Race One
Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) record-breaking campaign culminated in securing his second MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto after he won Race 1. The reigning Champion needed to score only two points to become a back-to-back Champion and he did just that to add his name to an exclusive club as he fended off Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) to end his hopes of taking the title fight until the last day of the season.

Bautista got the holeshot when the 20-lap race got underway and immediately looked to pull out a gap over his rivals, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) started from seventh but made his way into second by the end of Lap 2 knowing he had to win the race to have any chance of delaying Bautista’s coronation. With the #1 a few tenths clear, the #54 set about closing the gap and was faster in some sectors, while the Ducati was faster in others.

However, despite the Turkish rider’s pressure in the first half of the race, the reigning Champion was able to start edging clear with the gap reaching just under a second by the start of Lap 11. As the margin increased, so did his grip on the Championship. Needing just two points to win his second title, the #1’s victory by just over a second, after backing off on the final lap, meant he wrapped up the World Championship, to become the first Ducati rider to retain his title since Carl Fogarty in 1998 and 1999.

Razgatlioglu came home in second despite his valiant efforts in the early stages of Race 1, with the Turk finishing just over a second behind the now double WorldSBK Champion, with the #54 immediately congratulating his rival on the cool-down lap. The win was Bautista’s 25th win of the season, while it was his 87th podium in his WorldSBK career. For Razgatlioglu, it was his 114th rostrum to move him level with Tom Sykes as he took his 19th second place of the year.

The fight for the final spot on the podium was a three-way fight between Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who started from the fourth row, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the early stages before the #22 dropped down in the closing stages. ‘Loka’ came through on Lowes at Turn 13 for P4 on Lap 12, before making the same move on future teammate Rea two laps later to claim third and his 14th career podium. Rea finished in fourth, just under a second back from the Pata Yamaha rider.

With Lowes dropping down the order, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) battled for fifth, with the #9 taking P5 by just 0.887s. Petrucci was able to close in on Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in the Independent Riders’ battle as the #47 crashed out after an incident with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at Turn 9 on Lap 14. The #21 was given a Long Lap Penalty for the incident and finished in eighth; six seconds behind Lowes who was able to stem his drop down the field for seventh. In the fight to be the second Ducati rider in the standings, Bassani’s non-score and Rinaldi’s eight points have allowed the latter to close the gap to just three points. For the Independent Riders’ battle, Petrucci now trails Kawasaki-bound Bassani by 28 points.

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) claimed ninth after being unable to take advantage of Rinaldi’s penalty with the Italian coming out ahead of the #7 after serving his Long Lap Penalty. He was three seconds clear of teammate Xavi Vierge, while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 11th. With Kawasaki Puccetti using a factory ZX-10RR this weekend, the Spaniard was able to equal his best result in WorldSBK. He was two seconds clear of Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) in 12th, while Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was the lead BMW rider in 13th. He fended off teammate Garrett Gerloff as he recovered from a Turn 2 crash on Lap 10, with the American able to battle back for two points. Malaysian rider Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Honda) rounded out the points scoring positions.

Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) narrowly missed out on his first point of the year in 16th, as he finished less than a tenth away from the Malaysian. Late substitute Leandro Mercado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was 17th, just a few seconds away from his teammate, while Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 18th. The #77 tumbled down the order in the opening stages after suffering a technical problem but was able to finish ahead of wildcard Florian Alt (Holzhauer Racing Promotion) in 19th.

After an impressive Tissot Superpole performance, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed out at Turn 8, after making contact with the back of Bassani’s Panigale V4 R, with the #47 able to stay on his bike despite the contact. The Australian was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following his crash and he will be reassessed tomorrow morning before Warm Up after suffering a deep abrasion on his right elbow. Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) had been fighting for top BMW honours but a technical issue around the halfway stage forced him into the pits. ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team riders also retired. Scott Redding brought his bike into the pits after completing seven laps, while Michael van der Mark crashed at Turn 13 a few laps later.

Check out the results from Race One here…

Tissot Superpole Race
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second victory of the Prometeon Spanish Round in the penultimate race of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season, while Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) stormed to a maiden podium after he finished 1.5 seconds away from the two-time Champion. The fight for third went to the final stages of the red-flagged Tissot Superpole Race at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto in a race that’ll live long in the memory.

The first two laps were action-packed with changes everywhere you looked. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) got the holeshot but his lead only lasted until Turn 5 when Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came bundling through for the lead. The lead group featured about six riders fighting for the lead, including Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). However, towards the end of Lap 2, the race was red flagged due to track conditions. Aegerter’s engine had smoke pouring out of it, and he pulled off at the side of the track, while Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) crashed at Turn 5; the Spaniard went to the medical centre for a check-up and declared fit.

As three laps hadn’t been completed, the restarted eight-lap race got underway with the original grid; giving Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) a second chance after he crashed on the opening lap of the original race at Turn 6, while Aegerter and Lecuona were also able to restart. The restart was similar to the first one, with the #77 getting the holeshot again and this time leading for longer. Despite Lowes going through on the opening lap, Aegerter came through again at Turn 13, although Bautista passed him on the run into Turn 6 on Lap 2. On Lap 3, Lowes went down at Turn 1 and made contact with the bike of the Turkish rider’s bike, and the Brit went to the medical centre for a check-up. He was later declared unfit with a facial trauma and eyelid wounds.

While the battle for second ignited between Aegerter, Razgatlioglu and Rea, Bautista was able to pull out a gap to make it two from two at Jerez, an take his 58th WorldSBK win. He also secured the Tissot Award for 2023. In the second half of the race, the Swiss star did close in but fell back to claim second and his first WorldSBK rostrum, and the first Swiss rider on the podium; taking full advantage of Rea and Razgatlioglu squabbling behind. The #65 got ahead of the Turk on Lap 6 for second, and he was able to resist any further challenges to claim his 263rd career podium. It means the Race 2 front row will be comprised of Bautista, Aegerter and Rea.

Razgatlioglu will line up from fourth, with his P4 the first time he’s finished a race off the podium this season, climbing a full row forward from his Race 1 starting position, and he’ll be joined by teammate Locatelli on the second row. ‘Loka’ started from tenth but fought his way up to fifth place to give him a better starting position than he had in the first two races of the round despite his crash before the red flag. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took sixth, and the team’s results meant they confirmed the Independent Teams’ title with one race to go.

German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) continued his strong weekend with seventh, just three tenths behind Gardner. He will be joined on the third row by Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who finished eighth, three tenths back, and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in ninth. The #9 was in contention to snatch the Top Independent Riders’ title from Axel Bassani (Barni Spark Racing Team) but his single point wasn’t enough to keep the fight going into Race 2 despite the #47 not scoring; he was involved in an incident with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) at Turn 1 on Lap 6, which will be investigated by the FIM Stewards. Bassani therefore leaves Motocorsa Racing as a two-time Independent Riders’ title winner.

Check out all the results from the Tissot Superpole race here…

Race Two
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a Prometeon Spanish Round hat-trick but he was made to work very hard for it as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) did everything he could to bid farewell to Yamaha with one more victory. Nothing could separate the top two in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standings at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, with the #54 demoted one place for a track limits infringement despite crossing the line in first after he and Bautista scrapped it out in Spain with an incredible 38 passes across their battle across the second half of the race, and 39 in total including the early laps.

Bautista initially got away well when the 20-lap race got underway, but his lead lasted only five corners as six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) forced his way through into the lead, looking to end his Kawasaki career on a high note. The #1 was in second but he ran wide at Turn 2 on Lap 2 which allowed Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) into P2 in the early stages.

However, Rea’s fairytale ended turned into a nightmare on Lap 5. He lost the front of his ZX-10RR into Turn 2 and crashed, dropping all the way down to 23rd and last; handing the lead to the #54 with double Champion Bautista, using a special yellow livery on his Panigale V4 R, into second. The 2021 Champion held a lead of just over a second although the #1 was hunting him down towards the end of the first half of the race.

From Lap 11, the gap between them was consistently reducing before one of the best races ever. On Lap 12, Bautista attempted a move on the inside of Turn 13 but the #54 was able to cut back and keep his lead before the Ducati rider claimed the lead on Lap 13 with a series of passes between the pair. The #1 got ahead on the back straight before his rival responded under braking at the Turn 6 hairpin, before Turns 9, 10 and 11 had three position changes: Bautista holding onto to lead at the end of the lap. On Lap 14, Razgatlioglu got through at Turn 1 but ran wide at the Turn 2 right-hander, allowing the Spaniard back through. Through the right-handers towards the end of the lap, the two rivals were exchanging positions, with Bautista finishing the lap ahead. On this lap alone, there were six changes of position at Turns 1, 2, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

The race continued to ignite with the pair fighting into Turn 6, Bautista getting the run on the straight with the Turkish star responding on the brakes. Later on that lap, at Turn 13, Bautista looked for a move on the inside before the Yamaha cut back to stay ahead on the start-finish straight, before a similar move on Lap 17. A lap later and the Spaniard tried a different move. He looked to outbrake the 2021 Champion at Turn 1, but ran wide which allowed third-placed Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) to close in. It was a similar move on Lap 19 but again, he ran wide, setting up a last-lap showdown.

The Yamaha rider was leading throughout the final lap but his rival, once again, tried a move up the inside of the final corner. Razgatlioglu cut back to retake the lead and crossed the line in first, but he was demoted one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap, on the exit of Turn 13, which allowed Bautista to take his 59th win in WorldSBK, moving him level with Carl Fogarty. In total, the pair passed each other a scarcely believable 38 times from Lap 10 to Lap 20, with all but three corners on the Jerez circuit used to make a move. Razgatlioglu’s second place gave him his 100th podium for Yamaha in his final race with the manufacturer in his 131st race. In third was Swiss rookie was Aegerter, who was just three tenths away from victory, but still took his second podium of the season with third.

GRT Yamaha ended the season on a massive high. Two podiums on the final day of 2023 season kept their podium streak going since they joined WorldSBK, while teammate Remy Gardner missed out on his first podium by just a second behind his teammate in Race 2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was fifth ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in sixth. The #21 had been in the podium fight but dropped down the order in the second half of the race, eventually finishing more than three seconds down on ‘Petrux’.

Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) was seventh and only eight seconds away from Bautista after 20 laps after completing yet another strong weekend as he searches for a 2024 seat. The German was ahead of Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in eighth while stablemate Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) took ninth. The American had crossed the line in tenth, but a post-race penalty for Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) meant the Italian was demoted to P10. The penalty proved crucial in the outcome of the Teams’ Championship. Both Aruba.it Ducati and Pata Yamaha finished tied on 879 points, but the title went to the Ducati team due to having more feature-length wins.

Check out all the results from Race two here…

The post WorldSBK Jerez: Bautista Claims Back To Back Titles appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Tissot Sprint Race
There’s racing, and there’s racing. MotoGP is in the business of the latter, and the Tissot Sprint at Jerez was another sublime showdown as 2023 continues to deliver. The same can be said of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as with the South African went toe-to-toe with teammate Jack Miller over the slightly shortened 11-lap dash, just able to edge clear on the final lap to his second Sprint win in four. Miller certainly made it a Thriller at the front, but the Australian was ultimately pipped to second by reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the final lap, heading ever-so-slightly wide and Pecco needing no second invitation.

The first start saw a crash bring out the red flag as Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was caught out by an incident between Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), with Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) also unable to avoid it. The riders were all ok and able to head back for the restart, but damaged bikes needed moving. Morbidelli was also then given a Long Lap for the contact, to be served on Sunday.

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). Martin then went for Miller, but it wasn’t long before the Aussie struck back, and the squabble offered Bagnaia his first pickpocketing opportunity of the afternoon as he slotted into third: Binder, Miller, Bagnaia and Martin were locked together.

Drama hit then for Alex Marquez as hit the gravel trap, and just one lap later and disaster struck for another Spaniard as Aleix Espargaro crashed out of a point-scoring position for the 3rd time in 2023. The polesitter was out of it, and both will try and reset for Sunday.

Miller took to the front by eight to go, however, and the duel was on. The KTMs still began to pull away from the two Ducatis though, and by four laps to go the gap was half a second. Meanwhile, Martin was riding all over the rear wheel of Bagnaia’s factory Ducati, as the reigning Champion seemed to struggle to hold onto the leading duo. Martin was desperate to find a way past the Italian as the number #1 was proving a tricky hurdle.

Miller and Binder were ragged perfection in the lead though, sliding their way around Jerez circuit in a two-man show for a few laps. Binder looked ready to pounce, Miller held him off, the two blasted round in tandem and then the South African tried it once, denied, but twice, absolutely not shy. It looked like a lot to ask as the number 33 machine squirreled and headed in a little deep, but on the exit Binder sealed the deal, back into the lead with a lap and half to go.

From there, Binder had it pinned. There was no catching the South African this time, and instead the duel was now for second. The Ducatis had gained ground and Bagnaia lined up a move on Miller into the Pedrosa corner, with the Australian trying to resist on the brakes but overshooting it, giving the reigning Champion an opportunity he wouldn’t turn down.

Miller gathered it back up to avoid another duel with Martin, and the Australian didn’t quite get that win or make it a 1-2, but he definitely still stormed Jerez. Bagnaia’s second is an impressive turnaround from where his Saturday started in Q1.

Fifth was also an incredibly close finish. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Racing Team) also had viewers glued to their screens as the Portuguese rider fended off the MotoGP Legend for 5th place… just.

Just 1.5 seconds further back Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had his hands full trying to defend his 7th place from Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing Ducati), but the Spaniard came out on top in that scrap leaving the Frenchman to settle for P8. The Mooney VR46 Racing riders were involved in an intense fight for the final point-scoring position in the Sprint too, in the end it was Bezzecchi who won the battle against Luca Marini to bag 9th place. Bezzecchi is now only three points clear of Pecco in the title fight…

MotoGP Jerez Tissot Sprint Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team (+0.428)
3 Jack Miller – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (+0.680)

Sunday
Two KTMS, one Ducati, and one hell of a race. Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) pounced in style to deny Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) the spoils at the Gran Premio Gran Premio MotoGP Guru by Gryfyn de España, but it went right to the wire – and was far from a two-man show. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was right up in the mix as the podium battle tested out the adage rubbing is racing, but the Australian said it himself: “I love this so much.” And so do we!

It wasn’t without a dash of chaos, drama and, for some, bad luck, however, with former points leader Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) losing that moniker as he slid out. And before the race – that counts – even got going, the first start was Red Flagged after a crash for Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF Team), with Bezzecchi also “involved”, or rather the rider just to the inside of both. The Portuguese rider was a completely innocent party as he got caught up on the outside, and suffered a dislocated shoulder since treated at the Medical Centre. Quartararo? For the team he was certainly innocent of anything more than racing and running out of space. For the FIM MotoGP Stewards the Frenchman deserved a Long Lap…

He was fine to restart though, and as it had been on take one, 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. Polesitter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) lost out once again, with Bagnaia also past and into fourth, and he didn’t waste time attacking Martin either. A stylish swoop around Martin at Pedrosa corner and he was through.

It didn’t take long for Miller to decide he was heading through either, sliding down the inside of teammate Binder at the final corner on his mission for Sunday glory. The KTMs then got the hammer down in tandem too, starting to pull away, before Binder returned the favour and Bagnaia set the fastest lap so far to start reeling them in.

Once on the scene, Bagnaia wasted no time in getting past the Aussie, putting his factory Ducati in the tiniest of gaps at Pedrosa corner to sit up the KTM and making a little contact in the process. He raised his had to apologise, Miller raised his to say pfff. The number 43 was then under attack from Martin as well, but snapped straight back at the final corner. That pushed the Pramac well well wide, but no contact there as he slotted back in just behind Aleix Espargaro into fifth…

A lap later, more penalty drama. Bagnaia was forced to drop one position after that earlier contact though, and the Italian dropped anchor to let Miller past. It was a KTM one-two once again, but Martin soon got back past Aleix Espargaro to start bothering Miller again.

Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) then crashed out from behind Martin, joining earlier faller Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) as a DNF. And Bezzecchi was just about to join them, the Italian sliding out at Pedrosa, rider ok but ceding that points lead.

Back at the front, Binder was now six tenths ahead of Bagnaia, but as the final few laps dawned the Ducati was gaining, gaining and gaining. At the final corner with four to go, Pecco pounced to perfection and headed over the line with three to go in the lead. Could Binder respond?

At first it seemed like a no, but the number 33 dragged the speed from somewhere. He closed back in, and by the final lap it looked plausible if not likely that Binder would get close enough. By the final sector it looked like one motorcycle in the lead, and the last Lorenzo corner was coming.

The stage was set for a lunge, but Bagnaia was having none of it. The reigning Champion was incredibly strong on the brakes and shut the door to perfection, leaving Binder to have a brief look but find no way through. Split by just two tenths over the line, it was fitting it went to the wire after a stunning race.

Miller took third place and that’s now premier class podiums with three different bikes, as well as his first GP rostrum visit with KTM. Martin takes fourth place and was fuming at the Australian for his move, and Aleix Espargaro completed the top five.

Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) took sixth in a close, close finish with KTM wildcard and MotoGP Legend Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The number 26 was thousandths off but took another top ten after an incredible weekend on his return to competition. Behind them, Alex Marquez(Gresini Racing MotoGP) took eighth ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). One bit of late drama saw Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) lose out on that as a technical problem caused him a last lap DNF.

On Quartararo watch, the Frenchman was classified tenth after even more drama. He made progress, did the Long Lap but actually didn’t quite stay in the lines, and then had to do another Long Lap. So the comeback into the top ten was something to write home about. Will we see Yamaha make a statement about the penalty as they did after Assen last season? It seems a story likely to roll on.

With the Championship plot ever-changing in MotoGP, there’s no telling what the next chapter holds as the paddock moves to the SHARK Grand Prix de France on the 12th – 14th of May. It’s no ordinary race weekend either: it’s the 1000th Grand Prix in history. Home heroes Quartararo and Zarco may have had different ideas of how they’d want to arrive into the weekend, but anything can happen – we’ve already had 10 riders on the GP podium this season and they’re both among them. It’s a date with destiny and history, and you don’t want to miss it!

MotoGP Jerez Race Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team
2 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing  (+0.221)
3 Jack Miller – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (+1.119)

PECCO BAGNAIA: “I’m really happy, sincerely. The progress we made this weekend is the best we’ve ever had. Friday I was in quite a bit of trouble with the front feeling, yesterday was better but today was unbelievable, my team did another step. I was looking at the bike yesterday and I saw something, we tried it, and everything was perfect today. We managed the tyres perfectly and finally we won in difficult conditions after two 0s. I was trying to understand if it was possible or not, and then to finish first… just want to say thanks to my team because they did an incredible job.”

Moto2
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) smashed it out the park in Spain, with the Brit back on top for the first time since Emilia-Romagna 2021. No one had an answer for the Brit’s stunning pace, with the number 22 pulling away once in the lead and coming home with time for a huge wheelie over the line.  Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) came home in second after initially leading the way, now equal with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) on points at the top of the Championship, with Alonso Lopez (CAG Speed Up) back on the podium in third.

After getting the holeshot into Turn 1 to get ahead of Lowes, Acosta led the field around most of the first lap until the Brit pounced at the final corner. Arbolino made a lightning start from P10 too, and the Italian was battling Lopez for P3 on the opening lap.

Back-to-back fastest laps of the race saw Lowes pull 0.4s clear of Acosta, who in turn had 1.1s in hand over Lopez. Arbolino was getting beaten up a bit after a good start though, the title chaser embroiled in a battle with Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2) and Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40).

By 14 laps to go, Lowes had stretched his lead out to 0.8s. The top two were in a league of their own at this stage, with Lopez 2.2s off Acosta’s rear wheel. With 11 to go, the leader’s gap was up to 1.7s as Lowes got the hammer down, with Acosta still pulling clear of third place Lopez. Ogura was leading the P4 battle with Arbolino tucked right in behind the Japanese star, before Turn 1 on Lap 13 saw Ogura crash out after very, very slight contact with Arbolino’s rear wheel.

Lap 16 of 21 passed by as Lowes continued to stretch his advantage out over Acosta. With five laps left, 2.3s was Lowes’ margin for error, with Lopez holding off Arbolino for the final podium spot by just over a second. And heading onto the final lap, 2.9s was the gap. Lowes managed to bring his Triumph Kalex machine home for a pitch-perfect Spanish GP victory, as Acosta claimed P2 on home turf to bring himself level on points at the top of the overall standings. Lopez managed to hold off Arbolino by half a second to grab his second rostrum of the season.

Arbolino finished P4 from 10th on the grid, he’s now tied on points with Acosta at the summit of the Championship table. Canet picks up a valuable P5 from a P12 grid slot, ahead of Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar M2), Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Salač and Fermin Aldeguer (CAG SpeedUp) in the top 10.

Moto2 Jerez Race Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team
2 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo (+2.841)
3 Alonso Lopez – CAG SpeedUp +(9.618)

Moto3
Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) has done it again! After taking a maiden win at the Americas GP, the Spaniard doubled down on home turf with another impressive charge to win the Gran Premio MotoGP Guru by Gryfyn de España. It went to the wire in another Moto3 classic at Jerez, with Ortola followed home by some close company from rookie David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar), the first Colombian to take a podium in Grand Prix racing, and veteran home hero Jaume Masia(Leopard Racing).

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took the holeshot off the line and fended off attacks from an eager-starting Ortola, but Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar) soon joined the fight. The front two of Holgado and Ortola began to break away at the front, however, with Öncü next up before Masia made his way past in style at Turn 11 to get on the chase. Yamanaka joined him and the two reeled in the leaders before heartbreak for the Japanese rider as he suffered a technical issue, forced to drop back. 

It then became a six-bike battle for victory as Xavier Artigas (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP) joined the fray, followed by Alonso and fellow rookie Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) into the mix. By six to go, Masia decided it was his turn to lead his home Grand Prix, taking over from Holgado at the front. The second group, by now including Öncü as well as Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing), was on the scene, creating a nine-rider battle for Spanish Grand Prix victory. The race was on!

The order continued to change from corner to corner, but it was Masia leading over the line as the last lap got underway with Alonso in 2nd, Ortola 3rd, Sasaki 4th, and Holgado 5th. But in the course of two corners, Masia dropped from the lead to 4th place as the group barrelled into the final sector. Into the stunning final Jorge Lorenzo corner, Ortola was back in front after a stunning move for the front, and he held off the shuffle behind as he gassed it to the line for a second win in two.

Alonso brought home his first Grand Prix podium in only his sixth race, with Masia able to snap back at Sasaki to take the final podium spot. Still, after incredible speed but some high profile crashes so far in 2023, fourth is some precious points. Rueda rounded out the top 5 after an impressive display on home soi,  with Holgado dropping down to 6th place on the final lap. Still, he retains the points lead.

Suzuki takes eighth after fading slightly late on, but the Japanese rider is also still recovering from his crash last time out. Polesitter Öncü, after getting a Long Lap penalty in the last couple of laps for exceeding track limits, didn’t do it in time and therefore got a 3-second penalty, classified ninth. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) completed the top ten after a tougher weekend for the Brazilian, just ahead of Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team).

Moto3 Jerez Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Ivan Ortola – Angeluss MTA Team
2 David Alonso – Gaviota GASGAS Aspar M3 (+0.034)
3 Jaume Masia – Leopard Racing (+0.215)

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Day One testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto was a busy affair as teams and riders got their first 2023 running under their belt. 2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) topped the times ahead of reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by two tenths of a second, with Bautista crashing in the afternoon, while rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) shone brightly on his debut.

Three rookies were taking part in the Jerez test as they got adjusted to new surroundings, teams and bikes. Petrucci took sixth spot at the end of the day with a 1’39.790s, just over a second slower than Razgatlioglu. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) was ninth fastest on his first day in dry conditions with the Yamaha R1, lapping in 1’39.934, as he worked on linkage, swingarm and electronic components.

Teammate Remy Gardner was close behind in 14th place and six tenths back from Aegerter. Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), learning the Championship and bike along with his team, was the lowest-placed rookie with 19th place as he took to the Yamaha R1 for the first time.

Testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto came to a conclusion for the teams and riders from the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship that attended. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) was able to bounce back from his crash in the morning to record the fastest time with a 1’31.269s set in the afternoon; attempting to break the 1’37s barrier. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was second on Day 2, less than a tenth behind Razgatlioglu while 2022 WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took third place.

After a strong showing on Day 1, three WorldSBK rookies finished the test inside the top ten on Day 2. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth fastest after posting a 1’39.193s, with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) taking eighth place after setting a 1’39.311s. Aegerter’s GRT Yamaha teammate, Remy Gardner, took tenth spot but was only three tenths slower than Aegerter at the end of Day 2; showing how tight the WorldSBK field is in 2023.

Most teams will now be headed to Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal for another two-day test to be held on Tuesday 31st January and Wednesday 1st February.

Read the full report from Day 2 in Jerez on worldsbk.com

JEREZ WORLDSBK TEST 2023 GALLERY

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Ducati
Two-time 2022 race winner Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was able to have a play with Ducati’s GP22 front fairing, while Spanish GP race winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed his test schedule before midday – 24 laps in the bag for Pecco. Pacesetter Zarco lapped quicker than he did in Q2 to finish top of the pile by a tenth and a half, as the Frenchman pocketed 54 laps ahead of his upcoming home Grand Prix at Le Mans. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) was the second fastest Ducati rider on track, the Australian was P4 and completed 53 laps.

Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) was ninth on the timesheets as fellow GP22 rider Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) spent the test riding a GP21, working on his positioning on the bike and focusing on setup to find more consistency. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was 13th fastest and was able to lap 56 times, with fellow rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) clocking 64 laps. 

KTM
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Brad Binder both tested a radically new exhaust, while the Portuguese rider was also working on setup. Binder was testing some geometry and front fork settings and finished the test second, with Oliveira 21st after lapping 65 times.

Remy Gardner was the sole Tech3 KTM Factory Racing bike on track as Raul Fernandez recovers from the injury that saw him miss the Spanish GP. Gardner managed 44 laps but the Australian’s day ended with a crash at Turn 4, that resulted in him losing some skin off his left little finger and hurting his back. Thankfully there’s nothing broken. 

Yamaha
The big news coming from the Iwata camp during Monday’s test was Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Manager, Massimo Meregalli, confirming that Yamaha will have a new aero package at the Italian GP later this month.

Quartararo was one of the busier riders on track as the Frenchman completed 78 laps before calling it a day, ending the test third quickest. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) lapped 83 times, finishing P17, one place ahead of WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team’s Andrea Dovizioso. Rookie Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF Team) crashed unhurt at Turn 7 before midday and was able to get 54 valuable laps in the bank. 

Honda
Ahead of the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) explained that Honda’s test started in FP1 on Friday morning. All things considered, it was a fantastic weekend for the eight-time World Champion in Jerez, but the work continued on Monday. The number 93 was seen testing a 2021 aero package but was mainly focusing on setup, with three bikes on his side of the garage…

Fellow Repsol Honda Team rider Pol Espargaro was lapping on very used Michelin medium tyres in the opening few hours after saying on Sunday that they need to create an environment that has as little grip as possible. The Spaniard was playing with geometry and completed a whopping 85 laps, setting the fifth fastest time in the process.

It wasn’t the day Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) would have been hoping for as he flew back to Barcelona early after a heavy crash at Turn 1. The Japanese rider is experiencing pain in his left knee ligaments – the same he damaged after the Indonesian GP – and although scans revealed no fractures, Nakagami will undergo further scans in Barcelona in a further check up. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) suffered a mechanical problem towards the end of the day at Turn 1, but finished Monday’s test in P11 after lapping 80 times. 

Suzuki
Team Suzuki Ecstar duo Joan Mir and Alex Rins were testing suspension items and swingarms, comparing them to the ones they’ve already tested. Mir finished P6 on the timesheets with a 1:37.756, Rins was P8 and just 0.024s off his teammate’s time. 

Aprilia
As their era without concessions begins, Aprilia were working on suspension, electronics and swingarm settings with Spanish GP podium finisher Aleix Espargaro and teammate Maverick Viñales, both joined on track once again by Test Rider Lorenzo Savadori.

Viñales suffered a crash at Turn 7 before lunch and then had a mechanical issue on the run into Turn 1 in the afternoon session. Savadori also encountered a mechanical issue with one of his RS-GP machines, an incident that brought out the red flags briefly in the afternoon. Viñales got a further 59 laps under his belt to continue his growth on the RS-GP, however, while teammate Espargaro ventured out for 46 laps, eventually ending the day P7 on the timesheets.

Has anyone found a step forward as Pecco’s race pace echoes in their recent memory? We’ll find out in just under two weeks –  join us then for the SHARK Grand Prix de France.

Jerez Test Top Three (Full Results Here)

1 Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 1:37.136
2 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – KTM – +0.158
3 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – +0.368

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Granado sliced his way through to beat second place Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) by 0.6s, with third and the final place on the podium going to Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) after a little drama in Race 1. That was a clash between polesitter Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) and Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40), with the two making contact at Turn 13, the latter crashing out. Pons was given a Long Lap penalty for the incident, which subsequently became a time penalty as the number 71 ran out of time to take it – keeping him off the podium.

Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) and Casadei were the early battle for the lead, but by the halfway mark of the eight-lap race, a leading quintet formed at the front. Granado made his way through and took the lead for the first time at Turn 13 on Lap 6, making a pass stick on Casadei. Pons, meanwhile, had pounced on Garzo and then saw a gap appear underneath Casadei as Granado made his move ahead. The number 71 tagged Casadei and the Italian went down, rider ok but the incident shuffling the pack too.

Granado was clear of the drama in the lead, but behind Pons emerged second, Aegerter third, and Ferrari was up to fourth ahead of reigning Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40). Garzo dropped to sixth after avoiding the stricken Casadei at the final corner.

Pons’ Long Lap Penalty for ‘irresponsible riding’ was then announced during the final lap, but neither he nor Aegerter had chance to act on that before the chequered flag. The Swiss rider instead pulled off a move at Turn 9, set up as he swarmed round the outside of Pons through Turn 8.

Keeping it pinned, Granado took the chequered flag 0.696 seconds ahead of Aegerter for his sixth race win in the World Cup, with Pons crossing the line in third. The penalty saw him demoted to eighth once a three seconds had been added for not taking the Long Lap, giving Ferrari that first podium of the season as the Italian was just behind over the line after a solid start to 2022.

Garzo took fourth and Torres completed the top five to kickstart his title defence, with Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) and rookie Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) next up. The aforementioned Pons was classified P8, and rounding out the top 10 for the first time in 2022 were Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) and Lukas Tulovic (WithU GRT RNF) – the German doing a good job standing in for the injured Bradley Smith despite no testing.

MotoE Race One Podium (Full Results here) 

1 Eric Granado – LCR E-Team – Energica – 14’36.998
2 Dominique Aegerter – Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE – Energica – +0.696
3 Matteo Ferrari – Felo Gresini MotoE – Energica – +1.005

Race Two
Patience was key for Eric Granado as he made it two from two in the opening weekend of FIM Enel MotoE World Cup action, the Brazilian doing the double in style at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. It was an LCR E-Team one-two after he passed team-mate Miquel Pons midway through the final lap around the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto too – the first time the Brazilian had led all race. 

For the second day in a row, Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Racing) got the holeshot from the middle of the front row, but he held the lead only until Turn 5, where Casadei went down the inside. The running order got a shake-up when seemingly everyone went deep into Pedrosa Corner at the other end of the back straight though, and Aegerter emerged in first ahead of pole-sitter Pons and a rider who had started all the way back in eighth: Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE). Fourth at that point was Garzo, ahead of Casadei and Granado.

Pons was back to where he started when he overtook Aegerter at the final corner at the end of Lap 1 though, the number 71 leading the way as Okubo went the other way; passed by both Garzo and Granado on Lap 2. The top four then quickly broke away from the rest, but after Granado sliced past Garzo at the end of Lap 2, it quickly became clear that the battle for victory was going to be a race in three. Even so, the previous day’s winner seemed content to watch Pons and Aegerter chop and change at the front of the field.

Aegerter’s preferred passing zone was Turn 9, while Pons was better under brakes at Turn 6, and the lead switched and switched. Granado, meanwhile, was lying in wait, and the patience paid off as the final lap began. Aegerter made a lunge at Pons at Turn 1 but the Swiss rider went deep – too deep – and Granado took his chance to grab second, then setting his sights on his teammate.

The Brazilian was then able to get the run down the back straight and out-brake Pons at Turn 6, thereafter keeping it pinned to beat his teammate to the chequered flag by 0.217 seconds. In all the shuffling at the front, Casadei had also tagged onto the podium fight and he pinched third late on as he dived up the inside of Aegerter at the final corner, rubbing proving racing on this occasion as the Italian found some better luck on Sunday.

Okubo came home in fifth, just ahead of the two FIM Enel MotoE World Cup title winners to date, as Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) finished sixth and Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) seventh after a tougher Sunday. Rounding out the top 10 were rookie Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing), Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF), and Kevin Manfredi (OCTO Pramac).

Garzo was a surprise non-finisher, the Spaniard crashing when he tried to hang in there on the outside line as Casadei overtook him for fourth at the Lorenzo Corner on Lap 5. Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) took a tumble at the end of Lap 1 after a tangle with Lukas Tulovic (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team), and Yeray Ruiz (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) had a fast fall at Turn 4 on Lap 4, while the other 15 riders made it to the chequered flag.

In the World Cup standings, Granado now enjoys a 17-point lead on the way into France, with Aegerter his nearest rival and Pons another five points behind in third. Can the Brazilian remain unbeaten when MotoE continues in just two weeks from now? Tune into the SHARK Grand Prix de France on 13 – 15 May to find out!

MotoE Race 2 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Eric Granado – LCR E-Team – Energica – 14’36.321
2 Miquel Pons – LCR E-Team – Energica – +0.217
3 Mattia Casadei – Pons Racing 40 – Energica – +0.394

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Read the full race report here…

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The jam packed weekend started on Friday. Reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was the rider to beat. The Championship leader pulled two tenths clear on Friday to hold off the hard-charging Ducati trio of Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), with the Frenchman finding a late 1:37.071 in FP2 to sit top of the pile despite a crash earlier in the day.

FP1
2020 Champion Joan MIr (Team Suzuki Ecstar) topped FP1, the Spaniard’s penultimate lap good enough to hold off a last lap charge from teammate Alex Rins, who ended up just 0.025 behind in second. LCR Castrol’s Honda’s Alex Marquez slotted into third, but there was some headline stealing from Quartararo in a different way to start the day.

The Frenchman was sitting pretty at the top of the timesheets before a wet patch caught him out at the final corner, and the crash left him wincing as the rear wheel of his Yamaha flicked him in the groin. No harm done once he’d had a few minutes to recover, but there were two further moments as well: The first came under braking at Turn 9, before he was then forced to straight line it through the gravel trap at Turn 5. Despite all of that, the number 20 closed out the opening session in fifth, just behind Aleix Espargaro.

FP2
Quartararo was able to pull out those two tenths to take back to the top, but he had competition from Ducati. Looking at the opening day of action, it’s the Bologna factory who may well be his closest challengers on Sunday after Bastianini, Bagnaia and Martin all impressed. The ‘Beast’ jumped ahead of his factory counterpart with the chequered flag out to take second spot late on, but after Bagnaia had earlier led the session too. The number 63 appeared to be back to his brilliant best as he threw in a handful of fast laps, with his best placing him third overall and a quarter of a second adrift of his 2021 title rival.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, suffered two crashes. The first off was at Turn 6, before quickly picking up the bike and rejoining. Whilst heading back to the pitlane, however, the eight-time World Champion was cruising off the racing line at Turn 9 and touched a damp patch that remained from Thursday’s rain. Down went the Spaniard again but former teammate and now KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa was on hand for a taxi back.

Friday Top Three (Full Results Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – 1’37.071
2 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – Ducati –  +0.201
3 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.212

Saturday
History was made at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto after Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) set a new all-time lap record of 1:36.170, an incredible near half second clear of his main competition, aka reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). The Italian denied the number 20 a fifth straight pole position in Andalucia, with a late charge from Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro enough to see him snatch third and another front row.

Q1
There were plenty of disgruntled faces at the conclusion of Q1, most notably from the man tied on points at the top of the World Championship: Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins could only manage 14th on the grid and will be desperately hoping he can conjure up some first lap magic again on Sunday. Repsol Honda Team’s Pol Espargaro missed out on a Q2 place right at the end following a late lap from Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), and KTM had a day to forget as well with their factory stars Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira struggling down in 15th and 21st. Zarco topped the session, with rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) once more an impressive nuisance for the veterans on Saturday.

Q2
Before the first flying laps had even come in we saw drama in Q2 when Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin crashed out at the first corner. A slight bobble saw him crash out and sprint back for his second bike, but the fall had consequences as it forced the cancellation of the majority of laps thanks to the Yellow Flags, meaning Joan Mir’s (Team Suzuki Ecstar) 1:37.616 was the fastest of the five riders whose laptimes still stood.

On the second flying laps, a familiar usual duo were down to business and at it again. Bagnaia took top spot for a split second before Quartararo back took over with a 1:36.790. The pair asserted their dominance early too, sitting four tenths clear of Aleix Espargaro. Bagnaia had company for his first run as Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez latched himself onto the rear of his GP22, but the number 63’s crew got the Italian back out in rapid time, and he was able to shake off the close attention of Marquez. The eight-time World Champion then switched his focus to Quartararo instead, gluing himself to the rear wheel of the reigning World Champion’s Yamaha M1.

History was then made as Bagnaia smashed everyone out of the park with a sensational 1:36.170, a jaw-dropping six tenths clear of Quartararo, as hopes of a fifth straight Jerez pole began slipping through his fingers. The Frenchman improved his laptime but was still four tenths adrift of the brilliant Bagnaia, whose first pole since the Algarve GP last year was an arguably perfect and unbeatable lap.

With the chequered flag out, Aleix Espargaro was able to dig deep to grab the final front row spot out of the hands of Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) too, the Aprilia rider making it a third top three performance in the last four rounds.

MotoGP Qualifying Results (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 1’36.170
2 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – +0.453
3 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – +0.763

After a weekend of speed from both at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, Jerez was the place as the pair were in a class of their own to pull out ten seconds on the rest. In the end, Bagnaia held on for an emotional first win of the year, with Quartararo forced to settle for second but taking an outright points lead in the World Championship, 0.285 off the win.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) broke clear of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jack Miller (Ducato Lenovo Team) in the final laps to take third, and in doing so brings to an end Aprilia’s MotoGP concessions after six years.

As the lights went out, the roars went up as the thousands of trackside fans celebrated their return to the grandstands after three years away. It was the poleman Bagnaia who launched himself into the lead too, with Quartararo settling into second behind. Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller was third on the opening lap, ahead of LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami, and Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez were literally elbow-to-elbow off the line – with the Aprilia diving under the eight-time World Champion into the opening corner only to run wide and allow the Honda back through into fifth. 

Marquez was aggressive later on the opening lap as he fired up the inside of Nakagami to claim fourth, and Aleix Espargaro also squeezed through. Seconds later Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin then crashed out for the fourth time in six races and, on his 200th Grand Prix appearance, HRC’s Stefan Bradl also hit the deck at the final corner.

Meanwhile at the front, only a handful of laps had been completed but the leading duo were already flexing their pace, edging further and further clear of Miller. By Lap 5 it was 1.5 seconds and thr gap just continued to grow. The Australian instead had to focus on hanging onto the final podium place, with both Marquez and Espargaro applying increasing amounts of pressure on the factory Ducati rider.

Darryn Binder (WithU RNF Yamaha) then crashed out at Turn 2, before a big moment in the World Championship fight: after a sluggish start, Alex Rins’ day got worse when the Team Suzuki Ecstar rider straight-lined his GSX-RR through the Turn 11 gravel trap after a big moment on the front end, and then Pramac Racing’s difficult day continued when Johann Zarco crashed out at Turn 5.

By half distance, Bagnaia had eked out an eight-tenth advantage and the Italian would maintain that gap up until the final three laps of the race. But then, a frisson of Jaws music: Quartararo sliced the lead in half and was starting to close in. Could Quartararo steal Jerez victory away from Bagnaia late on? The pair were pushing to the absolute limit, by then a mind-boggling 11 seconds clear of the rest.

They started the final lap with Bagnaia holding an advantage of just half a second. It would require something special from the reigning World Champion on the final lap, but as they came through the fourth and final sector Quartararo was closing and closing, just a quarter of a second away. But Bagnaia stood firm, withstanding the almighty pressure to take a vital victory in Jerez; a first for the Italian since the season-closing race in Valencia last year and a second for the Bologna factory in Andalucia in as many years. Quartararo’s third podium visit of the season saw him stretch out his Championship leader from nothing to eight points, however, with those 20 for second place proving very valuable.

Much like the duel for victory, the scrap for third took its time to come to life but when it did, it was a thriller. There were five laps left when Marquez made an inch-perfect move up the inside of Miller at Turn 5, and Espargaro behind knew he had to respond or risk seeing the Respol Honda clear off into the distance. And the Aprilia rider had an answer on the same lap as he braked hard and late into the final corner, heading through.

Marquez, meanwhile, was wide into the final corner and the front-end of his RC213V folded. But it wasn’t a crash, it was a number 93 classic: in true Marc Marquez style, he picked it up off of his elbow and continued on. Espargaro and Miller both swooped through to demote the eight-time World Champion to fifth though, and from there the Aprilia checked out, quickly pulling half a second out of Miller. But Marquez wasn’t done, risking it all on the final lap to take fourth thanks to a dive up the inside of Miller at Turn 8 in spectacular style.

Ahead of them, though, Espargaro was coming across the line to take a pivotal podium for the Noale factory. Not only does the Spaniard sit second in the standings, the rider eight points adrift of Quartararo, but Aprilia officially lost their MotoGP concession status after six long years. Behind Marquez and Miller in fourth and fifth was Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir in P6, the 2020 Champion coming into late contention but not quite able to find a move on the those ahead.

Nakagami eventually came across the line in seventh, four seconds clear of Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) in a slightly muted eighth. The erstwhile Championship leader picked off rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing), but the latter matched his best MotoGP result despite that in ninth. The final place inside the top ten went the way of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder.

Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completed the points.

And so we head for Le Mans with a little chance to recharge, and Quartararo out in front in the Championship. He doesn’t arrive from the top step, however, so can the Frenchman fight back on home turf? We’ll find out in two weeks…

Francesco Bagnaia: “It’s a beautiful day. We struggled a lot at the start of the season, during the tests, and we never stopped working. I had the luck to race in Portimao. Even with the pain, I was able to fight to have the same feeling again as last year, and finally this weekend everything went well. I’m so happy. I’m so happy we are back at our potential, or more. Because, last year in this track, we were struggling more compared to Fabio – Fabio was unbeatable – and today, we have done an incredible job. So, I want to say thanks to all the people who have helped me this week with my shoulder problems, and I just want to enjoy today, and give a huge hug to my family at home, to my girlfriend that is at home with my little dog. I’m so happy.”

MotoGP Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 41’00.554
2 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – +0.285
3 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – +10.977

Moto2
One day after taking his first Moto2 pole position, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura became a Grand Prix winner in some style with a brilliant ride at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. The Japanese rider led all 23 laps around the Circuit de Jerez-Angel Nieto to finally, despite having a multitude of podiums and having fought for the Moto3 crown, take to the top step. His wasn’t the only performance deserving of high praise. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) had broken his left radius and a finger on his right hand just a week ago in Portugal, but clenched his teeth to finish second, ahead of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team).

Ogura got the holeshot from pole, while Canet climbed from fourth on the grid to second place when he went around the outside at the first corner. Fermin Aldeguer (Lightech Speed Up) emerged third, ahead of Arbolino, Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), and Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) dropped back a handful of positions after he made contact with Chantra as field poured into the first corner.

Arbolino got past Aldeguer when they arrived at Pedrosa Corner for the first time, and the Spanish teenager soon found himself on something of a slippery dip down the order while Lowes began his fightback from deep in the top 10. Arbolino gained another place when he wrested second position from Canet as they ran through the stadium section on Lap 3, and when Lowes caught up to Chantra, who was still sitting just behind them, it became a five-way fight for the lead.

Even just by starting the race, Canet had showed his incredible determination, and he was not about to roll over in his bid for victory. Just after two unsuccessful attempts to reclaim second from Arbolino, he made a third stick at Turn 9 on Lap 6. Right behind them, Lowes pulled off the same move on Chantra to elevate himself to fourth position.

It wasn’t long, however, until a lead group of five became a lead group of three. Lowes was first to drop out of contention, sliding out on Lap 7 as he ran through Turn 8. One lap later, at the next corner on the race track, Chantra was out when he too folded the front end. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) then inherited fourth, having not long overtaken Vietti, and Aldeguer was back up to sixth. Then, on Lap 9, Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) tried to pass Aldeguer at the Lorenzo Corner (Turn 13), but became the next out of contention as he slid out and collected the number 54.

Less than one second still covered the top three of Ogura, Canet and Arbolino at the end of Lap 13, which marked 10 to go, but on Lap 17 Canet had a big moment at Pedrosa Corner, allowing Ogura to skip several tenths of a second clear. With that, was the Japanese rider seriously started to pull away from the two rivals who had stuck with him for most of the race so far. Ogura’s margin was over a full second on Lap 18, and 2.7 seconds by the time he started the final lap.

When he took the chequered flag, the 21-year-old not only had his first victory in any Grand Prix class, but he also became the fifth brand-new Moto2 winner of 2022. Canet finished 2.5s behind but held on through the pain barrier, and Arbolino was just over a second further back as he completed the podium with more consistent pace.

Fernandez finished fourth, and Marcel Schrötter took fifth after an entertaining battle with Vietti, which was settled when the German squeezed through a small gap at the Pedrosa Corner on Lap 18. Seventh went to Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), ahead of Portugal winner Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team), and Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40).

Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2) finished 11th for his best Moto2 result yet by some margin, ahead of Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Stefano Manzi (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team), the latter the injury replacement for Keminth Kubo. The other two riders to score points were Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP) in 14th and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing team) in 15th. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finished 20th after an early crash while running in the top 10, and Aldeguer eventually retired after his incident with Dixon.

Another weekend and another new winner in Moto2… it doesn’t get much more intriguing than that. Meanwhile in the World Championship, Vietti is now on exactly 100 points, but his lead over Ogura has been cut to 19. Can Moto2’s newest race winner make further inroads next time, will the VR46 rider hit back, or will we get another new face on the top step? Find out at the SHARK Grand Prix de France in two weeks.

Moto2 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 39’16.357
2 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +2.509
3 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +3.669

Moto3
Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) took his first win of the season in almost unbelievable style at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, the number 28 pulling off a stunner round the outside of the final corner to just pip teammate and Championship leader Sergio Garcia to the line. Garcia took the traditional route and dived down the inside to secure second, with Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) doing the same on Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM TEch3) to make it three podiums in a row for the COTA winner – and his first visit to the rostrum at Jerez.

Garcia got the launch from the front row, taking the holeshot ahead of Guevara as Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) moved up into third. The two GASGAS riders were off like a shot making a gap though, with Foggia then getting swallowed up in the early stages and Masia and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) on the chase behind the leading duo.

It soon became a leading quartet, and with nearly 1.8 seconds over the chasing Öncü and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP). But bit by bit they reeled the lead in, and they brought company in the form of Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), having taken his Long Lap for causing a crash in Warm Up, as well as Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – the latter despite having started from the back and having served a Long Lap, given for riding slow on the line in FP3.

Rossi faded from the group and then crashed out, rider ok, and Holgado also found himself left behind, but a leading group of six pushed on: Öncü, Masia, Guevara, Garcia, Sasaki and Artigas. Moreira, after exceeding track limits, was dropped out the group because of a Long Lap Penalty.

Into the final couple of laps, Öncü led Masia led Garcia, with Guevara in fourth and Sasaki and Artigas holding station. The first move came from Guevara, but by Pedrosa corner it was all change: Masia attacked Öncü, Garcia hit back against Guevara and Artigas passed Sasaki. Öncü took back the lead a couple of apexes later, and everything was going down to that final, classic Jorge Lorenzo corner.

Garcia headed down the inside and dispatched Masia and Öncü, and on any other Sunday that would have been another impressive victory from the Championship leader. But not today, with Guevara swooping round the outside of the entire shuffle to make a little last corner poetry. Right round the outside and first to the flag, it’s a first win of the year in what is fast becoming a GASGAS Aspar calling card in 2022: style. Masia just nabbed third from Öncü, with Artigas completing the top five another tenth back. Sasaki took sixth, but from the back and after a Long Lap, it was another impressive Sunday from number 71.

Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) won an all-Japanese duel against Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) for P7, with Holgado beating Moreira to ninth. There was a small gap back to Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) vs Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) in P11 and P12, with Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) completing the points.

Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) crashed out, and Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) retired after getting caught up in the Warm Up incident instigated by Rossi, the Australian fit to try but pulling in.

After another poetic final corner from the GASGAS team, it’s time for Garcia to lead the pack to Le Mans… and Guevara now third and a little closer. After a tougher weekend for Foggia it’s now a 21-point deficit at the top, so it’s could be time for the gloves to come off. Tune in for the SHARK Grand Prix de France in two weeks!

Moto3 Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 39’19.873
2 Sergio Garcia (Gaviota  GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – +0.061
3 Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.208

The post MotoGP Weekend: Francesco Bagnaia Wins In Jerez appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The event will once again be hosted at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, which last year saw the Italian team score an extraordinary one-two finish with Jack Miller on the top step of the podium and Pecco Bagnaia second. The Australian rider scored his first win of the year on that occasion, turning a difficult start to the season around. After a DNF at Portimão, Miller is determined to repeat his 2021 performance at Jerez. 

Pecco Bagnaia, who finished eighth last week after a superb comeback from last place on the grid, is also looking to get back to the front and close the gap on Championship leader Quartararo, who is currently 38 points ahead. After the first five rounds of the season, Bagnaia finds himself in tenth place, tied on points with Miller in ninth. 

Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 9th (31 points)
“I’m happy to be back on track this weekend and to be able to put the Portimão crash behind me. Racing in Spain is always special because the Spanish fans are very passionate and make the atmosphere unique. Jerez is a track that I like and where I have great memories after winning last year, my first on a Ducati, which came after a crash in the Portuguese GP. It would be nice to come back and win again this year. I’ll try to give my best to get the best possible result”.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 10th (31 points)
“After the crash in qualifying in Portugal, these days off were crucial to rest and recover my strength. Despite the pain and the fact that we couldn’t ride much on slick tyres, we were fast in the race on Sunday, and we were able to achieve the objective we had set ourselves. This shows that we are working well and that race after race, my feeling with the Desmosedici GP continues to improve. Now we arrive at Jerez, where we finished on the podium last year, to finally be among the protagonists of the weekend”.

Circuit Information

• Country: Spain  
• Name: Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto
• Fastest Lap: Quartararo (Yamaha), 1:37.770 (162,8 km/h) – 2021
• Circuit Record: Viñales (Yamaha), 1:36.584 (164,8 km/h) – 2020
• Top Speed: Zarco (Ducati), 300,8 km/h – 2021
• Track Length: 4.4 km
• Race Distance: 25 laps (110.6 km)
• Corners: 13 (5 left, 8 right)

2021 Results 

• Podium: 1st Miller (Ducati); 2nd Bagnaia (Ducati), 3rd Morbidelli (Yamaha)
• Pole Position: Quartararo (Yamaha) 1:36.775 (164,5 km/h)
• Fastest lap: Quartararo (Yamaha), 1:37.770 (162,8 km/h)

The post Ducati Lenovo Team Ready To Attack Jerez appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Jerez is a venue all know as the track hosted not one but two pre-season tests for the Cup, but some have the edge on experience. The two current riders to have won at the venue are Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) and Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) – two expected challengers this season too – and two-time Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons HP 40), another expected frontrunner, has been on the podium at the track. The fight between the three has already thrilled before, and 2022 promises another titanic showdown.

2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE), meanwhile, looks to have got his mojo back a little more in 2022 if the test timesheets are anything to go by, and Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) is back with a bang. The former podium finisher returns to MotoE this season and put in the fastest lap overall at the test, looking to fight for the Cup in the 2022 season.

The likes of Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team), a race winner last year, and Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40), already a podium finisher, can’t be counted out, but we will have to wait a little longer to see the return of Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE Team). After a crash at the 24h of Le Mans, the Brit is sidelined for the MotoE season opener and will be replaced by Lukas Tulovic – the German likewise an experienced electric runner.

There are some intriguing rookies this season. Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE), multiple podium finisher in WorldSBK and Marc Alcoba (Openbank Aspar Team) – fastest rookie in testing – switches WorldSSP machinery for MotoE. Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) is another as the Spaniard joins from dominating the European STK600 Championship, the same position Fermin Aldeguer was in at the start of his MotoE adventure.

The new Q1-Q2 format means qualifying takes place on Friday at 16:50, before Race 1 gets underway at 16:25 on Saturday. Race 2 then sees the field head out at 15:30 on Sunday, completing a packed weekend of track action for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup!

The post MotoE Ready To Start The Season In Jerez appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

As World Champions tend to do, the duo arrived at the bodega in style, blasting across the cobbles on the two KTM 1290 Super Dukes and off the back of some burnouts, as ever. Once inside, the two had a blast round La Conchabuilding within the complex, and then it was time to connect their horsepower to the carriage.

Against the backdrop of the sun-drenched bodega, the two headed up a traditional carriage helmed by a local coachwoman, with their MotoGP and Moto2 bikes first taking centre stage and two stunning flamencas adding a dash of even more local flavour. Then it was time to pull the carriage and for that, the two KTM 1290 Super Dukes were on hand once again – connected together to keep the show rolling smoothly across the cobbles, and past the Alcazar in central Jerez.

Now it’s next stop the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, with both ready to saddle up back in the day job of being two of the fastest riders in the world.

Remy Gardner: “It’s been really fun, we just pulled around some ladies in the carriage, that was fun. It’s a pretty nice place here! I didn’t know it existed, it’s nice to explore Jerez and I’m super excited to be here. I’m feeling good about the weekend, we managed to score two points last week and hopefully we can improve on that. Seem like last year in testing we went quite fast here so I’m looking forward to getting the weekend started.”

Pedro Acosta: “Hanging out with Remy is always fun, I managed to disconnect a bit! I’m trying not to think about the race too much and just enjoy. I don’t have expectations of the weekend, I just want to continue learning and bit by bit get towards the front. And, more than anything, enjoy it.”

The post Gardner & Acosta Saddle Up In Style At Gonzalez Byass Bodega  appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....