpole was a nice way to kick things off. Frustratingly, while in podium contention in race one, a nasty crash not only dashed his chances but also saw him suffer a painful wrist contusion and a deep cut on his right elbow.
In what’s been an up and down 2023 in WorldSBK, it was positive to see Remy Gardner end his crusade on a high.
Bravely opting to fight through the pain to suit up, his decision paid off emphatically, for he got the ball rolling with a sixth in the Superpole race even though he had issues with rear grip. Coming out swinging for the finale, the #87 put in an outstanding shift aboard his GYTR GRT Yamaha to equal his season-best finish to secure fourth.
“To be honest, today I wasn’t even sure about racing due to the crash I suffered yesterday. After warm-up I felt I could do the races, but it was painful, I’m not going to lie. The Superpole race was a decent one, unfortunately due to the red flag our rear tyre was quite used, and I struggled with grip in the latter stages of the race,” he told the Yamaha Racing website.
It also warrants mention that Gardner impressively recorded the fastest lap time on both days of the post-season test at Jerez, which will certainly give him some crucial confidence heading into next year.
“Then, in race two I could smell the podium, we finished so close, and I could catch the group fighting for the victory. Unfortunately, I missed a bit of pace in the end as I pushed a lot to close the gap and I felt a bit of pain as well, which maybe prevented me from doing more. Anyway, it’s not a bad way to finish the year, we’re aware we have good potential and that we can have a strong 2024. To finish on the top of the Independent Teams is also nice, and I would like to dedicate this win to Mirko (Giansanti), who sadly passed away a few months ago.”
It also warrants mention that Gardner impressively recorded the fastest lap time on both days of the post-season test at Jerez, which will certainly give him some crucial confidence heading into next year.
Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Having been out since July when he tried to ride at Imola following a shoulder injury that he initially suffered at Donington Park, Oli Bayliss made his long-awaited return to action for D34G Racing at the season closer at Jerez.
Having been out since July when he tried to ride at Imola following a shoulder injury that he initially suffered at Donington Park, Oli Bayliss made his return to action at the season closer at Jerez. Photo: Bayliss Facebook.
While he inherently had a difficult time getting comfortable with the bike and the track, plus had to adapt to being back in the heat of the battle, concluding his 2023 with a pair of 18th place finishes wasn’t too bad at all considering the circumstances.
“That’s a wrap on the 2023 World Supersport Championship. Struggled a fair bit this weekend. Wasn’t exactly what I was after, but I have to remember that I have not been on a bike for quite some time due to my shoulder. So, looking at the bigger picture, it was nice to be able to just get back to racing and finish the year out with the D34G Racing team and build into the 2024 season from here,” he stated.
While he inherently had a difficult time getting comfortable with the bike and the track concluding his 2023 with a pair of 18th place finishes wasn’t too bad at all considering the circumstances. Photo: Bayliss Facebook.
“Massive thanks to my team, sponsors and everyone who supports me. We’ll regroup, and now turn our attention to next year. Hopefully I can give you guys some news soon, but it’s looking like I’ll see you at round one at the end of February.”
Senna Agius – European Moto2 Championship and Moto2
Senna Agius rounded out his scintillating championship winning European Moto2 crusade in the best way possible by powering to an exceptional victory. His incredible feat was made all the more magnificent due to the fact he was forced to start from 17th courtesy of being handed a penalty for slow riding in qualifying two. Relishing the challenge ahead, the gifted hotshot rose to the occasion masterfully, as he carved through the field after a searing start that saw him launch up to eighth by the conclusion of lap one.
Having already inked a deal to move up to the Moto2 in 2024, exciting times are on the horizon for the 18-year-old ace.
From there, he went from strength to strength to steadily pick up positions as the race progressed. Agius eventually propelled himself to within striking distance of leader Alberto Surra in the dying embers of the race before incisively getting past his rival to claim a phenomenal triumph against the odds.Having already inked a deal to move up to the Moto2 World Championship next term, more exciting times appear to be on the horizon for the 18-year-old ace.
Jacob Roulstone – Red Bull Rookies Cup & JuniorGP Moto3
Talented youngster Jacob Roulstone wrapped up his season with another accomplished performance in the JuniorGP series to bag upside-filled finishes of ninth and sixth to supplement his fifth in qualifying in the challenging cold and windy conditions.
Jacob Roulstone wrapped up his season with another accomplished performance in the JuniorGP series to bag upside-filled finishes of ninth and sixth to supplement his fifth in qualifying in the challenging cold and windy conditions.
“It has been a great year in the JuniorGP Championship, taking two podiums and front row starts. My goals going into the season were to be fighting at the front consistently and hard as well as to secure a Moto3 World Championship ride. I have achieved both,” he said.
“I would like to thank the Aspar Team for the past two years. It has been an honour to ride in these colours and for this successful team. I have come a long way as a racer and they have helped me develop. Thank you to Nico and Sergio for all you have done, as well as Amadeo and Pula for everything you do to get us there as a team. And the whole Aspar crew.”
“It has been a great year in the JuniorGP Championship, My goals going into the season were to be fighting at the front consistently and hard as well as to secure a Moto3 World Championship ride. I have achieved both,” said Roulstone.
“But most of all thank you to Santi and Fran for being two great mechanics and Antonio for all the hard work in the data area, and all three for being great mates. We made a fantastic team this year. As well thank you to my Dad, Mum and Sister who work their ass off to support me and make my dreams come true. Thank you to NHK Helmets and Furygan for supplying me with the best gear to wear. Can’t thank them, the rest of my family, my sponsors and everyone behind the scenes enough for everything that they do to contribute to my racing.”
With a hugely bright future ahead of him, it’ll be captivating watching how Roulstone fares in 2024, where he’ll be making the step up to the Moto3 World Championship with Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Sprint fireworks as Martin wins to take the title fight to Valencia. It’s down to seven points as the Pramac rider holds off Diggia and Marini completes the podium, with Bagnaia down in P5. Diggia then takes his maiden win on Sunday as Bagnaia takes a 21-point lead to the final round. Release: MotoGP.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac) made super Saturday into statement Saturday at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar.
Sprint
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) made super Saturday into statement Saturday at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar. With a potential match point on the line on Sunday for title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) depending on the Tissot Sprint, the pressure was absolutely on, and the number 89 soaked it up and then some. After battling Bagnaia early in the race as the two started in P4 and P5, Martin made his way into the lead and then held off a charging Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) over a tense final lap, halving Pecco’s points lead in the process as the Championship leader came home only fifth.
Diggia took a stunning second and from second on the grid, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) taking third after leading much of the Sprint from pole. Then came Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), and then Bagnaia after a fascinating showdown in the desert.
It was an immediate shot of adrenaline in the title fight in Turn 1 too, with Marini getting the holeshot as Alex Marquez slotted into second – but there was contact right behind the two between Martin and Bagnaia.
It was an immediate shot of adrenaline in the title fight in Turn 1 too, with Marini getting the holeshot as Alex Marquez slotted into second – but there was contact right behind the two between Martin and Bagnaia. Martin, the rider on the inside, just kept third, with Bagnaia left with a few metres to make up. Later round the lap both Alex Marquez and Martin were slightly wide though, and Pecco shot back past Martin as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) also attacked and got through.
Martin hit back not long after, putting him right back on the rear wheel of Bagnaia. On Lap 2, it got seriously close again as the number 89 opened the door for himself and made it through, with Diggia trying to do the same. A few corners later, he did.
Martin hit back not long after, putting him right back on the rear wheel of Bagnaia. On Lap 2, it got seriously close again as the number 89 opened the door for himself and made it through, with Diggia trying to do the same.
Meanwhile in the lead, Marini was under attack. Alex Marquez got through but the Italian answered straight back, holding on to it as Martin got the hammer down just behind and set the fastest lap.
Over the line for seven laps to go, Alex Marquez had reloaded and was ready to try again. He once again made it through too, but Martini was even quicker to respond with an immediate cutback. That gave Martin a few more metres too as they squabbled, and the number 89 struck as soon as he had the chance to take over in second, homing in on Marini as Alex Marquez was left to defend against Diggia.
The next move saw Diggia attack Marini for second, and from there the number 49 set off after Martin.
The move from Martin came at the final corner, taking over in the lead and able to hold Marini off into Turn 1. Alex Marquez couldn’t say the same, with Diggia able to get through at Turn 1 and set off after the battle ahead. Bagnaia, meanwhile, was in fifth and just off the back of the gaggle at the front, but with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) charging on, around half a second back.
The next move saw Diggia attack Marini for second, and from there the number 49 set off after Martin. Or more, the mission began to keep up with the title contender as the hammer went absolutely down. Lap by lap, they both pulled away, with Marini holding a safe third and Alex Marquez able to gather up a bit of breathing space ahead of Bagnaia.
Alex Marquez held on to fourth as Bagnaia was only able to take fifth, and under some late pressure from Viñales.
The leading duo were locked together at the start of the final lap, with Diggia shadowing Martin’s every move. But the number 89 just kept turning the screw and the Gresini machine lost a few metres here and a few there, unable to quite get back on terms with the race leader. Martin crossed the line 0.391s clear to take a valuable 12-point haul from the Tissot Sprint, with Diggia impressing once again after an incredible weekend so far.
Alex Marquez held on to fourth as Bagnaia was only able to take fifth, and under some late pressure from Viñales, who got past Binder and was on the march. But the number #1 was just about able to respond and keep a two to three tenth buffer, defending P5 but seeing his lead cut to just seven points.
The leading duo were locked together at the start of the final lap, with Diggia shadowing Martin’s every move.
Binder came home in P7, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) putting in an even bigger charge up from P14 on the grid. The Frenchman was able to get past Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), who was forced to settle for 10th as Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) – now officially Rookie of the Year – grabbed P9 and the last point on Saturday too.
An early, multi-rider crash saw Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) make contact with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was also caught up. Oliveira was declared unfit due to a scapula fracture, and Aleix Espargaro has to be passed fit in a review on Sunday morning – with that penalty from Fp2 pending as well…
Sunday It was tense. It was awesome. And it was won in style – defeating the reigning Champion over 22 laps of the Lusail International Circuit. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) trailed Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) for much of the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, picked his moment, made a decisive move for the lead, and then kept it together to become a MotoGP race winner.
Fabio Di Giannantonio trailed Francesco Bagnaia for much of the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, picked his moment, made a decisive move for the lead, and then kept it together to become a MotoGP race winner.
That context and tension was Bagnaia leading the way for much of the race and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) facing a comeback after a bad start, before then losing more positions too as he faded down to tenth. Bagnaia didn’t seem to know that either, as the #1 nearly opened the goal for himself as he tried to attack Diggia in return and sailed into the run off at Turn 1. With the gap behind enough for him to get back on track in second, it was a heart in mouth moment but only a moment.
Third went to Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) as the number 10 got his elbows out in the fight at the front and then found enough in the locker to hold off a charge from Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) over the final few laps. But let’s rewind.
As the lights went out, everything changed in an instant. Split by just 0.022 and one position on the grid, by the exit of Turn 1 Bagnaia had shot through to steal the holeshot from Marini as Martin suffered a difficult start.
As the lights went out, everything changed in an instant. Split by just 0.022 and one position on the grid, by the exit of Turn 1 Bagnaia had shot through to steal the holeshot from Marini as Martin suffered a difficult start and dropped back to eight, behind teammate Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). Not long after that the team showed the Frenchman who was behind him too, and he either had a moment and dropped back or heeded a message and let Martin through. With the added complication of Viñales glued to the rear wheel of the number 89 and getting past as well.
Right at the front though, Bagnaia held firm with a few tenths in hand – ahead of quite a squabble too. Diggia got through on Marini and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) tried to follow suit, but had to wait a few corners before he got through. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) needed no invitation to slice past the number 10 either, before also attacking Alex Marquez. Unhindered by the battle, Bagnaia marched on. And so did Diggia – able to unleash his pace and start to reel in the Ducati Lenovo machine ahead.
Right at the front though, Bagnaia held firm with a few tenths in hand – ahead of quite a squabble too. Diggia got through on Marini and Alex Marquez tried to follow suit, but had to wait a few corners before he got through.
Martin had his hands full too. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) was right on his tail and Viñales right behind the number 93, with Zarco watching on and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) catching the group as well.
At the front, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio still had Binder for company, but the gap would start to increase from there on out as the KTM was left to battle Alex Marquez and Marini instead. The gaps behind Martin, however, were even smaller as a queue was forming behind the number 89.
At the front, Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio still had Binder for company, but the gap would start to increase from there on out as the KTM was left to battle Alex Marquez and Marini instead.
Viñales was the first mover in the group to get past Marc Marquez and then stalk Martin before making a move. Once past, the Aprilia was gone. The Repsol Honda then attacked and took over before heading wide, letting Martin and Quartararo back through. El Diablo wasted no time in then dispatching Martin, leaving Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) next up as the number 89 was down to eighth again. Miller was through with 10 to go, and next up was Zarco. What would the Frenchman do?
The battle for victory, however, was now a duel: Bagnaia vs Diggia. The laps ticked down and the gap went out to a few tenths then back down, but no move was made in a tense game of chess. Lap by lap, the two marched on round Lusail. Plenty of moves were made in the podium fight though as Viñales arrived at Binder, Alex Marquez and Marini, with too many headlines to choose as the elbows came out.
The battle for victory, however, was now a duel: Bagnaia vs Diggia. The laps ticked down and the gap went out to a few tenths then back down, but no move was made in a tense game of chess.
By five to go, “Mapping 8” appeared on Diggia’s dashboard, before “0000000” appeared on his pit board. Everyone was left wondering what that exactly meant. Regardless, as Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) also made his way through on Martin, more points in the title fight were on the line at the front as Diggia decided to make his move.
It was a pretty perfect one at that, squeezing through at Turn 12. And Bagnaia tried to reply on the cutback but Diggia shut the door. From there they headed round the final sector and then corner before blasting onto the main straight, and then hearts went into mouths in the Ducati Lenovo box.
Crossing the line with 2.7 seconds in hand, the Italian becomes the eighth different winner of the season.
Bagnaia tucked in and gained down the straight before pulling out to try and take the lead back – and couldn’t get it stopped. He managed to pull up enough to avoid clattering into the Gresini and headed into the run off, then able to scrub off the speed and rejoin in second. Own goal avoided for the Championship leader, but that was that if Di Giannantonio could do three more clean laps of Lusail. And he could!
Crossing the line with 2.7 seconds in hand, the Italian becomes the eighth different winner of the season and takes an emotional maiden MotoGP™ victory. Bagnaia takes those 20 points to extend the gap to 21 over Martin, with the Spaniard crossing the line in tenth after a dramatic weekend of contact in the Tissot Sprint, a little glory and disappointment for both riders, everything on the line… and the title fight definitively to be decided in the final round.
Marini completed the podium as he pulled enough out late on to stay out of range of Viñales, with the Aprilia rider still charging up to fourth. Fifth went to Binder, ahead of Alex Marquez and Quartararo, who got extremely close to that fight in the final laps. Bastianini also charged up the order, setting a scorcher late on and finishing eighth ahead of Miller.
Behind Martin, a final frisson of stress hovered in the form of Marc Marquez over the final lap, but the number 93 couldn’t find a way through. Zarco, right behind both the number 93 and his own teammate Martin, tried a move though – and made some contact with Marquez, the Honda staying up but Zarco barely, dropping back a few seconds to take P12 only tenths ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and Rookie of the Year Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) completed the points.
Moto2 Thailand, Malaysia, and now Qatar. It’s three wins in the last three races for Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) as the Spaniard lights up the Lusail International Circuit to bag another 25-point haul in 2023, as Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46) and Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) finish just 0.009s apart in the battle for the podium – the former clinching a debut rostrum with P2.
Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) got a good launch from pole position to grab the holeshot ahead of Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) and Aldeguer, with Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) grabbing P4 from P6 on the grid. Canet went backwards at the start but a great recovery ride on Lap 1 saw the Spaniard climb back up to P2 by the time the field crossed the line for the first time.
Thailand, Malaysia, and now Qatar. It’s three wins in the last three races for Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) as the Spaniard lights up the Lusail International Circuit to bag another 25-point haul in 2023.
At the start of Lap 2, Aldeguer was well wide going into Turn 1 – a mistake that saw the #54 drop to P9. Canet then pounced on Roberts for the lead on Lap 2, with Dixon passing Vietti for P3 on the same lap. The Italian then dropped behind Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) with 15 laps to go, as Aldeguer began to pick his way back through the pack.
With 12 laps left, the top nine were split by 1.9s. Vietti had slipped to P10, just ahead of World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who were only two seconds adrift of P1 themselves. On Lap 7 of 18, Dixon made a move stick for P2 on Roberts and soon after, Aldeguer followed the #96 through – and then got the better of him.
Aldeguer then led with 10 to go and on Lap 8, the Spaniard slammed home a 1:57.725 – over half a second quicker than anyone else could muster up. A couple of laps later, Aldeguer was 1.1s up the road from Canet and Gonzalez, with Dixon dropping to just over a second away from the podium fight in P4.
A run of three 1:57.6s saw Aldeguer’s lead climb to two seconds despite the best efforts of Gonzalez, who had got the better of Canet for P2. A comfortable final couple of laps came for Aldeguer as Gonzalez and Canet went head-to-head for P2. It was Dixon vs Ogura for P4 as we enjoyed two great battles unfold, but for a third straight race it was all about Aldeguer – another stunning ride from the SpeedUp star as he hunts down P3 in the Championship heading to Valencia.
Canet was pipped to P2 by Gonzalez who celebrates a first podium in Moto2™, while Ogura’s last corner move on Dixon saw the Japanese rider claim P4 from P12 on the grid. Vietti claimed P6, 1.2s off Dixon, with Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Acosta completing the top eight. Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Arbolino rounded out the top 10.
Roberts slipped to P11 by the chequered flag as Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – who set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap – was left to rue a poor start to finish P12. Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing), Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), and Jeremy Alcoba (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) were the final points scorers in Qatar.
Moto3
The 2023 FIM Moto3™ World Championship has been decided in dramatic fashion after an action-packed Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar saw Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) fight his way to victory in one of the most eventful races of the season. The Spaniard did not have it easy by any means as rookie sensation David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) was snapping at his heels on the final lap, but the Colombian couldn’t quite find a way through and neither could Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who came third the hard way: fighting his way through the pack after a jump start for the Turk saw him serve a double Long Lap penalty.
Tensions were high as the Moto3™ riders lined up on the grid ahead of the first match point of 2022. The pressure was weighing down on the shoulders of Masia as he prepared for his first chance to become a World Champion, and with Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) six places ahead on the grid,
The 2023 FIM Moto3™ World Championship has been decided in dramatic fashion after an action-packed Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar saw Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) fight his way to victory.
The lights went out and it was Öncü took the holeshot but an obvious jump start for the Turk would come back to haunt him later on. The elbows were firmly out on the first lap as Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) led across the line the first time around. The Spaniard had Öncü, Sasaki, Alonso, and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets -MSI) for company. Öncü was then awarded a double long lap penalty for that Jump Start, serving his first straight away as he dropped down the order. But he would be back.
Meanwhile, Masia was on a charge from 10th place on the grid and put himself well within the mix. The chaos continued to unfold as positions were swapping and changing from corner to corner. A harsh move came from Masia early on as he forced himself and Sasaki wide, with both losing out but the latter most definitely more.
It was deja vu with 10 laps remaining as Masia made the same move again on Sasaki as he tried to stuff it up the inside but sent the pair of them wide once again as they dropped down the order to fifth and seventh. For that, the #5 got a conduct warning too. Still, it didn’t take long for the pair to climb their way back to the front before Sasaki reaped his revenge and pushed Masia wide to line up behind the now-leading Holgado.
As the laps ticked the bar-bashing continued as Holgado, Masia, Sasaki, and Alonso swapped and changed positions. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) joined the party ahead of the final six laps with 15 bikes still in contention for victory.
Masia hit the front with four laps to go as Sasaki made sure to put himself just behind the Spaniard. They came across the line one lap later and Sasaki made his move with Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) now up into the top three. It didn’t last long for Sasaki as the Japanese rider got swallowed up by the chasing pack and dropped like a stone down to eighth, however.
It went from bad for worse for Sasaki then, with as the front five broke away with the number 71 stuck battling with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), Masia’s teammate, with Masia still leading the way. The final lap came around and Öncü was the rider on the march, joining the top three with Alonso and Rossi still in podium contention. No one could touch Masia on the final lap though, with the Leopard rider sealing it with a win as Sasaki tried everything he could to recover positions. Then, a big moment halted his progress to P6 and that was that: Masia was crowned the 2023 FIM Moto3™ World Champion.
Alonso tried everything he could to get the better of the Leopard machine ahead of him, but it wasn’t meant to be for the Colombian as he was forced to settle for second ahead of Öncü. Despite his efforts in the latter stages, Rossi just missed out on a podium position as he came across the line just behind Öncu in P4. Over a second further back was Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) who got the better of Sasaki following the Japanese rider’s last-lap moment.
Alex Marquez takes to the top step for the first time ever in MotoGP during the Sprint Race at Sepang! The title fight then heated up as Bastianini blasts back to glory on Sunday. Pecco vs Martin: it’s official. The fight for the 2023 FIM MotoGP World Championship is now a duel. Race Reports: MotoGP.
Alex Marquez takes to the top step for the first time ever in MotoGP during the Sprint Race at Sepang!
Tissot Sprint Race
The final chapter of the 2023 Championship story is underway and the momentum swung a little more in the direction of the purple corner in Saturday’s Tissot Sprint. With Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) taking a classy, dominant victory and absolutely charging through to it too, that left Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to battle it out. And the former claimed P2, with polesitter Pecco having to settle for P3. Now, the gap ahead of Sunday’s race is just 11 points.
The rider who got the best start on the front row was actually Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), but the Beast played it to perfection for teammate Bagnaia (spoiler alert) as the Championship leader didn’t come under attack as he grabbed the holeshot and the number 23 slotted in behind. Alex Marquez struck soon after to take second though, with Martin shuffled down to fourth early doors.
The rider who got the best start on the front row was actually Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). the Beast played it to perfection for teammate Bagnaia as the Championship leader didn’t come under attack as he grabbed the holeshot.
Bagnaia led Alex Marquez led Martin as the number 89 hit back against Bastianini on Lap 1, and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was past the second factory Ducati not long after. Heartrates then hit the roof at the end of Lap 2 as Alex Marquez went for a dive on Bagnaia for the lead at the final corner. The reigning Champion let the Gresini machine steam past and head wide, taking back the lead, and that left Alex Marquez nearly side by side with Martin instead, squabbling for second. The Gresini decisively grabbed it at Turn 1, however, and from there was able to start reeling Bagnaia in.
He did just that, with Martin able to stay close and Bastainini coming back at them too, back past Miller, and with five to go Alex Marquez struck with a brutal, clean move for the lead. And then came Martin, the number 89 attacking Bagnaia almost immediately. The hammer went down.
With five to go Alex Marquez struck with a brutal, clean move for the lead. And then came Martin attacking Bagnaia.
That left Bastianini with some decisions, right on the tail of his teammate and Pecco looking to recover after losing two positions in fairly quick succession. There was another twist in the tale too as something white then appeared on the front fairing of the #1 Ducati, some debris stuck on the bike. But it didn’t last too long as the battle for third was allowed to continue regardless.
Bagnaia held on, and Bastianini may not have attacked, but he definitely put on some pressure and proved two points at once – his speed and a little team spirit, certainly in terms of avoiding too much risk. It almost cost him fourth too, with a late charge from Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) saw the South African and the Beast nearly side-by-side over the line after a last corner squabble.
MotoGP Sepang Sprint.
MotoGP Sepang Sprint.
One second back from that battle was Miller as the Aussie kept himself within the mix for most of the Sprint to bring home a solid 6th-place finish. Another second back was Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), who fended off Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) to take 7th place. The Italian’s teammate Luca Marini took the final Sprint point in 9th ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) who rounded out the top 10.
Sunday Race Day Pecco vs Martin: it’s official. The fight for the 2023 FIM MotoGP World Championship is now a duel, and it’s a duel split by just 14 points as we head into the final two race weekends. It was also an early race duel at Sepang as the two went toe-to-toe in the fight for the podium, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) defending with everything he had against now sole challenger, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). But that was the fight for third!
Pecco vs Martin. The fight for the 2023 MotoGP World Championship is now a duel, and it’s a duel split by just 14 points.
Up ahead, Enea Bastianini’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) fantastic return to form continued as the number 23 moved through to the lead, set some absolutely searing pace, and wasn’t to be seen again. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) kept him honest enough, however, with the number 73 following up his Sprint win with another Grand Prix podium.
It was almost three abreast into Turn 1 once the lights went out, with the front row side-by-side. Bastianini played it safe, Bagnaia was on the outside, and it was Martin who let the brakes off – diving up the inside to very briefly take the holeshot. But he was deep and Bagnaia took the chance to try and cut back in, but the #1 wasn’t in the postcode of the apex either. He got back past Martin but Bastianini was already through, as was Alex Marquez.
Pecco held on to third against Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) but Martin wasn’t so lucky, getting shuffled back behind the Italian and left with a little more work to do from fifth.
And so Bastianini led Alex Marquez, with a small but increasing gap back to some stunning early race fireworks. Once Martin was able to get back past Bezzecchi, he was right on the tail of Bagnaia and the teams, factory and grandstands held their breath as the show began.
The number 89 was all over the number 1 but he attacked and was denied, attacked and was denied as the two scythed round Sepang near side-by-side. It was stunning, and it could prove important in terms of more than just points. On Sundays when they’ve both seen the flag, the reigning Champion has only finished ahead of Martin once since the Red Bull Ring – on the day of Johann Zarco’s history-making win in Australia. Bagnaia hasn’t beaten Martin in a Sprint since Catalunya. But at Sepang, the reigning Champion also turned the tables in qualifying, nabbing pole from Martin and outqualifying the number 89 for the first time since Barcelona.
The number 89 was all over the number 1 but he attacked and was denied, attacked and was denied as the two scythed round Sepang near side-by-side. It was stunning, and it could prove important in terms of more than just points.
From that huge shot of adrenaline though, it became an ebb of tension as the laps ticked down. Bastianini led Marquez, both in clear air. Bagnaia was in a “safe” third, and Martin a “safe fourth” as the battle behind was the next.
By five laps to go, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) had arrived at Bezzecchi, and this time the Yamaha rider struck quickly, slicing through almost immediately. The he was left trying to hold off the mighty power of the Ducati out the final corner and down the main straight into Turn 1, but it was mission accomplished – Quartararo was up into the top five as Bezzecchi officially dropped out on title contention.
At the front, Bastianini pounded on. With just over a second in hand, the Beast was keeping very calm as he carried on.
At the front, Bastianini pounded on. With just over a second in hand, sometimes up to 1.5, the Beast was keeping very calm as he carried on – and very, very fast. He crossed the line for his first win since Aragon last year with a second and a half in hand, becoming the seventh different winner this season. Alex Marquez returned to the Grand Prix podium in second, Bagnaia took that vital third, and Martin was forced to settle for fourth to end the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia 14 points adrift. Still, there are 74 left in play.
Quartararo took fifth from Bezzecchi, with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Franco Morbidelli putting on a charge into seventh and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) P8. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was hot on the heels on the Australian, and they had Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) for company too as he completed the top ten.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and his teammate Pol Espargaro completed the points – with one notable name missing out on some being Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he crashed out of the battle with Miller and Diggia, rider ok.
Moto2
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is the 2023 Moto2 World Champion thanks to a P2 finish at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia. The Spaniard becomes the youngest Moto2 title winner – taking that accolade off Marc Marquez – as Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools Speed Up) strode to a commanding third win of the campaign. Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing) kept his composure to secure a hard-earned debut Moto2 rostrum in P3.
Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools Speed Up) strode to a commanding third win of the campaign.
There was drama from the off as polesitter Aldeguer and Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) made contact on the exit of Turn 1 which saw the latter crash out. Thankfully everyone managed to avoid the Spaniard but one rider who had to take evading action was Arbolino. The Italian lost ground and was down to P7, with Acosta capitalising on Gonzalez’s misfortunes to climb up to P2.
On Lap 2, desperate to pick off the riders ahead of him, Arbolino’s slim title hopes then all but vanished. The #14 made small contact with Ai Ogura’s (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) rear wheel at Turn 9, then made more contact with Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40), as Arbolino ran onto the grass. That dropped him outside the top 20.
Aldeguer’s lead kept growing and with seven laps left, six seconds split him and Acosta.
Back at the front, Aldeguer was operating on another level. By Lap 4, the Spaniard was over two seconds clear of Acosta, who in turn was over a second up the road from third place Ramirez. Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up) was P4 and had Ogura and Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) for company, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) just slightly adrift of the fight for P4.
Aldeguer’s lead kept growing and with seven laps left, six seconds split him and Acosta. Ramirez was holding Lopez, Ogura and Dixon a second behind him, with Ogura beginning to climb all over the back of Lopez’s rear wheel. With six to go, Ogura was through and then set about chasing Ramirez for the final spot on the podium.
With three to go, Ramirez was coming under increasing pressure. Ogura was taking two or three tenths a second a lap out of the Spaniard’s advantage but up the road, there were no issues whatsoever for Aldeguer and the Champion elect Acosta. Aldeguer took the chequered flag a sensational 7.1s clear of anyone to claim a dominant victory, but it was all eyes on the rider in P2 as Acosta crossed the line to become the 2023 Moto2™ World Champion and a two-time Grand Prix Champion after his 2021 Moto3™ success. Take a bow Pedro, what a season!
Just behind, Ramirez did manage to fend off Ogura to claim a first Moto2™ podium, with the latter coming from P13 on the grid to challenge for a podium, as Dixon rounded out the top five. Chantra and Lowes take home P6 and P7, with Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and the recovering Arbolino rounding out the top 10. A disappointing day for the #14 sees his title hopes disappear for 2023, but he’ll be back stronger in 2024
Moto3
The Netherlands has a new Grand Prix winner, and the first since 1990 as Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) defeated teammate – and title challenger – Ayumu Sasaki in the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia. Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) completed the podium in a close race to the finish that went right to the final corner. It’s now likely a two-horse race for the crown too, with some big drama for three of the five contenders on the way into the weekend at Sepang.
The Netherlands has a new Grand Prix winner, and the first since 1990 as Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) defeated teammate – and title challenger – Ayumu Sasaki in the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia.
Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) got the best start from Row 2 and looked like he was going to take the holeshot before Veijer shot through and somehow kept it nicely in line, with Masia then able to grab second too. It didn’t take long for the Leopard rider to grab the lead though, and the number 5 then started to seriously push. Who could go with him? Initially the answer was Sasaki, Veijer and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), but the small group couldn’t break away. It quickly became a freight train once again, but there was drama coming.
After a dramatic weekend before the lights went out, with the Buriram winner suffering some crashes including in qualifying, David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) started well down the order. By 13 laps to go, he was already into the top ten. But then came the drama as he suddenly crashed out in the group, taking, among others, fellow contender Dani Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) out of the race – all riders ok, but the group split and two key members of the Championship fight out of the race.
The group became Masia, Sasaki, Veijer, Öncü, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team). As the laps ticked down the tension was high but no one was able to make a difference – until a difference was made for some. Rueda got it wrong at the final corner when going for a move on Bertelle, making contact with the Italian then unable to save it and going down – in a nightmare, also tagging and taking down his teammate Öncü just ahead. Again, all riders ok – Bertelle staying upright and Öncü getting back in it, but that left a trio fighting for victory: Masia, Sasaki… and Sasaki’s teammate, Veijer.
This wasn’t a team game though. Veijer passed Sasaki for the lead as the final lap began, and he then got the hammer very much down as he gunned for his first Grand Prix win to follow up his maiden podium. But still, it all went down to the final corner.
Sasaki looked for a way through and it looked like he couldn’t find one, but Veijer was wider than his teammate – leaving them gassing it away from the apex almost in unison and the number 71 very close behind. But the drag to the line wasn’t enough and Veijer kept it, taking his first win and first Grand Prix victory for the Netherlands since the 1990 Czech GP! Sasaki took second on a day that saw so many contenders find bad fortune, Masia also took a podium and 16 points. The Spaniard is therefore now 13 clear of Sasaki in the title fight, with Alonso and Holgado both now at a deficit of 41 points.
Ortola ultimately came home fourth ahead of David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) and Joel Kelso completing the second group down to P8. Filippo Farioli (Red Bull KTM Tech3) beat Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) to ninth, with Bertelle ending up P11 after his involuntary excursion. Öncü impressively got back on and took P12. But not so, with a time penalty equivalent to a Ride Through later given to Muñoz for causing a crash, moving all up a position behind where he’d crossed the line and that just enough to technically keep Öncü in the fight for the crown…
Front wheel bike stands are invaluable in workshops, trailers, or anywhere you want to keep your bike upright, and they can be placed against walls or in corners to maximise space too. We use them to help store our press bikes here at BikeReview HQ, plus use them on our trailer. Here is the new Acebikes stand.
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