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  • Parc Fermé

    THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

    Motor racing fans, on the whole are a rare breed of sports fans. On the most part they will respect and admire teams, drivers and riders who they do not necessarily support. That’s how it has always been in motor racing, a mutual appreciation of those who go out on the track every race putting their life on the line to bring us the exhilarating entertainment that we crave for time and time again.

    Then are those who I will not and could not give the time of day too. On social media they can be referred to as ‘trolls’ or even the term ‘fan-boys’ or ‘fan-girls’ – these are people who like the majority of motor racing fans have a particular team or racer they support, yet through ignorance, rudeness and a lack of education find it totally acceptable to abuse and make ridiculous statements about other racers and their fans. They only see those they support.

    Personally, I don’t regard these type of people as proper race fans. It is evident from their tunnel-visioned support that they are passionate about the person or team they follow but in respect of views on others they lack the social skills and requirements to be given the time of day. I have no time for them.

    I enjoy sitting down with fellow race fans (be it in person or via social media) and having debates, discussions and sharing opinions on all manner of things involved in racing. What makes these discussions so much different is that even if there is a difference of opinion on a specific subject it is done with civility and a mutual respect of our understanding of motor racing. Unlike the trolls who sometimes pop up in the middle of a perfectly good conversation and start to abuse the person who they do not agree with. Fortunately social media has this thing called a ‘block’ button and I have no issues using this instead of getting myself tied up in their world of selfish, uneducated rudeness.

    Social media is a wonderful tool across all platforms in sport, business and life. There will always be those who will want to spoil it for those who use the different facilities. My advice is just pass them over and don’t let them wind you up.

    These ‘fan-boy/girls’ sadly can’t see further than the racer they support with so much gusto. It’s a real shame. I am not alone in the fact that I have certain racers and teams that I support and I will if in a ‘normal’ discussion with a fellow, friendly race fan put my full support behind said team/racers but I am also old enough and wise enough to be able to appreciate when a team or racer I follow has not performed well or is being out-performed by a team mate.

    It is as if these trolls will readily slander and pick an argument with anybody just because their favourite racer isn’t doing what he’s supposed to do. Over the weekend whilst watching the Singapore Grand Prix I was, as a race fan, entertained by the battle between Kvyat and Verstappen. I truly do think that Verstappen is an exciting prospect and a future world champion, I like what he has brought to the F1 stage. Meanwhile, over on social media there were trolling Max Verstappen fans swearing and shouting that Kvyat was being….and I quote “a dick for not moving out the way”. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I didn’t bother replying as that would just cause these fan-boys/girls to go into overdrive and I’ve got far more interesting things to do than argue with them.

    At the end of the day where Max was concerned, that’s racing kid. Deal with it. As for the trolls, I can’t believe you think that ‘racing’ is moving out of the way of somebody. I think you need to go and read up on that.

    We are all fully aware of the Rosberg and Hamilton fan wars over social media, it’s just laughable really that these trolls can only the see the good in their driver and the bad in the other, or vice versa. I find it quite sad really. The same happened last year with the Rossi and Marquez dramatics and the idiotic comments that were made.

    As I said earlier I am all for opinions and debates with rival fans of rival teams and racers, I really enjoy those discussions with like-minded racing fans. The trolls however are just an annoyance and although they have and are entitled to their opinion I personally wouldn’t get too involved with them. You’re on to a losing battle otherwise.

    These types of people are not new to motor racing, it’s human nature and they have been around for years it’s just that with the onslaught of social media the trolling opinions are magnified to a global audience. It is much the same as the bigoted person in the local pub who will not listen to any other views apart from their own. Just give them a wide berth.

    And this is the point. Everybody should have an opinion, yet some should sit back and take a long hard look at themselves because sometimes as with all of us and I am included in this, your opinion may not be the correct one.

    This is racing and our opinions as fans make it an interesting world, just steer clear of the trolls. They’re not proper race fans.

    Racing is full of the good, the bad and the ugly.

    Neil Simmons

    Twitter: @world_racing

  • Ekstrom Regains Championship Lead

    WRX hit Barcelona last weekend for round nine of the championship. A combination of Formula One tarmac corners and tricky technical dirt sections would be the challenge for the drivers on what was a a glorious weekend.

    Loheac had seen around 80,000 fans attend the event which was eventually won by Johan Kristoffersson and catapulted him up the standings.

    “We’ve been working hard and everything his about winning in the end.” Kristoffersson said.

    Petter Solberg came to Barcelona with a very slim lead over rival Mattias Ekstrom with just five points separating the two drivers. With his win at Loheac, Kristoffersson sat third with a one point lead over Bakkerud who was sixteen points ahead of Sebastien Loeb. That was the top five as WRX landed in Spain.

    “It’s a good competition, I’ve started to think about the championship now. Obviously five points is not a lot, but Ekstrom has been extremely good.” Solberg commented.

    In the team standings EKS lead the way followed by Team Peugeot Hansen and then VW RX Sweden. It is the team sittig in fourth place who have begun to impress in 2016. In their debut season, Hoonigan Racing Division with Ken Block and Andreas Bakkerud had been testing in between rounds with the Ford Focus and it looks like those tests are starting to pay off.

    The circuit is 1137m in length, but with the joker it is extended to 1288m. A track that is 59% asphalt and 41% dirt it is challenging and runs in an anti-clockwise direction. An uphill start to the first long left hander and downhill to turn two, shift down a couple of gears into the left hander and the drivers will meet their first transition to dirt into a right and then left hander, trying to stay clear of the tyre walls. They will have to fight for traction downhill towards the first of the hairpins, a handbrake turn, accelerate uphill to the tarmace and then back onto the dirt into the left hander. The cars will need to stay tight through the right and then left turn before negotiating the jump into the right hander. This is where the drivers will decide whether to go straight on for the joker or go round to do it all over again.

    Welcome to Barcelona.

    Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom took a lights-to-flag victory at World RX of Barcelona, round nine of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, to regain the World RX Championship lead from Petter Solberg. It is Ekstrom’s fourth victory of the season for EKS.

    Team Peugeot-Hansen’s Timmy Hansen was runner-up while World RX Team Austria’s Timur Timerzyanov took his first podium of the year after placing third. In the FIA European Rallycross Championship, where Barcelona marked the penultimate round, it was Kevin Hansen who took the victory and also won the Championship with one event still remaining.

    “This has been a dream of mine since I was a little boy,” said the elated 18-year-old.

    One round of Euro RX remains in Latvia in two weeks’ time but Hansen’s four event wins and 30-point lead makes it impossible for his competitors to catch him in the overall standings. Norwegian drivers Tommy Rustad and Tord Linnerud finished second and third respectively.

    “I’m really happy – to win a race in World RX makes me smile every time,” admitted Barcelona RX winner, Ekstrom, who also scooped the Monster Energy Super Charge Award for beating his competitors to the first corner during today’s final. “At the start of the season, there were only a few drivers who could take a victory but now there are so many who can win – the competition is very tough and you need to be on your A-game throughout the weekend to be in with a chance. This weekend the competition has been fierce so this win feels even more special.”

    Ekstrom’s victory this weekend now sees the Swede lead the World RX driver standings by 10 points but the question remains as to whether he is able to miss a round of DTM in order to compete at Buxtehude in Germany next month. Ekstrom took up the story:

    “The entry deadline for the Buxtehude race is next week so I’ve been getting asked about what I’m doing a lot at the moment. I haven’t missed a single DTM race in 15 years so it’s a big discussion. I will speak to my bosses tomorrow morning to see what they say but it’s in their hands so I will respect whatever decision they make.”

    Runner-up Timmy Hansen was Top Qualifier at the end of the four qualifying sessions, and spoke positively about the performance of his Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar over the weekend.

    “The car has been working very well – the whole weekend we’ve had very good starts and the team have done a great job with the car following my test last week,” explained the 24-year-old. “I want to say that I’m very proud of my brother Kevin, who has already won the Euro RX Championship with one round remaining – I’ve always known how fast he’s been and I’m really happy for him.”

    World RX Team Austria had an impressive weekend with its Ford Fiesta RX Supercars as team-mates Timerzyanov and Janis Baumanis finished third and fourth respectively. It is the first time this season that both World RX Team Austria drivers have reached the final and Timerzyanov started on the front row after winning the second semi-final. The result is even more special for the Austrian-based team after an incident with Timerzyanov’s car at the previous round in France meant the squad had to change the chassis in order for him to drive this weekend.

    “We are delighted with this result after a difficult season and we are now looking forward to Riga,” said team boss, Max Pucher.

    Audi privateer driver Robin Larsson finished fifth, the Swede having retired from today’s final after damaging a wheel. Volkswagen RX Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson initially finished third but was later demoted to sixth place for pushing. Reigning Champion Solberg finished the weekend in seventh position.

    “Frustration is definitely the word from here,” explained Solberg. “We made it through qualifying into the semi-final and that race started OK. I made a good start from where I was on the grid. I was behind Loeb going down the hairpin and then Larsson hit me and knocked me wide. After that, I did everything I could, I tried my best to come back at them [Loeb and Larsson fighting ahead], but the final wasn’t possible this time. I’m really disappointed, but let’s look forward and push on for the next race.”

    Elsewhere, double DTM champion Timo Scheider made his return to World RX and finished 17th in the Intermediate Classification standings in a Munnich Motorsport Seat Ibiza, one place ahead of Ken Block who had a challenging weekend in his Hoonigan Racing Division prepared Ford Focus RS RX after suffering gearbox problems in Q3.

    In the fifth round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Super1600, Denmark’s Ulrik Linnemann triumphed in his Peugeot 208. Hungary’s Luigi finished runner-up at the wheel of his Skoda Fabia and Lithuania’s Kasparas Navickas was third in another Skoda Fabia.

    In the penultimate round of the supporting RX Lites Cup, it was Cyril Raymond who took three qualifying wins and the overall victory. Norwegians Thomas Bryntesson and Simon Wago Syversen finished second and third. Raymond’s win this weekend has seen the Frenchman extend his lead over Bryntesson in the overall standings by eight points. World RX Managing Director for IMG, Paul Bellamy, concluded:

    “We’ve had 28,000 passionate motorsport fans travel to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend. Well done to Mattias who took a well-deserved victory and in doing so managed to move ahead of Petter in the overall standings, which has made this year’s title fight even more exciting. Now it remains to be seen whether Mattias will be able to compete in Germany or whether he will be required to race in DTM. Either way, it’s going to be a very exciting final three rounds. It’s also been a very positive weekend for Peugeot with Kevin Hansen crowned Euro RX Champion and Timmy Hansen finishing second in World RX. The Hansen family now have 15 Euro RX titles between them, which is a staggering achievement. We now look forward to Riga with the World Championship visiting Latvia for the first time.”

    A new location awaits the World RX crews for round 10 of the World Championship as the team prepare to compete at the all-new rallycross circuit at the Bikernieki circuit in Riga, Latvia. Neste World RX of Latvia will take place in just under two weeks’ time (1-2 October).

    STANDINGS

    SUPERCARS – WRX

    1st – Mattias Ekstrom – Audi S1 – 204pts

    2nd – Petter Solberg – Citroen DS3 – 194pts

    3rd – Johan Kristoffersson – VW Polo – 178pts

    4th – Andreas Bakkerud – Ford Focus RS – 170pts

    5th – Sebastien Loeb – Peugeot 208 – 154pts

    6th – Timmy Hansen – Peugeot 208 – 143pts

    7th – Toomas Heikkinen – Audi S1 – 114pts

    8th – Robin Larsson – Audi A1 – 85pts

    9th – Timur Timerzyanov – Ford Fiesta – 84pts

    10th – Jani Baumanis – Ford Fiesta – 75pts

    SUPERCARS – ERX

    1st – Kevin Hansen – Peugeot 208 – 117pts

    2nd – Tord Linnerud – VW Polo – 87pts

    3rd – Jerome Grosset-Janin – Peugeot 208 – 82pts

    4th – Tommy Rustad – Peugeot 208 – 67pts

    5th – Fredrick Salsten – Peugeot 208 – 66pts

    6th – Tamas-Pal Kiss – Peugeot 208 – 58pts

    7th – Peter Hedstrom – Ford Fiesta – 53pts

    8th – Alexander Hvaal – VW Beetle – 39pts

    9th – Tamas Karai – Audi A1 – 35pts

    10th – Joni-Pekka Rajala – VW Beetle – 33pts

    SUPER1600

    1st – Ulrik Linnemann – Peugeot 208 – 114pts

    2nd – Krisztian Szabo – Skoda Fabia – 108pts

    3rd – Timur Shigabutdinov – Renault Twingo – 71pts

    4th – Artis Baumanis – Renault Twingo – 64pts

    5th – Janno Ligur – Skoda Fabia – 62pts

    6th – Kasparas Navickas – Skoda Fabia – 61pts

    7th – Ondrej Smetana – Ford Fiesta – 54pts

    8th – Luigi – Skoda Fabia – 51pts

    9th – Ernestas Staponkus – VW Polo – 48pts

    10th – Pavel Vimmer – Skoda Fabia – 45pts

    TOURING CARS

    1st – Ben-Philip Gundersen – Ford Fiesta – 72pts

    2nd – Magda Andersson – Ford Fiesta – 61pts

    3rd – Fredrik R. Magnussen – Ford Fiesta – 54pts

    4th – Per-Magne Royras – Mazda RX8 – 51pts

    5th – Anders Nymoen Braten – Ford Fiesta – 44pts

    6th – Philip Gehrman – Ford Fiesta – 41pts

    7th – Daniel Lundh – Volvo C30 – 38pts

    8th – Torleif-Haugenes Lona – Ford Fiesta – 38pts

    9th – Kjetil Larsen – Skoda Fabia – 32pts

    10th – David S. Nordgard – Ford Fiesta – 27pts

    RX LITES

    1st – Cyril Raymond – 158pts

    2nd – Thomas Bryntesson – 150pts

    3rd – Simon Olofsson – 128pts

    4th – Joachim Hvaal – 115pts

    5th – Simon Wago Syversen – 103pts

    6th – Sondre Evjen – 78pts

    7th – Tejas Hirani – 78pts

    8th – Thomas Holmen – 39pts

    9th – Alexander Westlund – 38pts

    10th – Saeed Bintouq – 33pts

    See you at the chequered flag.

    Neil Simmons

    Twitter: @world_racing

    All photo credits: FIAWorldRallycross.com

  • Milwaukee and Shaun Muir confirm Aprilia Switch, Savadori partners Laverty

    Two Aprilia RSV4 bikes will be on the track in the 2017 & 2018 World Superbike Championships in the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team colours.

    The agreement specifies that technical material and related direct assistance and support will be provided by Aprilia Racing, including bike development, which classifies Milwaukee as a Supported Factory Team.

    This means that Aprilia Racing – the Piaggio Group racing department and technological point of excellence in the Italian motorcycle industry – is confirming its high level presence in the premier competition for factory derivative bikes, alongside its important efforts in MotoGP.

    The goal is to compete at top levels in World Superbikes in order to emphasize the competitiveness of the Aprilia RSV4, capable of taking no less than seven World Titles (three Rider and four Manufacturer) between 2010 and 2014, proving to be the most victorious bike in recent World Superbike history.

    The result of a project intended to create a true racing bike that any enthusiast could have, the RSV4 astonished from its rookie season, winning a race in its maiden year and then racking up repeated championship wins in both the Manufacturer and Rider competitions (twice with Max Biaggi and once with Sylvain Guintoli). All this while the street version – obviously also characterized by an exclusive narrow 1.0 litre V4 – continued to win comparative reviews year after year with the best competitors in the world, both European and Japanese.

    The team run by SMR, which boasts two British titles, will be able to count on a top shelf rider lineup: in addition to the 2015 Superstock Champion Lorenzo Savadori, who quickly drew attention this year in his rookie World Superbike season, Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty will be back in WorldSBK, 2013 runner up astride none other than an Aprilia RSV4.

    Romano Albesiano – Aprilia Racing Manager:

    “In Shaun Muir’s team we found a partner who shares our goals and who, after making a good name for themselves in the British championship, wants to get to the top of a world category.

    Our agreement includes, in addition to providing bikes and materials, support from Aprilia Racing personnel to manage and develop the RSV4, a jewel of technology that will once again be able to show its worth, within a Factory Support type relationship.

    The birth of the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team also marks Eugene Laverty’s return to WorldSBK, a rider who we know well and whose professional and personal qualities have our utmost respect. He will have Lorenzo Savadori working alongside him, a young rider in whom Aprilia has invested who has been part of our sports project for two seasons in which he won the Superstock 1000 title first and then drew attention in WorldSBK with an extremely positive rookie year.”

    Shaun Muir – SMR Team Principal:
    “For SMR, collaboration with Aprilia Racing for 2017 and 2018 means a real chance to fight for the win. Aprilia has a strong and victorious history in World Superbike and we are determined to continue on the same path. Having Eugene and Lorenzo on board makes this a dream team.

    Without a doubt, Eugene is coming back to WorldSBK for one reason only – to win. Lorenzo, on the other hand, is the fastest rookie and a sure protagonist. I wish to thank Milwaukee, Gulf and all of the partners who are supporting our project.”

    Eugene Laverty: We can be competitve straight away
    “I’m excited to return to Superbike with Aprilia and the RSV4, a bike with which I took ten wins and second place overall in the championship. I hope to be able to pick up where I left off with those results, thanks to the support of Aprilia and a fantastic team like SMR. Everything is in place for us to be competitive straight away.”

    Lorenzo Savadori: I am highly motivated
    “I am very happy to continue my adventure in World Superbikes with Aprilia. This is another chance to achieve great results, with one more year of experience on the RSV4 for me. In a demanding rookie season I was already able to express a good performance level, learning a lot, both about race management and working in the garage, but I do not want to stop here. We will definitely be highly motivated at the start, with an ambitious project and a great desire to do well.”

    Jason Chiswell – Vice President of Marketing Milwaukee Tools: This could be a new winning chapter
    “At Milwaukee Power tools our vision is always to win and that same mentality is shared with the SMR team. We see the next year with Aprilia as being an exciting and a new winning chapter in our World Superbike program.”

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

    Credit to Gold & Goose for the images via Milwaukee BMW

  • Aprilia Arrive at Aragon for Spanish round

     

    Before departing for the long tour in Japan, Australia and Malaysia, the MotoGP championship will take on the penultimate European race on the 2016 calendar. The race will be hosted by Motorland Aragón, a 5,078 metre circuit located in Alcañiz in the autonomous community of Aragona. It is a very complex track, fast thanks to the long straight, but demanding for riders and vehicles alike.

    The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini is taking on the Spanish round after good performance in Misano, with Bautista riding his RS-GP straight through to Q2 and then to a top 10 race finish. The Spanish rider and his teammate, Stefan Bradl, tackled two days of tests on the Valencia circuit, both to continue developing the new chassis configurations introduced in recent races and to assess electronic updates aimed mostly at perfecting the V4 engine’s power delivery.

    Bautista: Aragon has different characteristics

    “I am coming to one of my home rounds highly motivated, especially after the good performance at Misano, going through to Q2 and having a race pace that took us into the top 10. We will pick up from here with the goal of being competitive and improving even more. It will not be easy, but we will try our hardest. Aragón has very different characteristics. It is a complete layout where it will be essential to work well straight away on how to use the tyre, which is usually very stressed here”.‬

    Bradl: The Valencia test gave us confidence

    “It is difficult to predict how the RS-GP will perform here at Aragón. We will be able to tell only after the first practice session. I like the track; both the layout and the structures of the circuit are really interesting. There are many corners with different inclinations and direction changes. Overall, it is a fast track since there is also a long straight. I think that the confidence gained in Misano and the two days of testing at Valencia will help us take on this Spanish race with a good package”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Movistar Yamaha arrive at Aragon off the back of first double podium since Le Mans

    After securing a double podium at Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s second home Grand Prix at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli nearly two weeks ago, the team shapes up for the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón. The fourteenth Grand Prix of the season at the MotorLand Aragón circuit holds a special significance as it’s not just a home race for Lorenzo but the team’s title sponsor, Movistar, has also taken title sponsorship of the Aragón round for a third year in succession.

    After a strong race at his home Grand Prix where he secured second place, Rossi aims for another top result in Aragón, where he secured a podium finish in 2013 and 2015 with two third places. Over the last four races, he has been gradually reducing the margin to the championship leader to 43 points in the overall standings. This weekend the nine-time World Champion aims to hit the ground running on Friday, as he looks forward to another exciting battle with the frontrunners.

    Teammate Lorenzo also arrives in Aragón with high hopes to continue the momentum of the last round at his penultimate home race of the season. His third place finish at the last round in Misano keeps the Mallorcan in third place in the championship, 18 points behind his teammate. He is eager to add another podium result to his tally at the MotorLand Aragón circuit, scoring two consecutive wins over the last two years, two second places in 2012 and 2013, and a third place podium finish in 2011.

    The MotorLand Aragón circuit was added to the MotoGP calendar in 2010 and was given the IRTA Best Grand Prix of the Year award that same year. Situated near the town of Alcañiz in Northern Spain, the track is only a few hours drive from Barcelona and draws thousands of fans. The fast and challenging 5.1 km long circuit, with ten left and seven right corners and a 968 m longest straight, has one of the most spectacular elevation changes of the season and multiple flowing corners, making finding the right set-up vital.

    Rossi: I really like the track but it’s not one of my favourites

    “Even though I wanted to win in Misano, I can say that it was a good race anyway. In all the next races we will do our best to get always the best result, just like we did in Misano. The only thing that interests me now is to do good races. In Aragón we will have to work well from day one, as we have been doing this entire season. This circuit has fast corners and hard braking, so it will be important to have a good bike, with a perfect set-up. I really like the track and, even if it is not one of my favourites, we will try to do our best.”

    Lorenzo: I’m eager to fight

    “Despite the high expectations in Misano, we finally could come back to the podium after some bad races. In Misano we worked really well throughout the weekend but ultimately Dani and Vale were faster than us. At least we got another podium and we found the line regarding the setting with the bike. Now it’s time to go to Aragón. This track never suits our bike perfectly but over the last years we were able to win several times so you never know, especially this season with the new tyres everything is challenging and tricky. I’m eager to fight on home soil and I will try to taste victory again.”

    Kiko Giles

  • Honda hit happy hunting ground of Aragon

    Fresh from Dani Pedrosa’s convincing victory at Misano and a productive day of testing at the same track two days later, the Repsol Honda Team arrives in Aragón for round 14 of the Championship, the last on European soil before the traditional trio of flyaway races – Japan, Australia and Malaysia – and the subsequent return to Spain for the season-ending Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana.

    The ultra-modern 5.077 km track, which comprises 17 turns (10 lefts and seven rights) and a long straight of 968 m, hosted its first Grand Prix in 2010. Since then, current Championship leader Marc Marquez, who lives less than 200 kilometres from the track, has won on two occasions – in 2011 in Moto2 and in 2013 in MotoGP – and taken second in 2012 (Moto2). Dani has only raced in MotoGP at Aragón, winning once, in 2012, and finishing second three times: in 2010, 2011 and last year, when he came out on top of a great battle with Valentino Rossi.

    One of the most unpredictable and hard-fought Championships ever currently sees Honda leading the Rider, Constructor and Team standings, having won four of the last six races, with four different Honda riders.

    Marquez: Aragon is a circuit I Like

    Aragón is a circuit that I like more than Misano, and I think it suits my riding style better. That said, it’s also true that a particularity of this year is that things may change a lot from race to race, so we’ll see if we’re able to manage things well and if we can have a good weekend. We’ll approach the race ready to adapt to the situation we encounter, but of course we’ll try to fight for the podium again in front of my home crowd and my fan club.”

    Pedrosa: We must remain totally focused

    “Of course we’ll arrive at Aragón in a good mood, as things that had already started getting better a couple of races earlier went perfectly at Misano, and we were able to achieve a great result. Anyway, it’s important that we keep our feet on the ground, as the races are very close and hard-fought this year. We must remain totally focused on our job and on our goals, which are to continue building on the base setup we’ve been working on lately and to find the pace to stay at the front. My fan club will be here and I’ll try my best to put on a good show for the fans.”

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Lowes “Determined to get a good result” in Aragon


    The 2016 Moto2 World Championship resumes this weekend at Motorland Aragon, in Spain, with Sam Lowes and the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 called to get a good result after the two setbacks suffered at Silverstone and Misano.

    Despite the lack of results, in England and on the Adriatic Coast Lowes showed the potential to fight for a podium finish, therefore at Aragon the target is to fight once again for the top position, in order to collect important points for the standings, which now sees the 26-year-old British rider in fourth place with 137 points.

    Lowes: The test at Valencia was productive

    “We head to Aragon determined to get a good result: I like the track a lot and I can’t wait to be back on track and start working together with the team. After the race at Misano we moved to Valencia for two days of testing that proved very productive: we worked hard, trying many solutions together with Kalex and Ohlins, getting a good feedback and maintaining a good pace. Therefore we look with confidence to this weekend’s Grand Prix!”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Valencia to remain as final race of the season until 2021

    The Generalitat of the Comunitat Valenciana and Dorna Sports are pleased to announce the season finale of the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship is set to remain at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia for another five years. The agreement to renew the circuit’s place on the MotoGP™ calendar was recently reached between the President of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, the Councillor for Education, Research, Culture and Sport, Vicent Marzà, and CEO of Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta and has been announced this morning in Valencia with all the parts involved.

    The unique and arena-like Circuit Ricardo Tormo has become a favourite on the calendar with its record of season-ending showdowns, with the visibility and atmosphere provided by the venue proving something unique since it first hosted the final event in 2002. The history made so far at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo will now continue for another five exciting seasons of MotoGP™ action; confirmed until the end of 2021, with the new contract finalized two months ahead of the end of the current agreement.

    President of the Generalitat Ximo Puig praised the stability of the new agreement for the Gran Premio de la Comunidad Valenciana, and the triple impact of the event in terms of sport, economy and tourism: “We are going to do everything possible to make the most of the Valencia GP and to assure the efficiency of how any public resources are used.”

    “We are thrilled that MotoGP will be returning to Valencia for another five years,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports. “The new agreement to return to the track is fantastic for the Championship, for the Comunitat Valenciana and for fans both in the region and worldwide, with the Circuit Ricardo Tormo always providing a unique and memorable event to end the season.”

    The track has been host to many thrilling races across all classes, including both the 2006 and 2015 MotoGP seasons, the 2009 250cc title decider and also the last French premier class win with Regis Laconi, back in 1999.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Gresini Moto3 Ready for Aragon GP Battle

    MotorLand Aragon hosts this weekend round 14 of the 2016 Moto3 World Championship: after having narrowly missed out on victory with Enea Bastianini and collecting another positive Top Ten finish with Fabio Di Giannantonio at Misano, the Gresini Racing Team Moto3 arrives in Spain confident to get another good result.

    Bastianini, in particular, is going through a period of great form and he’s keen to attack Championship leader Brad Binder and try to get a win, which he missed out at Misano for just a few tenths under the checkered flag. The 18-year-old rider from Rimini, now second in the overall standings, enjoyed a great race at Aragon in 2015, setting the pole position with the new track record and fighting in the leading group until the final corners, when a contact with Binder led him to crash.

    Aragon promises to be a favorable track also for Fabio Di Giannantonio: the 17-year-old rookie from Rome got the last of his three victories last year in the MotoGP Rookies Cup on the Spanish track. Always in the Top Ten in the last eight races, “Diggia” will try to bring home other important points in the fight for the “Rookie of the Year” trophy, in which he is opposed to Nicolò Bulega and Joan Mir.

    Bastianini: I’ve always liked Aragon

    “Aragon is a track I’ve always liked a lot and last year we have been very competitive: after starting from pole position, I was fighting for the win on the final lap, when unfortunately I made a mistake touching Binder and crashing. This year we will try to be fast right from the start of the weekend, as it’s happening lately, in order to work well and get prepared for the race. Binder has a great advantage in the standings, but we still try to attack and we won’t give up until the math keeps us in the game!”.

    Di Giannantonio: I expected better in Misano

    “Honestly I was expecting to get a better result at Misano, although all in all we again hit the target to enter the top ten. Aragon is a track that I quite like and I know very well, having raced there for two seasons in the MotoGP Rookies Cup. Therefore we head to Spain ready to have fun and to do our best to get a good result!”.

    Kiko Giles

  • John Hopkins: BSB is by Far the Best Domestic Superbike Series in the World

    Seeing as I was stationed in the ePayMe Yamaha Racing camp over the Friday and Saturday, I decided I was going to do a Q&A with the former MotoGP podium finisher, so that’s exactly what I did. John Hopkins speaks to me about the BSB world in comparison to MotoGP, his 2017 plans and also how his former rivalry with Tommy Hill still drives him on today.

    How does the Yamaha compare to a GP bike and other Superbikes?

    Well to be honest, it’s hard to compare any Superbike with a MotoGP bike because the contrasts are so big, even though they were even bigger before! They are getting closer nowadays and I have to say, this Yamaha is definitely the closest Superbike I have ridden in comparison to a GP bike. GP bikes are extremely rigid and tend to have really stiff chassis, meaning you feel everything from the circuit. The Yamaha has a very rigid chassis but yeah, it’s definitely not a million miles off the characteristics of a GP bike.

    On a whole, what’s the difference between MotoGP and BSB?

    British Superbikes is definitely more family friendly and less commercial. It is way more corporate in MotoGP. The fan base over here in BSB is absolutely amazing and I would say it is by far the best and most competitive domestic Superbike championship anywhere in the world. The BSB crowd attendances embarrass the WSBK series; the World championship has a lot of catching up to do because a lot of the tracks they go to, they really struggle with pulling people into the stands. Rain or shine, BSB is thriving and we always seem to get a really good turn out and as a rider, I’m really grateful for that.

    How do you keep fit, seeing as the bikes get more powerful and harder to handle?

    I like to stay fit by riding and keeping active on two wheels. Motocross has always been my passion and it was my first love before I even got into racing so yeah, I am always motocrossing at every chance I get as well as mountain biking. When I was in MotoGP, the teams and factories always wanted me to be cautious in case I did myself an injury but I would never sign a contract if it meant I had to stay away from a motocross bike.

    Do you see yourself returning to the world stage?

    Right now, I still feel like a have a point to prove in British Superbikes and you know, where ever it goes from there we will see. I do kind of miss the world stage in terms of seeing the countries and going on the big, Grand Prix circuits but now I have a wife and two kids, it is nice being at my home away from home and being able to have a base in the UK. I mean, most of the WSBK circuits are in Europe anyway so yeah, we will see how it goes but right now, I’m still enjoying BSB and like I’ve said, I have a point to prove.

    Where do you think you could have been without the injuries?

    Well, I’d like to say we would be well within the top six and in the showdown at this stage of this season if I hadn’t injured myself at Knockhill. I think the following circuits after my injuries are by far my favourite circuits in BSB. Thruxton, Snetterton are all my favourite circuits and I am gutted not to have more of a say in the title. My plan now is to be in an imaginary showdown and try and sign off this year on a high!

    What are your 2017 plans?

    I would like to stay in BSB on a competitive package, I haven’t signed anything yet but we have had a couple of offers but my main focus at the moment is to finish off this season and try and do the best I can. I have the pace and I know I can be competitive on a good bike.

    How does your previous rivalry with Tommy impact on your working relationship?

    It’s just banter really. At the time it was obviously serious, and he could have been my worst enemy. We both had our race faces on and it wasn’t anything personal, it was just the fact that we both wanted the same thing. There are absolutely no regrets, it happened the way it was supposed to, as it was all clean and to just be a part in that championship season was absolutely amazing! That is one of the races that is still driving me today to try and succeed and win the BSB championship. If it came down to a last lap scrap this year and the rider I was battling with needed a win then I wouldn’t do something stupid but I am also riding for myself. I haven’t signed a deal just yet. I have respect for other riders but I am here for myself right now.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

    Photo Credit to Gareth Davies, for yet another fabulous image.