Twisted Gut
Necrotic
I'm going to the BSB test session at Donington, will see if I can get some pics
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kool, looking forward to the start of the season over there. Post what ya take Twisted.
WSBK »
WSBK Chang International: Bayliss repeats tweaks to find Ducati gains
20 March 2015
Troy Bayliss says he rolled back the years during Friday practice at the Chang International Circuit, repeating the same tweaks he made seven years ago
WSBK Chang International: Bayliss repeats tweaks to find Ducati gains
20 March 2015
Troy Bayliss says he rolled back the years during Friday practice at the Chang International Circuit, repeating the same tweaks he made seven years ago
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WSBK Chang International: Bayliss repeats tweaks to find Ducati gains
Troy Bayliss rolled back the years and says he used tactics from seven years ago which were able to do the same trick during free practice at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand.
The former three-time World Superbike champion finished the day seventh fastest overall with a quick time of 1m 35.690s, on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale R and was relatively satisfied by the developments made during the day. The Australian rider was constantly making small tweaks to his bike throughout both sessions which saw him make significant gains each time.
“We had a few little dramas this morning that meant that it took us a little while to get going,” Bayliss said. “I was feeling ok but nothing really special in the first practice. I knew we'd be able to more this afternoon on the softer tyre and I was right, able to go immediately quicker.
“Then we made a change mid-session, a change that also used to help us in the past, and I was able to make some quick laps, with my fastest lap coming on a tyre that had done 13 laps. So I'm really happy now, when I got off the bike I felt like I did seven years ago.”
Bayliss finished one second off pace-setter Alex Lowes and remains confident ahead of the second round of the 2015 World Superbike championship.
The 45-year-old rider is acting as cover for the injured Davide Giugliano. Bayliss also raced in place of Giugliano for the World Superbike championship season opener at Phillip Island, marking a return to racing after retiring in 2008
MotoGP » Moto2: Rabat writes off bike, but ‘wet now a strength’
19 March 2015
“I've turned what was a weakness in my armoury into a strength. Now I know I am fast in the dry and the wet” - Esteve Rabat.
Moto2: Rabat writes off bike, but ‘wet now a strength’
Moto2 world champion Esteve Rabat escaped with cuts and bruises from a big turn four accident on the final day of pre-season testing at Jerez.
The Spaniard's Estrella Galicia Marc VDS Kalex was 'damaged beyond repair' in the incident, which marked the end of his 120 wet laps. However Rabat insists that his previous wet weather weakness has now been overcome.
Rabat, who set the seventh fastest lap time during the brief period of slick-tyre running on day two, declared:
“I know many riders were not so happy with three days of rain here in Jerez, but for me the conditions were perfect. To race in the rain you need to test in the rain, and we certainly got plenty of chances to do that this week!
“On the first day the feeling wasn't so good, but the second day was a little bit better and today we made a big step forward in what were definitely the wettest conditions of the three days. Instead of being two or three seconds behind the riders who are always fast in the wet, now I'm much closer and, in many cases, faster.
“So, overall, I'm happy with what we've achieved during this test, despite the crash today. I've turned what was a weakness in my armoury into a strength. Now I know I am fast in the dry and the wet.”
But rookie team-mate Alex Marquez wasn't happy with the conditions. The reigning Moto3 World Champion needed dry track time to continue his familiarisation with the Kalex Moto2 machine he'll campaign this season, but the inclement weather meant that the 18-year-old Spaniard completed only 31 laps over the course of the three days.
“The weather here in Jerez couldn't have been worse for us,” said Marquez, who was 19th fastest. “For the first two days the track was neither wet nor dry and the only time it was even close to fully dry the session was red flagged. In those conditions you learn little, but you risk a lot, so it just wasn't worth taking the chance with us being so close to the first race in Qatar.
“Today was completely wet, but it's not wet track time I need. I need track time in the dry as I adapt to the Moto2 bike and this has been in short supply during all three preseason tests. It's not the ideal preparation for my Moto2 debut, but it's been the same for everyone, so we'll all be in the same situation when we get to Qatar next week.”
Team principal Michael Bartholemy added: “If Tito had a weakness last season then it was his performance in the wet, but I think the rain holds no fear for him anymore. This year he's had the chance to master the conditions, as rain has been the only constant at all three of the preseason tests in Valencia and Jerez.
“But, while the conditions have been good for Tito, the opposite is true for Alex, who needed as much dry track time as possible as he makes the transition from Moto3 to Moto2. I know these past three days have been frustrating for him, but he is mature beyond his years and hasn't let the lack of track time faze him at all.
“We now head to Qatar with one rider looking to start his title defence with a race win and the other determined to mark his Moto2 debut with a strong showing. I am confident that both are more than capable of achieving their respective goals!”
19 March 2015
“I've turned what was a weakness in my armoury into a strength. Now I know I am fast in the dry and the wet” - Esteve Rabat.
Moto2: Rabat writes off bike, but ‘wet now a strength’
Moto2 world champion Esteve Rabat escaped with cuts and bruises from a big turn four accident on the final day of pre-season testing at Jerez.
The Spaniard's Estrella Galicia Marc VDS Kalex was 'damaged beyond repair' in the incident, which marked the end of his 120 wet laps. However Rabat insists that his previous wet weather weakness has now been overcome.
Rabat, who set the seventh fastest lap time during the brief period of slick-tyre running on day two, declared:
“I know many riders were not so happy with three days of rain here in Jerez, but for me the conditions were perfect. To race in the rain you need to test in the rain, and we certainly got plenty of chances to do that this week!
“On the first day the feeling wasn't so good, but the second day was a little bit better and today we made a big step forward in what were definitely the wettest conditions of the three days. Instead of being two or three seconds behind the riders who are always fast in the wet, now I'm much closer and, in many cases, faster.
“So, overall, I'm happy with what we've achieved during this test, despite the crash today. I've turned what was a weakness in my armoury into a strength. Now I know I am fast in the dry and the wet.”
But rookie team-mate Alex Marquez wasn't happy with the conditions. The reigning Moto3 World Champion needed dry track time to continue his familiarisation with the Kalex Moto2 machine he'll campaign this season, but the inclement weather meant that the 18-year-old Spaniard completed only 31 laps over the course of the three days.
“The weather here in Jerez couldn't have been worse for us,” said Marquez, who was 19th fastest. “For the first two days the track was neither wet nor dry and the only time it was even close to fully dry the session was red flagged. In those conditions you learn little, but you risk a lot, so it just wasn't worth taking the chance with us being so close to the first race in Qatar.
“Today was completely wet, but it's not wet track time I need. I need track time in the dry as I adapt to the Moto2 bike and this has been in short supply during all three preseason tests. It's not the ideal preparation for my Moto2 debut, but it's been the same for everyone, so we'll all be in the same situation when we get to Qatar next week.”
Team principal Michael Bartholemy added: “If Tito had a weakness last season then it was his performance in the wet, but I think the rain holds no fear for him anymore. This year he's had the chance to master the conditions, as rain has been the only constant at all three of the preseason tests in Valencia and Jerez.
“But, while the conditions have been good for Tito, the opposite is true for Alex, who needed as much dry track time as possible as he makes the transition from Moto3 to Moto2. I know these past three days have been frustrating for him, but he is mature beyond his years and hasn't let the lack of track time faze him at all.
“We now head to Qatar with one rider looking to start his title defence with a race win and the other determined to mark his Moto2 debut with a strong showing. I am confident that both are more than capable of achieving their respective goals!”
you bloody beauty !
Factory MV Agusta returns to TT with Hutchy
Published: Yesterday 13:55
Iconic Italian manufacturer MV Agusta will return to the Isle of Man TT in 2015 with five-in-a-week TT winner Ian Hutchinson. Hutchionson will ride under the banner of British Supersport team Hampshire Motorcycles, with sponsorship from Chinese beer brand Tsingtao.
The Bingley Bullet will be looking to harnass the past glories of the iconic manufacturer as he campaigns on their F3 machine in the Supersport TT races. MV won 34 races and took 61 podium finishes around the Mountain Course from 1952 to 1972, with the last coming at the hands of legend Giacomo Agostini in the Senior TT.
Speaking after the news was announced, MV AGusta boss Giovanni Castiglioni commented: “MV Agustas are indelibly associated with the Isle of Man TT Races and we are looking forward to adding the next chapter in our long and successful history of racing on the Isle of Man. Ian Hutchinson is a legend around the Mountain Course and it is fitting that he is following in some of the great names that have raced MVs at the TT.”
Team boss Dave Tyson added: “I’m really pleased with the signing of Hutchy for this year’s IOM TT as well as the North-West 200. It gives us a great opportunity to challenge at the front and, as we all know, he is a TT winner.
“MV Agusta has a winning tradition at the TT and we are going to do everything we can to do that. I know that Giovanni and all the staff at the Italian factory are supporting us and it means we can have a real shot at it.
“The 2015 F3 is better than ever and results in WSS have proven the bikes competitive so we now need to make that happen on the 36 ¾ mile circuit. It is the third time we have been at the TT, in 2013 the team was the first to bring a Chinese bike and this year we hope to bring a trophy back to Hampshire MV Agusta.”
Factory MV Agusta returns to TT with Hutchy
Published: Yesterday 13:55
Iconic Italian manufacturer MV Agusta will return to the Isle of Man TT in 2015 with five-in-a-week TT winner Ian Hutchinson. Hutchionson will ride under the banner of British Supersport team Hampshire Motorcycles, with sponsorship from Chinese beer brand Tsingtao.
The Bingley Bullet will be looking to harnass the past glories of the iconic manufacturer as he campaigns on their F3 machine in the Supersport TT races. MV won 34 races and took 61 podium finishes around the Mountain Course from 1952 to 1972, with the last coming at the hands of legend Giacomo Agostini in the Senior TT.
Speaking after the news was announced, MV AGusta boss Giovanni Castiglioni commented: “MV Agustas are indelibly associated with the Isle of Man TT Races and we are looking forward to adding the next chapter in our long and successful history of racing on the Isle of Man. Ian Hutchinson is a legend around the Mountain Course and it is fitting that he is following in some of the great names that have raced MVs at the TT.”
Team boss Dave Tyson added: “I’m really pleased with the signing of Hutchy for this year’s IOM TT as well as the North-West 200. It gives us a great opportunity to challenge at the front and, as we all know, he is a TT winner.
“MV Agusta has a winning tradition at the TT and we are going to do everything we can to do that. I know that Giovanni and all the staff at the Italian factory are supporting us and it means we can have a real shot at it.
“The 2015 F3 is better than ever and results in WSS have proven the bikes competitive so we now need to make that happen on the 36 ¾ mile circuit. It is the third time we have been at the TT, in 2013 the team was the first to bring a Chinese bike and this year we hope to bring a trophy back to Hampshire MV Agusta.”
Twisted Gut
Necrotic
Are we going to have some racing this year? That Duc looks good... Vale is still a God!
Twisted Gut
Necrotic
lMajor camera malfunction made for shitty pics at the BSB test, this is all I got. Great day tho, good to see Hutchie settling in. Got to get me to the TT some day.
Chris Walker, Danny Buchan, James Ellison, Michael Laverty. Hutchies bike, Robert Dunlop's Bike.
Chris Walker, Danny Buchan, James Ellison, Michael Laverty. Hutchies bike, Robert Dunlop's Bike.
pity ya camera let ya down Twisted and thanks for the pics, anything one of us takes and posts is greatly appreciated
MotoGP »
MotoGP Austin: Honda explains Stoner decision
10 April 2015
"I understand Casey is disappointed because many, many times I asked 'please come back, please do a wild-card'" - Shuhei Nakamoto, Honda.
MotoGP Austin: Honda explains Stoner decision
HRC vice president Shuhei Nakamoto and Repsol Honda team manager Livio Suppo sat down with a small group of MotoGP media on Friday at the Circuit of the Americas.
Unsurprisingly the first question was about retired double world champion Casey Stoner's interest in replacing the injured Dani Pedrosa at this weekend's event, which HRC reluctantly decided against.
“Casey approached Honda. Casey wanted to help Dani and the team,” Nakamoto confirmed. “To be honest I was a little bit surprised, but I was very happy to get this kind of request from Casey. Then in Japan myself, Kokubu-san [director of technology] and Yokoyama-san [technical director] met to discuss about this.
“For HRC Casey is quite important. He is a VIP. For us, if Casey races again in MotoGP at least he has to fight for a podium. This is our target. For Casey himself I have no doubt he is very, very fast! But for the rest Casey needed a good machine set-up. For this we couldn't find confidence.
“Because for a crew chief, Christian [Gabbarini] is working with Jack Miller now, so we cannot ask him to join Casey again. Ramon [Aurin, Pedrosa's crew chief] is a good engineer but never worked with Casey. Even Christian sometimes struggled to find good, correct set-up for Casey. It means a newcomer is a big question mark to us, to find a good set-up or not.
“Again our priority is I don't want to see Casey fighting for fifth or sixth position. Our priority was Casey must fight for at least a podium. I couldn't find confidence on our side, the technical side, [to do this].
“To me Casey is like a son. So this [decision] was very tough. I understand Casey is disappointed because many, many times I asked Casey 'please come back, please do a wild-card'.
“If we have time, at least one test before he comes to the race, we would say yes. But we had no time to do a proper test.
“Many of the fans including myself want to see Casey fight again, but for me the top priority was for Casey to fight for the podium.”
Stoner has taken part in one Honda MotoGP test this year, at Sepang in January, in his role as a HRC development rider. However Nakamoto explained that did not include any set-up work.
“The Sepang test was to test parts, not to try machine set-up. Before Sepang 1 we tested with Casey. The lap time was reasonably good. Around 1.5s slower than Casey's record time. This was good pace because the track was dirty and no engineers. Only HRC engineers to collect data.
“This means Casey is showing he is very fast, but to close 1.5s you need a good set-up machine.”
And what did Casey say when you told him your decision for COTA?
“He tweets!” quipped Suppo (see below).
Having declined Stoner's offer, HRC test rider Hiroshi Aoyama was hired to ride alongside world champion Marc Marquez for the next two events, while Pedrosa recovers from arm pump surgery.
by Peter McLaren
MotoGP Austin: Honda explains Stoner decision
10 April 2015
"I understand Casey is disappointed because many, many times I asked 'please come back, please do a wild-card'" - Shuhei Nakamoto, Honda.
MotoGP Austin: Honda explains Stoner decision
HRC vice president Shuhei Nakamoto and Repsol Honda team manager Livio Suppo sat down with a small group of MotoGP media on Friday at the Circuit of the Americas.
Unsurprisingly the first question was about retired double world champion Casey Stoner's interest in replacing the injured Dani Pedrosa at this weekend's event, which HRC reluctantly decided against.
“Casey approached Honda. Casey wanted to help Dani and the team,” Nakamoto confirmed. “To be honest I was a little bit surprised, but I was very happy to get this kind of request from Casey. Then in Japan myself, Kokubu-san [director of technology] and Yokoyama-san [technical director] met to discuss about this.
“For HRC Casey is quite important. He is a VIP. For us, if Casey races again in MotoGP at least he has to fight for a podium. This is our target. For Casey himself I have no doubt he is very, very fast! But for the rest Casey needed a good machine set-up. For this we couldn't find confidence.
“Because for a crew chief, Christian [Gabbarini] is working with Jack Miller now, so we cannot ask him to join Casey again. Ramon [Aurin, Pedrosa's crew chief] is a good engineer but never worked with Casey. Even Christian sometimes struggled to find good, correct set-up for Casey. It means a newcomer is a big question mark to us, to find a good set-up or not.
“Again our priority is I don't want to see Casey fighting for fifth or sixth position. Our priority was Casey must fight for at least a podium. I couldn't find confidence on our side, the technical side, [to do this].
“To me Casey is like a son. So this [decision] was very tough. I understand Casey is disappointed because many, many times I asked Casey 'please come back, please do a wild-card'.
“If we have time, at least one test before he comes to the race, we would say yes. But we had no time to do a proper test.
“Many of the fans including myself want to see Casey fight again, but for me the top priority was for Casey to fight for the podium.”
Stoner has taken part in one Honda MotoGP test this year, at Sepang in January, in his role as a HRC development rider. However Nakamoto explained that did not include any set-up work.
“The Sepang test was to test parts, not to try machine set-up. Before Sepang 1 we tested with Casey. The lap time was reasonably good. Around 1.5s slower than Casey's record time. This was good pace because the track was dirty and no engineers. Only HRC engineers to collect data.
“This means Casey is showing he is very fast, but to close 1.5s you need a good set-up machine.”
And what did Casey say when you told him your decision for COTA?
“He tweets!” quipped Suppo (see below).
Having declined Stoner's offer, HRC test rider Hiroshi Aoyama was hired to ride alongside world champion Marc Marquez for the next two events, while Pedrosa recovers from arm pump surgery.
by Peter McLaren
Dog interrupts COTA MotoGP practice
Marquez masters mixed conditions to lead Friday COTA MotoGP
Dog running across the track interrupts practice session
Marc Marquez showed he is still the man to beat at the Circuit of the Americas as the Repsol Honda rider set the quickest time on the opening day of the Grand Prix of the Americas, as both sessions were subjected to unsettled weather.
On a rapidly drying track surface in Free Practice 2, Marquez set a 2’04.835 on his last lap of the day to top the timesheets by 0.327 seconds from CWM LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow in second place, while Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone was a further 0.028 seconds behind in third. To set their best times, both Marquez and Crutchlow used the medium compound slicks front and rear, while Iannone used soft compound slicks front and rear for his quickest lap.
The first session of the weekend, Free Practice 1, took place in heavy rain and although the track was still damp for the start of FP2, strong sunshine and warm ambient temperatures allowed the tarmac to dry quickly. After track temperatures lingered in the high teens in FP1, in the afternoon the track temperature reached a peak of 28°C.
Throughout the wet FP1 session in which Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso finished quickest, all riders used the main wet tyre option, the soft compound front and rear wet tyres. In FP2, a few riders ran some exploratory laps on soft compound wet tyres to gauge the track conditions, before switching to slick tyres halfway through the session.
With the track still damp in parts, most riders initially set out on the softest rear slick option available, the medium compound rear slick for the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders, and the soft compound rear slick for the rest of the field, paired with either the soft or medium compound front slick. The less than ideal conditions meant that the hard compound front and rear slicks remained unused in today’s sessions.
The weather forecast indicates a strong chance of rain for the rest of the weekend, with the next MotoGP session, Free Practice 3 starting at 0955 local time (GMT -6) tomorrow.
Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department – “It was raining and quite cold in the morning session which is never pleasant for the riders, but it did give them a first-ever chance to assess the grip levels of this circuit in wet conditions.
“Given that there is a good possibility of rain over the rest of the weekend, the data collected this morning is quite valuable. We can now see that this circuit can dry quite quickly once the rain has stopped, and given we have worked hard to improve the warm-up performance and feel of our 2015 specification slicks, it was pleasing to see that the riders were able to push quite hard on slick tyres after just a couple of laps of dry running.
“We also had positive feedback from the riders on the performance of our soft compound wet tyres in FP1 and the wear rate of this option was quite good as well. Therefore, although the riders can select the alternative, hard compound wet tyres at this circuit, if we see more rainy conditions this weekend I expect most riders will continue to run the soft compound wet tyre.”
Marc Marquez – P1 – 2’04.835 [LAP 10/10] – “Today was a positive day and in general it went fairly well. In the morning we rode in wet conditions, which was important because it is possible that Sunday’s race will be under the same circumstances and we were able to discard a few things. In the second session we were able to ride in the dry and, although we only put in five fast laps, the feeling was good and we could draw a few conclusions. Let’s hope that tomorrow the weather is dry and we can continue trying out some modifications to the bike to improve further –although the important thing is that our initial feeling is positive.”
Cal Crutchlow finished fourth at the inaugural Texan GP in 2013, and although he had a race to forget last year, finishing seventh as top satellite rider at this season’s first race in Qatar mean the British rider arrived in the USA in high spirits. That showed as he set the second fastest time of the day on board his factory spec Honda RC213V, impressing just as he had two weeks ago in Qatar. This weekend Crutchlow is using a new frame supplied by HRC on one of his bikes, and the 29 year-old admitted that although quick, he would like more laps in the dry, with the morning session completely wet and the afternoon starting with damp patches in certain areas.
Cal Crutchlow #35, 2nd (2’05.162, lap 12 of 12) – “At the moment, my feeling is not too bad. I think we still need to do more laps on the new chassis, I’ve only had a few laps in the dry so I still have no idea. Of course, I’ve gone well today but there is always room for improvement.
“I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made today though, and the speed wasn’t so bad. I need to understand it more, run a race distance on it and just see where we are. In the rain in the morning I’d only done six laps in the rain in Sepang with the other bike, so it was a learning process. We had a bit too much power in some areas and a bit too much wheelieing but this is all part of the first day of riding at a track you haven’t been to yet.”
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 2’05.190 (3rd) – “I am pleased with how today ended. FP1 this morning was a bit more difficult for me because I didn’t have a good feeling with the bike in the wet. In the afternoon however, I managed to be quite quick with the bike in its dry weather set-up and right from the start of the second session I had a good feeling with the GP15: I like the way it behaves and so I am satisfied with our situation at the moment. Let’s see tomorrow what the weather conditions are going to be like.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 2’05.646 (5th) – “All things considered today was a positive day, even though the conditions were rather particular. But we are happy because we were quick both in the rain and in the dry. This afternoon the main aim was to stay in the top 10 because tomorrow morning it will probably rain. Unfortunately we were unable to work very much with dry settings, I only did four laps and the feeling with the bike is not good enough yet. We have to improve a few things, both in the wet and in the dry, if we want to fight for the podium tomorrow, but the limits of the bike are pretty similar in the various weather conditions, and so in any case tomorrow.”
Suzuki riders experienced their GSX-RR machines on rain tyres for the first time in anger this season. The provisional classification sees Aleix Espargaro well up at the top of the results sheets with a solid fourth place, obtained thanks to a positive 2’05.564s lap scored on his very last lap. His young team-mate Maverick Viñales struggled a little more, but his best-lap of 2’07.011s sees him in 15th place overall.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager: “This has been a very strange day, with variable weather conditions that required extra effort as the riders had to adapt. This morning we made our debut in wet conditions, our machines and riders had never ridden properly in hard rain before so we had to start with a basic set-up from where we tried to improve, according to the data and feedback from the riders. Fortunately in the afternoon we could run in dry conditions and both riders did make major improvements since they have more experience with these conditions. Aleix did a good job running out on track as much as possible and getting well into the leading group, which is good in case the rain falls tomorrow as well. Maverick on his side of the garage kept on with his personal development plan in the class and made many laps with the same tyre, getting more and more confidence. For sure we still have to improve and it is impossible to say how the weekend will proceed, since it depends on the weather conditions.”
Aleix Espargaro: “I’m happy for the final position; like in Qatar I finished the early sessions with a virtual position near the top which is good, but overall this has not been a fully satisfying day. This morning we had to start from zero with the rain since we have no experience in the wet. I feel the bike is performing well, but we still have a huge amount of work to do for the final set-up and on my own I still have a lot to learn about how the bike behaves and reacts. In dry conditions we have much more experience, but I have been having the same chatter problem on the rear that we had in the Qatar race. We need to further investigate this and fix it. We will see how the weather develops tomorrow. Today’s fourth place is a good starting point and we can now concentrate on finding the best feeling with the bike.”
Maverick Viñales: “Today was pretty difficult. This morning I had my first experience with the bike in the rain and I feel that I still have a lot of work to do to improve my riding style and also give proper feedback to the engineers to improve the machine. In dry conditions I tried to exploit the session to my advantage, but I had few laps available and unfortunately the engine map on my GSX-RR was not the best one so I couldn’t be as fast as I wanted, but now we can fix it for tomorrow and try to improve more.”
Marquez masters mixed conditions to lead Friday COTA MotoGP
Dog running across the track interrupts practice session
Marc Marquez showed he is still the man to beat at the Circuit of the Americas as the Repsol Honda rider set the quickest time on the opening day of the Grand Prix of the Americas, as both sessions were subjected to unsettled weather.
On a rapidly drying track surface in Free Practice 2, Marquez set a 2’04.835 on his last lap of the day to top the timesheets by 0.327 seconds from CWM LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow in second place, while Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone was a further 0.028 seconds behind in third. To set their best times, both Marquez and Crutchlow used the medium compound slicks front and rear, while Iannone used soft compound slicks front and rear for his quickest lap.
The first session of the weekend, Free Practice 1, took place in heavy rain and although the track was still damp for the start of FP2, strong sunshine and warm ambient temperatures allowed the tarmac to dry quickly. After track temperatures lingered in the high teens in FP1, in the afternoon the track temperature reached a peak of 28°C.
Throughout the wet FP1 session in which Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso finished quickest, all riders used the main wet tyre option, the soft compound front and rear wet tyres. In FP2, a few riders ran some exploratory laps on soft compound wet tyres to gauge the track conditions, before switching to slick tyres halfway through the session.
With the track still damp in parts, most riders initially set out on the softest rear slick option available, the medium compound rear slick for the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders, and the soft compound rear slick for the rest of the field, paired with either the soft or medium compound front slick. The less than ideal conditions meant that the hard compound front and rear slicks remained unused in today’s sessions.
The weather forecast indicates a strong chance of rain for the rest of the weekend, with the next MotoGP session, Free Practice 3 starting at 0955 local time (GMT -6) tomorrow.
Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department – “It was raining and quite cold in the morning session which is never pleasant for the riders, but it did give them a first-ever chance to assess the grip levels of this circuit in wet conditions.
“Given that there is a good possibility of rain over the rest of the weekend, the data collected this morning is quite valuable. We can now see that this circuit can dry quite quickly once the rain has stopped, and given we have worked hard to improve the warm-up performance and feel of our 2015 specification slicks, it was pleasing to see that the riders were able to push quite hard on slick tyres after just a couple of laps of dry running.
“We also had positive feedback from the riders on the performance of our soft compound wet tyres in FP1 and the wear rate of this option was quite good as well. Therefore, although the riders can select the alternative, hard compound wet tyres at this circuit, if we see more rainy conditions this weekend I expect most riders will continue to run the soft compound wet tyre.”
Marc Marquez – P1 – 2’04.835 [LAP 10/10] – “Today was a positive day and in general it went fairly well. In the morning we rode in wet conditions, which was important because it is possible that Sunday’s race will be under the same circumstances and we were able to discard a few things. In the second session we were able to ride in the dry and, although we only put in five fast laps, the feeling was good and we could draw a few conclusions. Let’s hope that tomorrow the weather is dry and we can continue trying out some modifications to the bike to improve further –although the important thing is that our initial feeling is positive.”
Cal Crutchlow finished fourth at the inaugural Texan GP in 2013, and although he had a race to forget last year, finishing seventh as top satellite rider at this season’s first race in Qatar mean the British rider arrived in the USA in high spirits. That showed as he set the second fastest time of the day on board his factory spec Honda RC213V, impressing just as he had two weeks ago in Qatar. This weekend Crutchlow is using a new frame supplied by HRC on one of his bikes, and the 29 year-old admitted that although quick, he would like more laps in the dry, with the morning session completely wet and the afternoon starting with damp patches in certain areas.
Cal Crutchlow #35, 2nd (2’05.162, lap 12 of 12) – “At the moment, my feeling is not too bad. I think we still need to do more laps on the new chassis, I’ve only had a few laps in the dry so I still have no idea. Of course, I’ve gone well today but there is always room for improvement.
“I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made today though, and the speed wasn’t so bad. I need to understand it more, run a race distance on it and just see where we are. In the rain in the morning I’d only done six laps in the rain in Sepang with the other bike, so it was a learning process. We had a bit too much power in some areas and a bit too much wheelieing but this is all part of the first day of riding at a track you haven’t been to yet.”
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 2’05.190 (3rd) – “I am pleased with how today ended. FP1 this morning was a bit more difficult for me because I didn’t have a good feeling with the bike in the wet. In the afternoon however, I managed to be quite quick with the bike in its dry weather set-up and right from the start of the second session I had a good feeling with the GP15: I like the way it behaves and so I am satisfied with our situation at the moment. Let’s see tomorrow what the weather conditions are going to be like.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 2’05.646 (5th) – “All things considered today was a positive day, even though the conditions were rather particular. But we are happy because we were quick both in the rain and in the dry. This afternoon the main aim was to stay in the top 10 because tomorrow morning it will probably rain. Unfortunately we were unable to work very much with dry settings, I only did four laps and the feeling with the bike is not good enough yet. We have to improve a few things, both in the wet and in the dry, if we want to fight for the podium tomorrow, but the limits of the bike are pretty similar in the various weather conditions, and so in any case tomorrow.”
Suzuki riders experienced their GSX-RR machines on rain tyres for the first time in anger this season. The provisional classification sees Aleix Espargaro well up at the top of the results sheets with a solid fourth place, obtained thanks to a positive 2’05.564s lap scored on his very last lap. His young team-mate Maverick Viñales struggled a little more, but his best-lap of 2’07.011s sees him in 15th place overall.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager: “This has been a very strange day, with variable weather conditions that required extra effort as the riders had to adapt. This morning we made our debut in wet conditions, our machines and riders had never ridden properly in hard rain before so we had to start with a basic set-up from where we tried to improve, according to the data and feedback from the riders. Fortunately in the afternoon we could run in dry conditions and both riders did make major improvements since they have more experience with these conditions. Aleix did a good job running out on track as much as possible and getting well into the leading group, which is good in case the rain falls tomorrow as well. Maverick on his side of the garage kept on with his personal development plan in the class and made many laps with the same tyre, getting more and more confidence. For sure we still have to improve and it is impossible to say how the weekend will proceed, since it depends on the weather conditions.”
Aleix Espargaro: “I’m happy for the final position; like in Qatar I finished the early sessions with a virtual position near the top which is good, but overall this has not been a fully satisfying day. This morning we had to start from zero with the rain since we have no experience in the wet. I feel the bike is performing well, but we still have a huge amount of work to do for the final set-up and on my own I still have a lot to learn about how the bike behaves and reacts. In dry conditions we have much more experience, but I have been having the same chatter problem on the rear that we had in the Qatar race. We need to further investigate this and fix it. We will see how the weather develops tomorrow. Today’s fourth place is a good starting point and we can now concentrate on finding the best feeling with the bike.”
Maverick Viñales: “Today was pretty difficult. This morning I had my first experience with the bike in the rain and I feel that I still have a lot of work to do to improve my riding style and also give proper feedback to the engineers to improve the machine. In dry conditions I tried to exploit the session to my advantage, but I had few laps available and unfortunately the engine map on my GSX-RR was not the best one so I couldn’t be as fast as I wanted, but now we can fix it for tomorrow and try to improve more.”
The first practice at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) had certainly been full of surprises. Rossi and Lorenzo initially battled themselves up to provisional 3rd and 13th respectively in a soaking wet morning session, but just 12 minutes into FP1 the red flags came out after a dog ran across the track, delaying the session by 20 minutes.
Once the session re-started, nine-time World Champion Rossi returned to the track and was able to better his time to a 2‘20.593 for a fourth place. He further improved his time in the afternoon. As dry patches started to form, he made the most of the last 18 minutes of track time and clocked a 2‘05.691. His time put him in sixth place, 0,856s from the front.
Teammate Lorenzo kept his caution in the first free practice as he struggled with a lack of rear grip, causing him to finish in ninth place with a 2‘21,486 lap. As the track dried out during FP2, the Spaniard gradually reached a personal best of 2‘06.174. He holds eleventh in the combined times, less than five tenths of a second from his teammate in sixth place.
Valentino Rossi – 6th – 2’05.691 – 13 laps – “It’s important to test on the wet because last year I never had a good feeling with the YZR-M1 under these conditions. We changed a lot on the setting of the bike and today I finished fourth on the full wet, which is not so bad, but on the dry I feel better. I am only sixth because I hit some traffic and I can do a little bit better than that. We still have to work, but the first feeling of the bike is not so bad.”
Jorge Lorenzo – 11th – 2’06.174 – 11 laps “Today was a very difficult day for me. Since this morning I feel pretty bad. I didn‘t feel comfortable with either the bike or myself. My physical condition today it‘s not good, I got a cold and today I started on antibiotics because I feel sick. I couldn‘t work in a normal way; I feel weaker due to the cold. The doctors told me it‘s bronchitis and I suffer a lot when riding the bike. We have a lot of work to do with the machine but first of all I need to recover. Hopefully tomorrow it will be better with all the treatments. I‘m so sorry because today we couldn‘t improve the pace and I couldn‘t be competitive.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director – “It is untypical weather in Austin. This morning it was cold, wet and windy but it was better in the afternoon. We have to be prepared, because the weather for the coming days is unpredictable, making this a tricky weekend. Anything can happen, so we have to be ready. Considering the uncertainty of the weather forecasts for this weekend, today was a good day in terms of data collecting, because we could practise on the wet and the dry. Unfortunately we only had 20 minutes on a dry track but those were important. We have some work to do to improve the settings of the bike for both conditions. This means we have to work in two directions, because we have to be ready for every circumstance, but we are confident that we can do it.”
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider, Scott Redding, showed his wet weather prowess by posting the third fastest time in this morning’s wet free practice. During the afternoon the 22-year-old Briton quickly found his rhythm and spent much of the free practice inside the top ten, only to be relegated to 12th position as a number of rivals switched to the soft rear tyre right at the end of the session.
Scott Redding – P12 – 2’06.216 – “This morning in the wet FP1 session we managed to find a good set up and a good feeling in the rain, which was good for us. Even FP2 wasn’t too bad, as the feeling was better than it was in Qatar, so we’ve made the step forward that we were expecting, but we still need to work a little bit more with the chassis set up to get the bike to turn a little better. In Qatar I felt like I’d lost the feeling with the bike, but today I felt much more comfortable on the bike and that builds confidence. I think we can find further improvements tomorrow, but today was a pretty good start to the weekend for us, despite the unpredictable weather.”
Hiroshi Aoyama, stand in rider for the injured Dani Pedrosa, finished the opening day 16th fastest.
Hiroshi Aoyama- P16 – 2’07.268 [LAP12/12] – “Unfortunately this morning’s session was in wet conditions which wasn’t the easiest start for me in learning how to ride this bike. We adjusted the bike a little and by the end I had more confidence. This afternoon it was slightly damp still but we rode on the slicks so I could get some experience in drier conditions. We didn’t really change too much on the bike, I just needed to put in some laps as I’m still missing a good feeling on the bike.”
Jack Miller last raced at the COTA track in 2014 in the Moto3 class, and on that weekend took pole position before going on to win the race – leading every single lap in the process. The Aussie started the opening day of MotoGP practice well, particularly in the wet morning session when he finished as the 13th fastest rider out in the desperately tough conditions. In the afternoon the team encountered a couple of technical issues, but nonetheless Miller impressed by sealing the 19th best time of the day and ending up as top open spec Honda rider.
Jack Miller #43, 19th (2’07.916, lap 12 of 14) – “It was a good day all in all, but I’m not too happy with the dry session. We didn’t get to do what we needed to do on the suspension, but the rest of it was pretty good. We had a few problems with the brakes, but we know what the problem was. Now we look forward to what the weather will do tomorrow and then prepare things accordingly.”
For Aprilia Racing Team Gresini this was just the second stop in a long season where the bike and team will have to grow, motivated by competition on the track in the highest level motorcycle racing championship.
Alvaro Bautista, after finishing the morning FP1 in eleventh place (wet), finished with the 17th best time, putting 2’07,419 on the sheets. Marco Melandri (who is riding on the Texan track for the very first time) finished with the 24th best time at 2’11,258.
Romano Albesiano – (Aprilia Racing Manager) – “A day conditioned by the weather. In the morning we were able to test in the wet and it didn’t go too badly at all. The afternoon was a difficult session to interpret. In the end it dried out enough and Bautista was in the pack and his feeling with the bike was positive, so we’re happy enough. With Marco we’re trying a big more radical engine control solutions so his performance is suffering in this aspect as well.”
Fausto Gresini (Team Manager) – “Bautista demonstrated progress compared to the first race and that is encouraging. We didn’t lap much in the dry, but on the wet he had good sensations and since rain hasn’t been ruled out for the next few days, it’s important for us to be ready for these conditions as well. We are really at the beginning and we are all putting forth our best effort, we just need time.”
Alvaro Bautista – “Today we had the chance to lap in the wet. We tried different power management maps, especially coming out of turns, and I was quite comfortable. This is important because the forecast is uncertain and we need to be ready in case we have a wet race. In the afternoon with a half dry track I used slicks only in the second part of the session. Now we need to work to improve grip, especially in the middle of turns, and power management. We’ll be working on these aspects tomorrow.”
Marco Melandri – “Two very different sessions because of the weather. On my bike we’re exploring some rather different electronics solutions and my performance is suffering because of that. But on the other hand, we don’t want to leave anything untried to recover that feeling and confidence in the bike that I need in order to push the way I’d like to. There is still a lot of weekend ahead and we have a lot of work to do.”
Once the session re-started, nine-time World Champion Rossi returned to the track and was able to better his time to a 2‘20.593 for a fourth place. He further improved his time in the afternoon. As dry patches started to form, he made the most of the last 18 minutes of track time and clocked a 2‘05.691. His time put him in sixth place, 0,856s from the front.
Teammate Lorenzo kept his caution in the first free practice as he struggled with a lack of rear grip, causing him to finish in ninth place with a 2‘21,486 lap. As the track dried out during FP2, the Spaniard gradually reached a personal best of 2‘06.174. He holds eleventh in the combined times, less than five tenths of a second from his teammate in sixth place.
Valentino Rossi – 6th – 2’05.691 – 13 laps – “It’s important to test on the wet because last year I never had a good feeling with the YZR-M1 under these conditions. We changed a lot on the setting of the bike and today I finished fourth on the full wet, which is not so bad, but on the dry I feel better. I am only sixth because I hit some traffic and I can do a little bit better than that. We still have to work, but the first feeling of the bike is not so bad.”
Jorge Lorenzo – 11th – 2’06.174 – 11 laps “Today was a very difficult day for me. Since this morning I feel pretty bad. I didn‘t feel comfortable with either the bike or myself. My physical condition today it‘s not good, I got a cold and today I started on antibiotics because I feel sick. I couldn‘t work in a normal way; I feel weaker due to the cold. The doctors told me it‘s bronchitis and I suffer a lot when riding the bike. We have a lot of work to do with the machine but first of all I need to recover. Hopefully tomorrow it will be better with all the treatments. I‘m so sorry because today we couldn‘t improve the pace and I couldn‘t be competitive.”
Massimo Meregalli – Team Director – “It is untypical weather in Austin. This morning it was cold, wet and windy but it was better in the afternoon. We have to be prepared, because the weather for the coming days is unpredictable, making this a tricky weekend. Anything can happen, so we have to be ready. Considering the uncertainty of the weather forecasts for this weekend, today was a good day in terms of data collecting, because we could practise on the wet and the dry. Unfortunately we only had 20 minutes on a dry track but those were important. We have some work to do to improve the settings of the bike for both conditions. This means we have to work in two directions, because we have to be ready for every circumstance, but we are confident that we can do it.”
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider, Scott Redding, showed his wet weather prowess by posting the third fastest time in this morning’s wet free practice. During the afternoon the 22-year-old Briton quickly found his rhythm and spent much of the free practice inside the top ten, only to be relegated to 12th position as a number of rivals switched to the soft rear tyre right at the end of the session.
Scott Redding – P12 – 2’06.216 – “This morning in the wet FP1 session we managed to find a good set up and a good feeling in the rain, which was good for us. Even FP2 wasn’t too bad, as the feeling was better than it was in Qatar, so we’ve made the step forward that we were expecting, but we still need to work a little bit more with the chassis set up to get the bike to turn a little better. In Qatar I felt like I’d lost the feeling with the bike, but today I felt much more comfortable on the bike and that builds confidence. I think we can find further improvements tomorrow, but today was a pretty good start to the weekend for us, despite the unpredictable weather.”
Hiroshi Aoyama, stand in rider for the injured Dani Pedrosa, finished the opening day 16th fastest.
Hiroshi Aoyama- P16 – 2’07.268 [LAP12/12] – “Unfortunately this morning’s session was in wet conditions which wasn’t the easiest start for me in learning how to ride this bike. We adjusted the bike a little and by the end I had more confidence. This afternoon it was slightly damp still but we rode on the slicks so I could get some experience in drier conditions. We didn’t really change too much on the bike, I just needed to put in some laps as I’m still missing a good feeling on the bike.”
Jack Miller last raced at the COTA track in 2014 in the Moto3 class, and on that weekend took pole position before going on to win the race – leading every single lap in the process. The Aussie started the opening day of MotoGP practice well, particularly in the wet morning session when he finished as the 13th fastest rider out in the desperately tough conditions. In the afternoon the team encountered a couple of technical issues, but nonetheless Miller impressed by sealing the 19th best time of the day and ending up as top open spec Honda rider.
Jack Miller #43, 19th (2’07.916, lap 12 of 14) – “It was a good day all in all, but I’m not too happy with the dry session. We didn’t get to do what we needed to do on the suspension, but the rest of it was pretty good. We had a few problems with the brakes, but we know what the problem was. Now we look forward to what the weather will do tomorrow and then prepare things accordingly.”
For Aprilia Racing Team Gresini this was just the second stop in a long season where the bike and team will have to grow, motivated by competition on the track in the highest level motorcycle racing championship.
Alvaro Bautista, after finishing the morning FP1 in eleventh place (wet), finished with the 17th best time, putting 2’07,419 on the sheets. Marco Melandri (who is riding on the Texan track for the very first time) finished with the 24th best time at 2’11,258.
Romano Albesiano – (Aprilia Racing Manager) – “A day conditioned by the weather. In the morning we were able to test in the wet and it didn’t go too badly at all. The afternoon was a difficult session to interpret. In the end it dried out enough and Bautista was in the pack and his feeling with the bike was positive, so we’re happy enough. With Marco we’re trying a big more radical engine control solutions so his performance is suffering in this aspect as well.”
Fausto Gresini (Team Manager) – “Bautista demonstrated progress compared to the first race and that is encouraging. We didn’t lap much in the dry, but on the wet he had good sensations and since rain hasn’t been ruled out for the next few days, it’s important for us to be ready for these conditions as well. We are really at the beginning and we are all putting forth our best effort, we just need time.”
Alvaro Bautista – “Today we had the chance to lap in the wet. We tried different power management maps, especially coming out of turns, and I was quite comfortable. This is important because the forecast is uncertain and we need to be ready in case we have a wet race. In the afternoon with a half dry track I used slicks only in the second part of the session. Now we need to work to improve grip, especially in the middle of turns, and power management. We’ll be working on these aspects tomorrow.”
Marco Melandri – “Two very different sessions because of the weather. On my bike we’re exploring some rather different electronics solutions and my performance is suffering because of that. But on the other hand, we don’t want to leave anything untried to recover that feeling and confidence in the bike that I need in order to push the way I’d like to. There is still a lot of weekend ahead and we have a lot of work to do.”
Top ten combined Free Practice 1 & 2 times – COTA MotoGP
1. Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2’04.835
2. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) CWM LCR Honda 2’05.162
3. Andrea Iannone (ITA) Ducati Team 2’05.190
4. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP 2’05.564
5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Ducati Team 2’05.646
6. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2’05.691
7. Pol Espargarò (SPA) Monster Yamaha Tech3 2’05.840
8. Stefan Bradl (GER) Forward Racing 2’05.990
9. Yonny Hernandez (COL) Pramac Racing 2’06.092
10. Bradley Smith (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech3 2’06.134
11. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2’06.174
12. Scott Redding (GBR) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 2’06.216
13. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) Pramac Racing 2’06.294
14. Mike Di Meglio (FRA) Avintia Racing 2’06.591
15. Maverick Viñales (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP 2’07.011
16. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Repsol Honda Team 2’07.268
17. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2’07.419
18. Hector Barbera (SPA) Avintia Racing 2’07.581
19. Jack Miller (AUS) CWM LCR Honda 2’07.916
20. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aspar Team MotoGP 2’07.968
21. Karel Abraham (CZE) AB Motoracing 2’08.266
22. Nicky Hayden (USA) Aspar Team MotoGP 2’08.762
23. Loris Baz (FRA) Forward Racing 2’09.372
24. Marco Melandri (ITA) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2’11.258
25. Alex De Angelis (RSM) Octo IodaRacing Team 2’12.409
Marc Marquez masters mixed conditions to lead Friday COTA MotoGP
Cal Crutchlow – COTA MotoGP
Jorge Lorenzo – 11th – 2’06.174 – 11 laps “Today was a very difficult day for me. Since this morning I feel pretty bad. I didn‘t feel comfortable with either the bike or myself. My physical condition today it‘s not good, I got a cold and today I started on antibiotics because I feel sick. I couldn‘t work in a normal way; I feel weaker due to the cold. The doctors told me it‘s bronchitis and I suffer a lot when riding the bike. We have a lot of work to do with the machine but first of all I need to recover. Hopefully tomorrow it will be better with all the treatments. I‘m so sorry because today we couldn‘t improve the pace and I couldn‘t be competitive.” COTA MotoGP
Valentino Rossi – 6th – 2’05.691 – 13 laps – “It’s important to test on the wet because last year I never had a good feeling with the YZR-M1 under these conditions. We changed a lot on the setting of the bike and today I finished fourth on the full wet, which is not so bad, but on the dry I feel better. I am only sixth because I hit some traffic and I can do a little bit better than that. We still have to work, but the first feeling of the bike is not so bad.”
1. Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 2’04.835
2. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) CWM LCR Honda 2’05.162
3. Andrea Iannone (ITA) Ducati Team 2’05.190
4. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP 2’05.564
5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Ducati Team 2’05.646
6. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2’05.691
7. Pol Espargarò (SPA) Monster Yamaha Tech3 2’05.840
8. Stefan Bradl (GER) Forward Racing 2’05.990
9. Yonny Hernandez (COL) Pramac Racing 2’06.092
10. Bradley Smith (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech3 2’06.134
11. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2’06.174
12. Scott Redding (GBR) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 2’06.216
13. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) Pramac Racing 2’06.294
14. Mike Di Meglio (FRA) Avintia Racing 2’06.591
15. Maverick Viñales (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP 2’07.011
16. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Repsol Honda Team 2’07.268
17. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2’07.419
18. Hector Barbera (SPA) Avintia Racing 2’07.581
19. Jack Miller (AUS) CWM LCR Honda 2’07.916
20. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aspar Team MotoGP 2’07.968
21. Karel Abraham (CZE) AB Motoracing 2’08.266
22. Nicky Hayden (USA) Aspar Team MotoGP 2’08.762
23. Loris Baz (FRA) Forward Racing 2’09.372
24. Marco Melandri (ITA) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2’11.258
25. Alex De Angelis (RSM) Octo IodaRacing Team 2’12.409
Marc Marquez masters mixed conditions to lead Friday COTA MotoGP
Cal Crutchlow – COTA MotoGP
Jorge Lorenzo – 11th – 2’06.174 – 11 laps “Today was a very difficult day for me. Since this morning I feel pretty bad. I didn‘t feel comfortable with either the bike or myself. My physical condition today it‘s not good, I got a cold and today I started on antibiotics because I feel sick. I couldn‘t work in a normal way; I feel weaker due to the cold. The doctors told me it‘s bronchitis and I suffer a lot when riding the bike. We have a lot of work to do with the machine but first of all I need to recover. Hopefully tomorrow it will be better with all the treatments. I‘m so sorry because today we couldn‘t improve the pace and I couldn‘t be competitive.” COTA MotoGP
Valentino Rossi – 6th – 2’05.691 – 13 laps – “It’s important to test on the wet because last year I never had a good feeling with the YZR-M1 under these conditions. We changed a lot on the setting of the bike and today I finished fourth on the full wet, which is not so bad, but on the dry I feel better. I am only sixth because I hit some traffic and I can do a little bit better than that. We still have to work, but the first feeling of the bike is not so bad.”
Twisted Gut
Necrotic
Marques has the luck of the Irish for sure... Great ride by Cal, and Sam Lowes with a great ride too after that crash in practise 
Let the Over-Analysis Begin
by dean adams
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Marquez gives the MotoGP grid a knock-out punch, Texas-style.
image by marco guidetti
Nothing speaks louder than lap times.
There were new frames and challenges from Marquez's opposition this weekend. The new Ducati has amazing potential, Rossi's spirit is a true force of nature and there were good efforts up and down the grid and the results sheet. Cal Crutchlow had a new frame from Honda, Bradley Smith made a very good early run in the Texas sun.
But, in the end, there are words and then there are lap times. And no one else, no matter the bike, the spirit or the frame, could come remotely close to matching Marc Marquez today at CoTA.
If these really are the very best riders in the world, then Marc Marquez, in 21 laps at CoTA, reached into the collective chest of the very best riders in the world and tore their hearts right out. They will be left trying to rationalize how this could have happened, again, and how it was because of the tires or the fuel allocation or the new frame that led them to finish where they did. It will be interesting reading, certainly.
But when the excuses are fully vented and the post-race Red Bull party is over, an entire grid of MotoGP rider heads will hit many different pillow in various motorhomes, hotel rooms or airline seats. And they will probably not be thinking of the excuses that they had to give for where they finished. They will be thinking of the lap times.
Marc Marquez's lap times.
ENDS
by dean adams
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Marquez gives the MotoGP grid a knock-out punch, Texas-style.
image by marco guidetti
Nothing speaks louder than lap times.
There were new frames and challenges from Marquez's opposition this weekend. The new Ducati has amazing potential, Rossi's spirit is a true force of nature and there were good efforts up and down the grid and the results sheet. Cal Crutchlow had a new frame from Honda, Bradley Smith made a very good early run in the Texas sun.
But, in the end, there are words and then there are lap times. And no one else, no matter the bike, the spirit or the frame, could come remotely close to matching Marc Marquez today at CoTA.
If these really are the very best riders in the world, then Marc Marquez, in 21 laps at CoTA, reached into the collective chest of the very best riders in the world and tore their hearts right out. They will be left trying to rationalize how this could have happened, again, and how it was because of the tires or the fuel allocation or the new frame that led them to finish where they did. It will be interesting reading, certainly.
But when the excuses are fully vented and the post-race Red Bull party is over, an entire grid of MotoGP rider heads will hit many different pillow in various motorhomes, hotel rooms or airline seats. And they will probably not be thinking of the excuses that they had to give for where they finished. They will be thinking of the lap times.
Marc Marquez's lap times.
ENDS
Ryder Notes: The Miracle
by julian ryder, in the USA
Saturday, April 11, 2015
You get used to seeing minor miracles when you watch motorcycle racing for a decade or two: Hailwood's comeback being a major miracle of the first order. Think of any number of improbable Schwantz victories, Rainey winning the title on Dunlops, Doohan's Lazarus-like return, Rossi at Welkom, Rossi at Phillip Island, Rossi pretty much anywhere. And think of what Marc Marquez has done in his relatively short career.
Well, you can add another of those small miracles to his count.
It all looked to be going according to plan. Marc Marquez was quickest when he came in to put on his second tyre for a final charge. This, he said, was when he planned to give it 100%. As he came 'round the last corner to start his first flying lap he saw a warning on his dash and, as per Honda's instructions, immediately stopped the bike.
On-board footage suggested the 'engine problem' may have been the transmission lunching itself--that's if the sound effects were accurate.
Marc pulled up, leaned his bike against the pit wall, jumped into pit lane and ran all the way up to his pit. His team had the number-two bike ready, Marc leapt on and completed his out-lap just in time to get one last flying lap to shoot at Andrea Dovizioso's time. Dovi' was an interested spectator right behind the Honda. He was witness to one of the most amazing single laps in GP history.
Despite one major moment visible to TV viewers and what Dovi' described as 'many mistakes,' Marc blitzed to pole. Then he told us his second bike had the wrong front tyre on, "but for one lap," -- shrug -- 'it's the rear that matters.' Big smile.
The only comparable event I can recall is Assen '98 when Mick Doohan had to do a similar superpole lap after a red flag to take pole back from Simon Crafar. After that event, says Simon, Mick hated him for months for forcing him to "put his body on the line like that".
Find the footage. It is amazing. Marquez at his unbelievable best on a track he admits suits both the Honda and his style. The only thing that is likely to interrupt his progress tomorrow? The weather.
Texas Bullet Points:
ENDS
cant find Mick at Assen 98
by julian ryder, in the USA
Saturday, April 11, 2015
You get used to seeing minor miracles when you watch motorcycle racing for a decade or two: Hailwood's comeback being a major miracle of the first order. Think of any number of improbable Schwantz victories, Rainey winning the title on Dunlops, Doohan's Lazarus-like return, Rossi at Welkom, Rossi at Phillip Island, Rossi pretty much anywhere. And think of what Marc Marquez has done in his relatively short career.
Well, you can add another of those small miracles to his count.
It all looked to be going according to plan. Marc Marquez was quickest when he came in to put on his second tyre for a final charge. This, he said, was when he planned to give it 100%. As he came 'round the last corner to start his first flying lap he saw a warning on his dash and, as per Honda's instructions, immediately stopped the bike.
On-board footage suggested the 'engine problem' may have been the transmission lunching itself--that's if the sound effects were accurate.
Marc pulled up, leaned his bike against the pit wall, jumped into pit lane and ran all the way up to his pit. His team had the number-two bike ready, Marc leapt on and completed his out-lap just in time to get one last flying lap to shoot at Andrea Dovizioso's time. Dovi' was an interested spectator right behind the Honda. He was witness to one of the most amazing single laps in GP history.
Despite one major moment visible to TV viewers and what Dovi' described as 'many mistakes,' Marc blitzed to pole. Then he told us his second bike had the wrong front tyre on, "but for one lap," -- shrug -- 'it's the rear that matters.' Big smile.
The only comparable event I can recall is Assen '98 when Mick Doohan had to do a similar superpole lap after a red flag to take pole back from Simon Crafar. After that event, says Simon, Mick hated him for months for forcing him to "put his body on the line like that".
Find the footage. It is amazing. Marquez at his unbelievable best on a track he admits suits both the Honda and his style. The only thing that is likely to interrupt his progress tomorrow? The weather.
Texas Bullet Points:
- Lorenzo is on the front row for the first time at CoTA, and on antibiotics for bronchitis.
- Rossi fans need to know that if he wins tomorrow, he will be the oldest rider to win back-to-back premier class races since Les Graham in 1952.
ENDS
cant find Mick at Assen 98
Awesome thread dude.
Twisted Gut
Necrotic
Jorge is always complaining about something. Worst track for the Yamaha's and they didn't put up too shabby a show? Cal is Cal bless him... The Duc's out of fuel? Interesting...
You cannot take anything away from Marquez, legend in the making
Big up Sam Lowes and Danny Kent, cool calculated riding.
You cannot take anything away from Marquez, legend in the making
Big up Sam Lowes and Danny Kent, cool calculated riding.
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