Category: MotoGp

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MotoGP German GP Preview: Honda’s Heaven

MotoGP arrives in Germany this weekend, for the ninth round of the championship, at the Sachsenring. Valentino Rossi reignited his championship hopes last weekend in The Netherleands, as he won at the Assen circuit for a 10th time, becoming the only rider to win 10 races across all classes at the circuit in Grand Prix. However, the Sachsenring is a happy hunting ground for Honda. They have won every race since 2010, with the last non-Honda win coming from Valentino Rossi in 2009. Marc Marquez is one to lookout for here, with his former flat-track experience coming in handy around a circuit which features seven consecutive left handers. He has won every race he’s been entered in at the circuit since 2010, making him a clear favourite to take honours once more.

As we approach the halfway point in the championship, Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati lead the championship standings. This is the first time since the 2009 Italian MotoGP that a Ducati has led the standings. It is also the first time ever that Andrea Dovizioso has led the championship in the premier class. His form around Germany isn’t anything too special, although a podium last year shows that perhaps he has found something at a circuit that is known for posing the threat of rain. Three podiums at the circuit since his career began in 2002 isn’t great but Dovizioso hasn’t finished outside of the top-five since we’ve been in Europe this season. Another solid result may sees him in proper title contention come the end of the ninth round.

Maverick Vinales comes to Germany off the back of a shambolic weekend at Assen, which saw the young Spaniard on the 4th row after qualifying, and on the floor during the race. He, like teammate Rossi, also suffered in Catalunya, making the previous two races his worst when you combine his points together. And if you’re expecting a Vinales victory in Germany, think again. He is yet to finish in the top 10 at the circuit in the premier class and hasn’t had a podium at the Sachsenring since his Moto3 championship year in 2013. Yamaha haven’t had a win since 2009 and with Vinales’ fragile state of mind following two awful events, he may be happier than others to reach the Summer break, to get his head together for the second half of the year.

Valentino Rossi showed us that there is life in the old dog just yet, with a superb victory at Assen. Using the ‘new’ Yamaha chassis has paid dividends to The Doctor, who slashed a 28-point deficit in the championship to just seven – three behind teammate Vinales. Rossi was only 8th at the track last year after the circuit dried out, with him ignoring his pit board. His most recent podium at the track came in 2015, when he was 3rd, making it the 11th podium for him at the circuit. Rossi hasn’t had back to back wins in MotoGP since 2009 at Catalunya and Assen, so he’ll be looking to update that particular statistic. Rossi’s last win at the Sachsenring was also the last time he qualified on pole at the track. If he does take back to back wins, he will be the second oldest rider to do so, after Les Graham in 1952, winning at Monza and Montjuic Park at the ripe old age of 41.

Reigning champion and Sachsenring specialist Marc Marquez slipped to 4th in the championship after Assen, despite finishing 3rd, achieving his 4th podium of the year. Marquez will be looking to surpass Valentino Rossi in premier class wins at Sachsenring, with both currently on four. He will also be hoping to become the first rider to take five straight wins at the German Grand Prix since Giacomo Agostini between 1967 and 1972 – although organisers were alternating the German Grand Prix between the Hockenheimring, Nurburgring Sudschleife and Nurburgring Nordschleife tracks. Marquez has not qualified on pole since the Americas Grand Prix five races ago. This is the first time since moving up to the premier class that he has gone five consecutive races without securing pole. Having said that, Marquez is yet to not start on pole at the German Grand Prix in the premier class.

Just when you thought Dani Pedrosa had rediscovered his old form and confidence, a 13th place at Assen suddenly questions it. He was 2nd in the series standings after Le Mans, but now finds himself 5th, although just 28 points off Dovizioso. The Spaniard is the only rider – other than Marquez – to win three or more consecutive races in the premier class at the track, and was the man who initiated Honda’s win streak at the venue. Pedrosa has seven premier class podiums at the track, although last year saw him yield just 6th. Dani Pedrosa’s 13th in the Dutch GP was only the 2nd time in his career that he’d finished in that position. The last time was at Welkom in 2001. The next race saw him finish 10th, at Jerez.

Revelation of 2017, Frenchman Johann Zarco will be seeking to repeat the feat he achieved last season, pinching the victory from home-hero Jonas Folger on the run to the line on the last lap. Although some may say that Zarco will not win a race, don’t be so sure. He’s led three races this season, the same as Valentino Rossi. Zarco has finished inside the top two in his last two Moto2 appearances, however, his only other podium comes from 2011 in the 125cc class. 14th at Assen was his worst finish of the year and the first time he had finished outside of the top 10. Zarco will be out to make amends in Germany.

The next two riders in the championship are Pramac Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci, with Jorge Lorenzo in behind. Petrucci has shown some incredible pace in the run into the mid-season, with two podiums from the last three rounds. Jorge Lorenzo on the other hand finished just 15th at Assen and has one podium less than Petrucci. Lorenzo has never won at the Sachsenring and hasn’t been on the podium there since 2014. Petrucci crashed out whilst leading last year – his best result is 9th from 2015.

Cal Crutchlow’s late surge in the final few laps at Assen saw him finish 4th, moving to 9th in the championship. Seven points behind him is Jonas Folger, who suffered his first DNF of the season at Assen. Both riders finished 2nd in their respective races at the Sachsenring last year. Cal has finished every race he has entered in Germany during his MotoGP career, with his only non top-10 finish coming in his rookie year, with 14th in 2011. Folger on the other hand has only 1 podium to his name at the track, which was last year. A German rider hasn’t won the German Grand Prix in the premier class since Edmund Czihak in 1974. This was also the last time a German won a premier class Grand Prix.

Jack Miller and Alvaro Bautista are next along in the championship. Miller took his best result of the year last time out, with 6th. The Australian was also a race leader in last year’s German Grand Prix, before dropping to 7th. He won the Moto3 race there in 2014. Bautista was running strongly at Assen before crashing. It was the Spaniard’s 4th crash of the year during a race which has resulted in him retiring. Apart from his rookie MotoGP year, he has finished in every premier class German Grand Prix, with a best of 5th in 2013. He finished 10th last year, on an Aprilia.

Scott Redding and Loris Baz are separated by just two points coming into the ninth round of the championship. Redding was riding well until his penultimate lap crash at the chicane last weekend. Loris Baz however, took a hard-fought 8th place – his best finish of the year. Redding was marginally beaten to the podium at the German Grand Prix last year, finishing 4th, whereas Baz is yet to score points in the country in MotoGP. He has never had a top 4 in the country at any circuit throughout his racing career.

Andrea Iannone showed something of a return to form last time out at Assen, with 9th place, riding as high up as 6th at one point whilst also setting the fastest lap of the race until Redding bettered it. Iannone has been 5th at the Sachsenring for the previous three years and if it was to happen again this year, it would be his best result on the Suzuki. Former Suzuki rider Aleix Espargaro is right behind Iannone in the championship. A run of mechanical gremlins were discontinued at Assen, with the Aprilia ace taking his first top-10 since Jerez in early May. Since returning to the premier class in 2012, Aleix has scored points in every German GP.

Tito Rabat is level with Aleix Espargaro on points, however he is yet to have his first top 10 of the year. The Spaniard is improving, although the Sachsenring is a track which he has never had a podium at across his career. Hector Barbera is next up in the championship in 18th. He achieved his best result of the year as Catalunya but dropped to 16th at Assen last time out. This was the first time since last year’s Japanese GP that he has actually finished a race outside of the points. The Spaniard qualified a sensational 2nd last season at the track, finishing 9th in the race – equalling his career best at the circuit in the premier class.

Karel Abraham achieved his first top 10 in MotoGP since Valencia 2012 last time out, equalling a career best finish of 7th in the MotoGP category. He has finished every race he has started in Germany in the top class, with a 5th place in Moto2 in 2010. Pol Espargaro follows him in the championship in 20th, although he achieved his best result of the year at Assen last weekend. His best finish at the Sachsenring in MotoGP was a 7th in 2014, although he has 1 podium from Moto2 in 2013.

Alex Rins made a name for himself at Assen for all the wrong reasons, by getting in the way of Danilo Petrucci. Rins crashed out of 2nd place at the German GP last year in Moto2, but was 3rd the year previous. He has one win, back in 2013 in Moto3. Suzuki as manufacturer haven’t won at the circuit since Kenny Roberts JR in 1999, although that was prior to the current layout.

Brits Bradley Smith and Sam Lowes bring up the rear of the table as far as full time riders are concerned. Both failed to finish last time at Assen. Smith was 13th in last year’s race in Germany, whereas Lowes failed to finish his Moto2 race. The last British premier class winner at the German Grand Prix was Barry Sheene in 1977.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Rossi Writes Records in Thrilling Dutch TT

 

Valentino Rossi took his first win of the 2017 MotoGP season after a thrilling Dutch TT at Assen. Pole-sitter Johann Zarco pitted to change to wet tyres after the rain began to fall, ending his hopes of a GP victory. A late surge from Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso saw them go head to head with Marc Marquez, whilst Danilo Petrucci’s race win challenge was thwarted by Alex Rins on the final lap, after the Spaniard failed to get out of the Italian’s way whilst being lapped at turn 7.

The race started with Johann Zarco taking the hole-shot down into the first turn, with Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi slotting in behind. Petrucci dropped to 4th whilst Alvaro Bautista careered down the outside, into 5th place. Championship leader Maverick Vinales was mired in 11th place, failing to make up ground off the line.

Having waited and weighed up the situation, Valentino took the lead with 15 laps to go, from Johann Zarco. The two would tangle at turn 4 however, with Rossi running wide, giving the French sensation half a chance to take the lead back. As Zarco went for the inside line, Rossi swooped around the outside, colliding with Johann, who was then under attack from Marquez and Petrucci.

Danilo got passed Marquez and Zarco, before catching up with Valentino. With 8 laps to go, the front four started to telescope together as the rain came, lubricating the circuit enough for the likes of Zarco, Rins, Hector Barbera and Jorge Lorenzo to come in to change.

Meanwhile, out front with just 5 to go, Petrucci took the lead on the inside on the run back towards the pits, leaving Rossi vulnerable to a Marquez and Dovizioso attack.

Petrucci and Rossi pulled away however and at the chicane one lap later, it was the Yamaha rider who got under Petrucci’s Pramac Ducati, which would be how it stayed until the end of the race.

Rossi took the win despite Petrucci closing right in on The Doctor rider through the final chicane. It was his 115th win and his 10th at the Assen track. Completing the podium was reigning champion Marc Marquez, who put a stunning pass on Britain’s Cal Crutchlow at Ramshoek, leaving the newly re-signed LCR Honda rider 4th, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso, who is now the championship leader after Maverick Vinales crashed out.

Rossi’s victory meant that he set another record in his career. The Italian now has the longest winning spell of any rider in the history of the Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship. He also became the first rider in the history of the sport to take 10 victories at more than one European circuit – excluding the TT. It was his 224th podium and the victory also meant that Yamaha took their 16th premier class win at the circuit.

The next race in this sensational season comes from the Sachsenring, this coming weekend. the circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Honda in recent years and Marquez is yet to lose a race there since 2010. Rossi trails series leader Dovizioso by 7 points.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Alan Carter on the 1986 British Grand Prix and his Moving Personal Life

In 1983, Alan Carter of Halifax became the Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship’s youngest ever winner, after a thrilling ride in the 1983 French 250cc Grand Prix – a weekend that will be remembered as a contrast to Carter’s emotions. In a time when the north of Britain had been seemingly forgotten about, there were big hopes. Sadly, Carter was never allowed to fulfil his massive potential and due to a number of reasons, never became the World Champion that he and us fans know he should’ve become. In an incredible interview held at Knockhill on Sunday evening where I spoke to Alan himself, he recalls the tragedy that rocked the family as well as the infamous 1986 British Grand Prix, which proved worth fighting for in more ways than one.

In 1986, I raced on a Cobas, built by Antonio Cobas. He was an incredible engineer but the biggest problem we had was that the team couldn’t speak english. I’d had the same team for the previous three seasons but when I went to Cobas in 1986, I ended up with a team full of Spaniards. Looking back on it now, it was funny and brilliant but obviously at the time it was stressful and annoying. They also liked a couple of bottles of Rioja during their Siesta times. That wasn’t very useful because when they came back, none of them could remember what they had tightened up and what they hadn’t, so I spent most the time on the floor after my bike seized up!

The problems started in Belgium. I was sat behind Sito Pons in 2nd, with Donny McLeod 3rd. I thought that I’ll just wait behind him and pass him on the last couple of laps and take the win. Unfortunately, my bike went onto one cylinder so my plan went out the window. I should’ve come out of the Belgian Grand Prix 1986 finishing at least 2nd, but I actually finished fifth, not too far off Dominique Sarron in 4th. I came away from there extremely pissed off.

What happened now was that I trained like crazy for Silverstone: I was going to win the British Grand Prix. We used to have Thursday practice which wasn’t timed and then Friday and Saturday practice which was timed. To us though, Thursday was timed, as we had someone doing it ourselves and then find out where we was. When I came back, I saw that I was top of the time-sheets. I was absolutely buzzing!

On the Friday, I went into the first turn – off the back of a 5th gear Woodcote back then – and the bike seized up and chucked me off. The crash bashed me up a bit and obviously knocked my confidence, even though I was a professional. I had a pretty poor qualifying but luck was on my side, because it absolutely threw it down on race day, by that point I thought a win was guaranteed.

After about five laps, I took the lead but the rev counter had stuck to about 7,000 RPM. We used these Tony Dawson rev counters which were good when they worked but in reality they were a bit hit and miss. So now, I’m racing a two stroke which has a very narrow power band and can only change gear through listening to the engine because my rev counter had become irrelevant. Because I was focused on the engine, it took the edge off my performance so me and Dominique Sarron swapped places a few times. On the final few laps, I started to catch Sarron again and people said that I probably wouldn’t beat him, although I thought I could. 2nd place at the time didn’t mean anything to me because I wanted to win so much.

I started to reel him in and closed down the gap, which was approximately 2 seconds. As I came out of Stowe corner, I knew that if I had a chance of winning, I needed to get a good run. When I arrived at Club corner, time was running out but I was still a believer. I got on the power a fraction early, the rear came round on me and I crashed out of 2nd place in the British Grand Prix. It was all my own fault and there’s no questions about that.

Amongst all of the panic and the pandemonium and confusion, I picked the bike up and the only damage to it was the clutch lever. I managed to wedge the clutch lever back – like you can – so I could rejoin. I only needed to use it once to start the bike because I still wanted to finish. Everything was going fine until this marshal came along. Obviously he was concerned because I was at the side of the track and he didn’t want me to be taken out by someone who might crash like I did. However, he came up to me and knocked my arm, which then knocked the clutch lever which made me f*****g livid! I went to throw a punch at him and completely lost the plot! I ran back to the bike and tried restarting it but I didn’t realise that I was trying in sixth gear, so it wouldn’t go anywhere. I ran 50m with it but I was absolutely exhausted. I was 45 minutes into a Grand Prix so I just put the bike down and collapsed at the side of the circuit and that was it. It was all over.

I finished 17th in the world championship that season. It was the same year that my brother, Kenny, killed himself and his wife. He was my manager, my best mate and my best friend. He was World Pairs Speedway Champion with Peter Collins in 1983, he was a double British Speedway Champion in 1984 and 1985, winning the 1984 championship with a broken leg. He was controversially excluded in 1982 from the Los Angeles event which ended the year. He clashed on track with eventual champion Bruce Penhall. It was the best racing I’ve ever seen.

All in all, I felt robbed at the time. I knew I could’ve and probably should’ve gone on to win world championships but it wasn’t to be. I was on a short list of four riders for a factory NSR Honda. The others were Dominique Sarron and Carlos Cardus – I can’t remember the other guy. It’s been hard for me though. My brother killing himself after he murdered his wife, my mum killed herself at 15 and I’ve buried my daughter. I urge anyone to read my book and see for themselves just how hard it’s been.

I think me and my brother were very poorly managed by my dad, who was like a cross between a gypsy and something out of a Guy Ritchie film. However, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have ever raced. He was the best motorcycle coach there ever was; I raced for Kenny Roberts and he was shit compared to my dad. I wanted to let people know – through writing a book – why I never became a world champion. People need to read it to get the full insight but also because it will make them appreciate life a lot more and open their eyes.

You can buy the thrilling and compelling book from Amazon, here

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Iannone’s Options if Suzuki say Ciao

Andrea Iannone has struggled to adapt to the new Suzuki in MotoGP and after seven races, his best result is 7th, at COTA. 15th in the championship is a disaster for last year’s Austrian Grand Prix winner and I have a feeling that we are in for some mid-season musical chairs. Lets consider he will be moving (purely for the scenario), where are his options?

Red Bull Honda in World Superbikes have a vacancy, following the death of former MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden. Although Iannone has never been in the World Superbike paddock and has never rode for Honda in any class, you might have to consider a move here a little bit far-fetched even if it is practical. WSBK bosses however are desperate for big names and not ones that are at the end of their career. How much would they be willing to pay Maniac Joe on an internal Dorna transfer?

Following a run of poor form stemming from unprofessionalism and poor team attitude, Sam Lowes’ seat for 2018 is already uncertain but I wouldn’t put it past him leaving the Gresini Aprilia Team before then. Andrea Iannone was rumoured to join the team last season, as Italian owner Fausto Gresini was desperate for an Italian to join the Italian marque. Iannone would suit the bike, as Aleix Espargaro’s development has been incredible. Stick Iannone on the bike and he could be the one to put the bike on the podium. Then again, I had him down as a title threat after the tests, so what do I know…

There is another option to move to World Superbikes and that could be if Barni Racing expand to two machines. It is no secret that Marco Barnabo is looking to expand the team and it is unlikely he will field someone other than Xavi Fores. Iannone has Ducati contacts and has ridden the Panigale on track days at Misano so he does have the experience of the bike, an advantage compared to Stefan Bradl who received his Honda late on. It might be a pay cut but I think any rider would rather be winning than riding around at the back of the field with no confidence and receiving a big pay cheque. In fact, do they still do it by check? Answers on a tweet.

With the recent departure of Davide Giugliano from Tyco BMW, there is an opportunity for him to join an already star-studded British Superbike line up. However, having had one lunatic Italian, I’m not sure the Neil family’s blood pressure could sustain Andrea, nor could the team’s bank balance. It’s a long shot and BSB would certainly welcome him.

Besides those options, I’m not sure where else Andrea could fit. There’s a 0.01% chance he might drop back into Moto2 but who would it be? World Supersport certainly wouldn’t appeal to him and I don’t think any team in MotoGP would be looking to expand to three bikes.

After all that however, I personally can’t see him leaving Suzuki, less than halfway through the initial contract. Iannone is one of the most determined riders on the grid and he will make it work. I think it is more down to the bike and how difficult the front end is rather than Andrea Iannone having lost his ability. It does go to show how valuable Vinales was to Suzuki. It’s a little bit like the Stoner-Ducati situation.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Why Bradl Still Has It

Post by @MotoGPKiko

It is no secret that the Honda are struggling in World Superbikes, however, Stefan Bradl – the team’s sole rider after the tragic passing of teammate Nicky Hayden – has got bundles of talent and on a good bike with the right team, he’s a WSBK race winner all day long. Come next year, I have a feeling that the German could be a bit of a threat.

It sounds ridiculous that I am mentioning the 2018 WSBK season after just reaching the half way distance this year but for Stefan Bradl, the remainder of this campaign will be more of a huge test session on the new Honda Fireblade.

Having received the bike late this season, the Red Bull Honda Ten Kate Team have been slashed of testing time and the results have highlighted that. Stefan Bradl’s 6th place in Assen is the team’s best result and they are slowly but surely making progress, with throttle connection being a main target, although a gearbox solution for WSBK is still looming a large issue.

Stefan Bradl is one of the top riders in World Superbikes. Having been unceremoniously tossed out of the Grand Prix circus last year, following a tricky time at Aprilia, he found himself in WSBK on what was supposed to be a championship contending bike. Bradl’s speed is most certainly there and his resilience is too, riding in honour of fallen hero Hayden at Donington Park.

Bradl is also the only German on the grid, following Markus Reiterberger’s departure due to injuries sustained over a year ago. The former Moto2 World Champion has actually been rather steady in WSBK. Every race he has finished has been in the points, which gains not only track time for him as a WSBK rookie but valuable data which will be used to improve the Fireblade. He has only retired from two races, at circuits that he has never rode a 1000cc bike at in his life.

The next circuit for the German to visit is Misano, where the team recently held a test to try and make further gains with the Honda. Bradl also knows the circuit reasonably well too, having raced there in his Grand Prix years, with a 2nd in Moto2 in 2011 and a top class best of 5th.

There is no doubting Bradl’s pace. It will just take some more time to be shown. Likewise for the Honda, development and testing is the most valuable asset to the outfit at the moment. I’m predicting a Honda podium by the end of the season; where that will be, I’m not so sure. But with a determined Bradl and a hardworking team around him, I expect some breakthroughs very shortly.

Image courtesy of Gareth Davies from Full Factory Photography

 

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Raw Emotion

Prosperity. Positivity. Hope. Many things were bought to the MotoGP and World Superbike paddocks but it was Nicky Hayden who did it better than anyone else. From long hair to man-buns, hardcore riding to effortless speed, Nicky Hayden brought a breath of fresh air with him wherever he ended up. From his first MotoGP race at Suzuka in 2003, to his last WSBK race at Imola in 2017, the effervescent American was a charmer in every sense of the word. The world of sport warmed to him and now the world of sport mourns him.

The first time Nicky Hayden was a name amongst the racing world was in 2001, after a stellar season in the AMA Superbike championship. Finishing 3rd behind the likes of championship victor Mat Mladin and runner-up Eric Bostrom was by no means something to be ashamed of – and of course, Nicky being Nicky, he wasn’t. The 20 year old Kentucky rider was starting to become a bit of a pest within the AMA hierarchy. But it was welcome. His warm personality and constant smile was something that disguised his fierce, tenacious nature on circuit. The reason for the number 69 was because he crashed so much as a kid, he needed a number that he could read upside down. If that wasn’t a personality, then seriously, what was?

In 2002, Hayden became AMA Superbike champion, beating Mat Mladin to take his first big championship victory. Not only did he win the championship, but he won the Daytona 200, the motorcycle racing world’s answer to the Indy 500 or the Monaco Grand Prix. His efforts were rewarded with an outing in World Superbikes, at his home round at Laguna Seca, California. Finishing a strong 4th in race one before a collision in race two saw him finish in 13th, us as motorcycle fans knew we were witnessing something special. This young rider was sending shockwaves in all championships, rocketing through every paddock he welcomely stepped foot in.

2003 would see Nicky Hayden make the big time. Not only had he joined the MotoGP family but he joined the Repsol Honda Team and Valentino Rossi in a season that would be remembered for a variety of reasons. Finishing the season in 5th position meant that not only had he become Rookie of the Year, but he had beaten proven talent such as former WSBK champion Troy Bayliss, reigning WSBK champion and fellow countryman Colin Edwards, WSBK superstar Noriyuki Haga, Alex Barros, reigning 250cc champion Marco Melandri and fellow American John Hopkins. Hayden was ruffling feathers in the biggest possible way. Taking his first podium at Motegi and following it up two races later at Phillip Island, the talent had been showcased in great quantity.

Despite another two podiums in 2004, Hayden slipped down the leaderboard to 8th. But, it would be 2005 when The Kentucky Kid earned his corn. A return to Laguna Seca for the American Grand Prix would see Nicky Hayden dominate. Having not had a podium all season, times were looking hard. Pole position followed up by a classy, exuberant race win gave him America’s first win in the MotoGP era and Honda’s first ever at Laguna Seca. It was this race where a zest of Kevin Schwantz would come in, with the wild celebrations at the crowd’s demand. He was a hero. Hayden would go on and take five more podiums that season, finishing in the bronze medallist position at just his third attempt.

2006 was always going to be special. Hayden started the season with four podiums and never dropped below 5th before his first race win of a truly unforgettable campaign. A last lap dual with Colin Edwards will go down as the day that America conquered The Netherlands. Taking his 2nd ever win after a rare Colin Edwards crash on the last lap at the chicane, we once more saw that emotion which Nicky emitted every single time he achieved his goal. Three races later and he did it again, his third and final MotoGP win at home again. 2006 was turning into a Nicky Hayden year but in Portugal, we saw emotion that Nicky had never shown before.

Rookie teammate Dani Pedrosa wanted good results and needed them to stay in the fight for a top three placing. A pass on Nicky Hayden at the parabolica interior would send Repsol Honda spiralling to the ground, both on track and off. Management watched on in disbelief. All the effort of 2006. All the graft of the team. Every droplet of sweat and molecule of tear shed. It had all come to seemingly nothing. Dani Pedrosa wiped out his teammate with just one race left after Portugal. The swearing erupted from championship challenger Hayden. Fingers pointing and feet stomping. Tears streaming. Hayden wished he was only dreaming. A little boys dream to reign supreme was lying amongst the bits Repsol Honda in the gravel. Would this be his last chance?

“Valencia 2006” – a sentence that every MotoGP fan gets goosebumps thinking about. All Valentino Rossi had to do was beat Hayden, or make sure Hayden did not finish in a position that was worth nine points more than him. But even five time champions make mistakes. Rossi crashed in the race, all but gifting Nicky Hayden the title. Whilst the Ducatis of Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi took first and second, Nicky Hayden finished third, enough for him to take the crown and the crowd by storm. Screaming his name they were, in awe at what they just witnessed. One of MotoGP’s finest 45 minutes. As former commentator Charlie Cox would say, “the only thing predictable about MotoGP is that it is completely, unpredictable!”.

Defying the odds after despondently marching through the gravel across the border in tears of dejection two weeks previous, Nicky Hayden now celebrated in front of the longest continuous grandstand in the world, basking in the Spanish sun as the burnouts came surplus to requirement. And instead of tears of dejection, it was tears of joy. From the dirt tracks of Owensboro to the Grand Prix circus on the world stage, The Kentucky Kid had accomplished his childhood dream and ambition in becoming MotoGP world champion.

Never once did he give up or question his ability. He never once was put off by Valentino Rossi’s hoards of fans or by the status of the man he was battling with. Nicky displayed one of MotoGP’s most determined rides ever, with his natural charismatic style blending with his on track resilience to conquer the world and reign the two-wheeled King.

And that is how I want to remember Nicky Hayden. Not as someone who would only go on to achieve a handful more podiums. Not as a rider who was struggling on uncompetitive machinery in World Superbike. But as the champion of our hearts. The champion who was as common as the rest of us, just with that flamboyancy and individualism only Nicky could make work. A people’s racer with just one desire, he leaves us with some fantastic, irreplaceable and unforgettable memories. His ‘happy-go-lucky’ aura captivated millions of fans from across the planet as we watched one rider chase a dream before watching the same rider realise his dream had become a reality. Living on in our hearts and riding on above with some other stern opposition, you can be sure that Nicky Hayden will be remembered as a true legend, both on track and off it. The Kentucky Kid will never be forgotten, even if his visor has come down for the final time.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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MotoGP Spanish GP Preview: A Sherry On Top of the Cake

The first European round of the 2017 MotoGP championship comes from Jerez de la Frontera for the Spanish Grand Prix. Situated over 600km away from the country’s capital Madrid, Jerez has seen some memorable scenes acted out around the 2.7 mile track. From Michael Doohan and Alex Criville in 1996 to Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau in 2005, this circuit has seen it all and we could be in for a weekend filled with action and drama as well as thrills and spills.

Valentino Rossi, for the first time since November 2015, leads the series. The Movistar Yamaha veteran has finished on the podium in every race so far this year and arrives at a track at which he has triumphed on nine occasions, the most recent being last year. With a six point lead over teammate Maverick Vinales, The Doctor will need to bring his ‘A’ game to Jerez. Should he win at Jerez, it will be his 10th at the track and his 22nd in Spain, as well as 115th in his GP career. The scene of many incidents in his career, Jerez is steeped in Rossi history but what will the future hold for 38-year-old Italian, as he continues his quest for title number 10. He’s like a good Spanish wine: he gets better with age.

Chasing him in the championship is Maverick Vinales, making it a dream start to Movistar Yamaha’s 2017 championship aspirations. However, Vinales couldn’t handle the heat in Texas, falling in the opening laps, gifting teammate Rossi the series lead by a mere six points. Having won at Jerez in his 2013 Moto3 championship year, Maverick’s best result in the MotoGP category was 6th place last season on the Suzuki. Two wins to his name so far this year indicate Vinales’ pace but now we arrive at circuits which are familiar to all MotoGP riders. Yamaha have won at the track for the last two seasons with two different riders and Maverick will be hoping he can be the 3rd. Competition will be tough and it may well be a matter of Vinales maintaining his composure, seeing as the speed is most definitely there.

18 points back of Valentino and 12 back from Maverick, Americas GP’s winner Marc Marquez got his season kick-started in the States. The Repsol Honda rider arrives at his home GP off the back of domination but his form in Spain doesn’t indicate a certain win this time. 3rd last season and 2nd the year before, Marquez knows that he has to take points off the Movistar Yamaha men whilst the season is still young. Honda haven’t won since Marc was in his winning form in 2014 and there will be big pressure from team sponsor Repsol to end the drought. Can he perform in front of his home crowd to take his first back to back victories in 2017 and close down the leading Yamaha duo before they build an unassailable lead on the five time champ?

Despite finishing just 6th in the USA and not finishing in Argentina, Andrea Dovizioso remains 4th in the series, 8 points behind Marquez in 3rd and 26 behind leader Rossi. Dovi hasn’t had the best luck so far in 2017 but a lacklustre display in the USA highlighted that the Ducati is struggling in both his and Jorge’s hands. The Ducati hasn’t got a particularly amazing record at Jerez either, with their last podium coming in 2009 with Casey Stoner and their last win with Loris Capirossi in 2006. Will they solve the problem with Dovi? Can he return the Bologna Bullet to the Spanish GP rostrum? We will soon see! Dovi hasn’t won at the track and he’s not taken a premier class podium either, so form may suggest not this weekend.

Cal Crutchlow sits pretty in 5th place in the championship, just one point behind his former Tech 3 Yamaha and Ducati Factory teammate. The British rider has had a good start to the season on Lucio Cecchinello’s Honda, despite crashing twice under the lights at Losail. A 3rd in Argentina and a 4th in America mean Crutchlow comes back to Europe without the sense of needing to prove himself to doubters. His Spanish Grand Prix results speak for themselves, with a stunning 4th in 2012 and 2015, and a 5th in 2013. If he does manage to mount the podium, he will be the first British rider on the premier class podium at Jerez since Niall Mackenzie in 1992. Now, I will leave you with that thought.

The second of the Repsol Hondas is occupying 6th place, with Dani Pedrosa’s third place in America elevating him up the championship pecking order. Pedrosa sits just 2 points behind Cal and 3 points behind Dovi in the series standings. The Spaniard has been very successful around Jerez, accumulating three victories and 10 podiums, although the last time he stood on the rostrum was 2013. Pedrosa feels confident with the Honda now that he has a podium under his belt and this weekend could be a Pedrosa weekend if he can get away with the leaders. If he gets on the podium, it will be the first time since Sepang and Valencia 2015 that he has had back to back podiums. An astonishing statistic for such a high-profile name.

The two Tech 3 Yamaha riders are 7th and 8th in the championship, with Zarco ahead of Folger by a mere one point as they continue their battle for top rookie. Both riders have had podiums at Jerez but Jonas Folger is the only winner, back on the AGR Kalex Moto2 bike in 2015. There has never been a German or French rider on the podium of a premier class Grand Prix at Jerez, a statistic Folger and Zarco will both want to change.

Tied on 21 points with Folger is Pramac Ducati’s Scott Redding and Marc VDS Honda’s Jack Miller. Both riders finished outside the points last season and will want to change that as they try and hunt down Cal Crutchlow for top independent rider. With Jack Miller yet to finish outside the top 10 and Redding’s podium at the track in 2013, don’t expect to be seeing them vacate the top 10 at Jerez.

A difficult start to the year has seen Danilo Petrucci drop to 11th in the championship on the 2nd of the Pramac Ducatis but on the Factory version. The Italian has hit back though in the past two races, with a seventh and an 8th, with the latter involving him beating Factory Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo late-on in the race. Jerez is a track that hasn’t been too kind to him however, with no top 10 finish to date. Can that change in 2017?

Alvaro Bautista has shown us that he has some amazing pace for 2017, pace that can either be challenging the top four or throwing it on the floor. Two crashes have seen Bautista drop to 12th in the championship, despite recovering to finish 15th in the USA. His best premier class result at the track is sixth, on three occasions between 2012 and 2014. He has one victory to his name, in 2006 on his way to his 125cc title. Will he be able to cause a shock this weekend?

Jorge Lorenzo is 13th in the championship and the fourth Ducati. A wretched start to his 2017 campaign looked to be recovered when he qualified 6th at COTA, only for him to drop back to 9th come race day. He has some impressive form around Jerez, including premier class wins in 2015, 2011 and 2010, as well as podiums every year apart from 2014 and 2009. Like we have already discussed, the Ducati is a handful around Jerez and that may mean that Jorge may well be relying on his form at the track to haul the cumbersome bike onto the podium.

Aleix Espargaro leads Andrea Iannone in 14th and 15th, with the Aprilia and Suzuki rider desperate to turn their season around and rapidly. Aleix had a terrible time of things at COTA, describing the Saturday as the “worst day of his life”. Things didn’t get better for the Losail revelation either, when the team attended a private test at Mugello, only to be hindered by rain. His best result at the track is 5th. However, Andrea Iannone has got some form. Having finally finished a race in the points at COTA (7th), he can build on what he found. The trouble is for Iannone, out of 12 starts at Jerez, there’s been just 1 win and 9 results have been outside the top 10 or DNFs. Now, if that isn’t a bogey track…

Loris Baz and Karel Abraham are in 16th and 17th, with both riders failing to score points last time out in The States. Baz’ best finish around Jerez was 13th last year, although a 7th in WSBK might suggest that he doesn’t enjoy the track. As for Karel – who is injured following COTA – his best result was 7th in 2011, although this was his last points at the track to date.

Tito Rabat and Hector Barbera, whilst languishing in the championship have actually scored points in every race this season. With both riders on 8 points, they are actually level with Abraham so with some luck this weekend, positions could change. Barbera’s best result consists of 6th in the premier class but a 3rd in 125s in 2004. For Rabat, he was 18th last season but finished 3rd in 2015 on the Moto2 bike and also took his first ever Grand Prix victory at the track in 2013. Will happy memories return for the former champion?

Alex Rins sits 20th in the championship for Suzuki but following his accident in Austin that led to a broken wrist, he is missing out Jerez and possibly Le Mans and Mugello. His replacement rider is Takuya Tsuda, the Suzuki development rider who makes his Grand Prix debut this weekend. He becomes the first Japanese rider since Hiroshi Aoyama at the Sacshsenring in 2015 to start a European MotoGP race.

The KTM pairing of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith head to Jerez hoping for a better weekend than their America visit. No points for either and a retirement along the way mean that the bike may well need a solid showing in Jerez to prove to doubters that it has the capabilities to match the skill set of both riders on board. Both have won at Jerez, with Espargaro winning in 2012 in Moto2 and Bradley Smith in 2009 (his first ever GP win) in the 125cc class. Both riders finished in the points last year (8th for Pol and 12th for Bradley) and will be looking for a repeat performance again this year, even if it isn’t to the positions.

In last place in the championship, Sam Lowes is point-less at the foot of the championship. His Aprilia has been a handful and a series of crashes at COTA won’t have done his confidence any good at all. He won the Moto2 race at Jerez last season so he will take the positives of that to Sunday but he must start to bring the bike home within the top 15. His other two GP results at Jerez have been outside the top 15 but in 2013, he did win the World Supersport championship at the track with a win.

With every rider analysed and the build up underway to an amazing weekend of racing, we now look forward to Sunday for the day that matters. Will Valentino Rossi repeat last years feat and build his points lead in the title or will Maverick fight back after a disaster in America? Can Marquez win back-to-back or can teammate Pedrosa shock us all? Those are the questions and you can get the answers by keeping up with our live text commentary across the weekend.

 

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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MotoGP Americas GP Review – Captain America is an Understatement

The Americas Grand Prix – for the fifth consecutive season – went to Marc Marquez, as the Spaniard took his first victory of the season in scorching weather conditions on Sunday afternoon. The Repsol Honda team achieved their first podium of the season and their first double podium since the Catalan Grand Prix last season, with 1st and 3rd. Splitting the two Hondas was Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, who not only took 2nd and his best ever result at COTA but also the lead of the championship for the first time since Malaysia 2015. 2017 is already looking like a season we will cherish.

As the lights went out, it was formation flying into turn one for Repsol Honda, with Dani Pedrosa leading Marc Marquez through the first few turns. Valentino Rossi was in 3rd with the likes of Jorge Lorenzo moving through from row two to challenge him, taking series leader Maverick Vinales for 4th.

Following all the squabbling, a shock was about to rock COTA. Coming through turn 18, Maverick Vinales crashed out in a shower of sparks, throwing his M1 Yamaha into the Texan dirt for his first DNF of the year. The Spaniard looked like he had been rattled all weekend, following a fallout with teammate Rossi in qualifying and a dual with Marquez for pole position. Either way, he cost me £15 after I backed him to break Marquez’ stranglehold on the circuit.

This promoted reigning double Moto2 champion Johann Zarco to fourth, immediately giving the Frenchman hope for a podium challenge. However, with 15 laps to go, Rossi and Zarco would have their first fallout of the season. After a slight mistake by the 9-time champion at turn one, Zarco got a better run through the fast turn two, before pouncing on Rossi at turn three. Valentino, maintaining the racing line through the turn two and three section, was forced to take evasive action as the Frenchman barged his way in. Not too long after, Rossi was handed a 0.3 time penalty which was to be added on to his time at the end of the session, having gained time on Pedrosa up ahead – although in the eyes of many, it was involuntary course cutting. The incident continued in the post-race press conference, with Valentino saying that “the problem is Zarco”. More on that as the season unwinds.

By this time, Marc Marquez had taken the lead away from Dani Pedrosa and had began to clear off into the distance. Pedrosa did take another stab at retaking the lead at turn 12, but ran wide on exit and allowed Marquez to hold on, which was how it remained to the end.

Further down, there was a big scrap between Iannone, Miller, Petrucci and Lorenzo. Iannone took his best result on the Suzuki thus far with 7th, ahead of Danilo Petrucci who beat Lorenzo and Miller – the Australian starting the year with three top 10 placings.

There was a high number of crashers in the race, with Loris Baz, Sam Lowes, Karel Abraham and Alvaro Bautista all hitting the floor, with Pol Espargaro retiring his KTM, as well as Aleix Espargaro having numerous problems with the Aprilia. Alvaro did remount to gain 1 point.

Cal Crutchlow caught and passed Johann Zarco to take 4th place and remain 5th in the championship after his podium in Argentina. Zarco finished 5th with his joint best finish in the premier class.

The battle for 2nd however was yet to be settled. Valentino Rossi was closing on Dani Pedrosa and in the closing laps, he took the 2nd place on the road. He eventually pulled clear by over two seconds to take second ahead of the former double 250cc champion.

In the end though, Marc prevailed and what a sensational way to kick-start his season too! He’s flying high but as Wayne Rainey once said, “It’s the start of the ground war” when we hit Europe. Jerez is the next round and you can be sure to tune in to see who will be our Spanish Grand Prix winner. Rossi won there last season and will be looking to repeat the feat.

The gap at the top of the championship tree is a mere six points, with Vinales slotting into 2nd. 12 points further back is Marc Marquez and then it’s the first Ducati, in Andrea Dovizioso – already 26 points down on Rossi.

The next race is Jerez and as ever, there will be unrivalled coverage across the weekend, with qualifying, warm-ups and race day commentary on Twitter as well as a shed load of content flying fresh off the press online!

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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A Spartan’s Struggle

It was the worst-kept secret in the MotoGP paddock last year: Triple premier class champion, Jorge Lorenzo, was leaving the all conquering Yamaha factory outfit for Ducati in 2017. Signed to deliver the red bike’s first World Championship since Casey Stoner exactly a decade ago.

It has not gone as planned. Lorenzo’s results from the three opening fly-away races read thus:

Qatar: P11 (Started P12), 5 points

Argentina: DNF (Started P16)

USA: P9 (Started P6), 7 points

The warning signs had been evident for any rider joining Ducati: Just a few seasons after winning his title, Stoner became disillusioned with the team and defected to see out his racing days with Honda. Furthermore, since Stoner left in 2010, the Italian team have achieved victory in a grand total of two grands prix (Andreas Iannone and Dovizioso at Austria and Malaysia last season, respectively). Not even Valentino Rossi, with nine world titles to his name, could tame the Desmosedici-RR. The latter’s failure was perhaps Lorenzo’s real motivation for signing. Succeed where his arch rival could not.

Winter testing was a disaster for both team and rider. Although it is always difficult to judge the real performance of riders and teams, as we are not privy to details such as fuel loads and tyre choice, Lorenzo was constantly in the bottom half of the timesheets throughout most of the sessions. This was also because of Ducati discovering that they had lost some ground on their rivals now that the winglets had been banned. The lack of such aerodynamic aids has undoubtedly hurt the cornering performance of the Bologna-based outfit. With this in mind, the Spaniard was clearly always going to be struggling to adapt from the start.

However, in Ducati’s defence, their bike has always been much more physically demanding to ride than others. Therein lies the crux of all problems for the man known to his fans as ‘The Spartan’. Whilst the M1 has garnered the reputation of being arguably the most well balanced grand-prix bike to ever be built, the Ducati is the polar opposite. Designed around maximum straight line speed, the rider must be prepared to haul himself and the bike around every corner, combating the extreme levels of ‘chatter’ through the suspension, as the machine fights against every directional change. It takes an extraordinary rider to tame the beast. There is no place for finesse and smooth trajectories, which Lorenzo has built his career upon to date.

As a result, perhaps it should not have surprised us that the early stages of Lorenzo’s relationship with his new employers have been rocky. Both team and rider have had a stark reality check since joining forces. Ducati almost certainly won’t be able to win the championship this season, and Lorenzo has discovered how much he underestimated the challenge of riding the Ducati would be.

Poorer than expected results, and a completely disconsolate Lorenzo after Argentina, led certain media outlets into speculating how quickly he might part ways with his team. It was telling that it was Lorenzo who moved first to clarify his situation before last weekend’s American Grand Prix: “I don’t want to think about what has happened. In the team we are all optimistic. We’re working well together and this difficult moment will be over soon.”

Whilst ninth place will not bring home any accolades, it is proof that both the rider and team are improving. Lorenzo was understandably more buoyant speaking after the race. Additionally, there was more of a hint of the old bullish Jorge when on top form: “Today I was faster than ever on race pace. For sure we cannot be satisfied with our final position because our target is certainly much higher. We’re here to fight with Yamaha and Honda. But the positive is we’re much closer than before.”

Now that does not sound like a man who’s giving up just yet.

Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

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MotoGP Americas GP Preview: Time to make a Marc in 2017

After two eventful opening races of the season, the MotoGP circus parades up to Texas, for the Americas Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Although having only been on the calendar since 2013, the premier class has been dominated by Marc Marquez – however, the five-time champion languishes in the championship, with just a 4th to his name so far. Can all that be changed in the states?

Although we normally start our previews with the championship leader, we have to start this one with Captain America himself. Marc Marquez has won at COTA ever since it joined the calendar in 2013. He dominated proceedings last season whilst in 2015, he did have to scrap a bit with Rossi and Dovizioso. The stop-start hard breaking and tight turning obviously suits his style but unfortunately, that may not suit the Honda’s style. Marc’s form is a little bit left to be desired in 2017. A 4th and a crash out of the lead is not what he had in mind to start his title defence but he will be hoping to continue his domination around what has become his territory on the MotoGP calendar.

Maverick Vinales will be looking to become the first Yamaha rider since Kenny Roberts Snr in 1980 to win the opening three races of the year and the first Yamaha rider to win at the new venue. Vinales hasn’t finished outside the top 10 since coming to the track with the premier class, with 4th last year and 9th the year before. In 2014, he won his first Moto2 race and was 2nd in the first ever Moto3 race in 2013. Now he is on a winning bike and in good form, it may well be time to break Marc Marquez’ stranglehold on the circuit and take the honours for Yamaha. If he or Rossi take a victory at COTA, it will be Yamaha’s 500th in Grand Prix.

Valentino Rossi comes to the United States of America in the same championship position as last year. 2nd in the world currently, the nine time champion will be looking to settle a score with what is statistically his worst circuit on the calendar. No win and just one podium hardly make for a Valentino Rossi love story in Austin. The scene was the start of his championship title unravelling last season when he crashed out and in 2014, 8th was all he could manage. Valentino hasn’t won in America since Indianapolis in 2008. There was a hurricane that day and I certainly wouldn’t put it past The Doctor causing a storm on Sunday. He’s come through the field twice already this year, so can it be lucky number three?

Despite being wiped out in Argentina for the second consecutive season, Andrea Dovizioso comes into the Americas GP in third. The Ducati rider struggled in Argentina, finding himself in 13th on the grid. He was in 8th before he was unceremoniously helped to the floor by Aleix Espargaro. The Italian may not be looking forward to COTA given recent experiences. He was taken out at the first turn by Dani Pedrosa last year, although the season before, he was 2nd and in 2014, he was 3rd. With a 30 point gap to series leader Vinales, a win would be needed for the Ducati team, who have done anything but shine this season. Ducati haven’t won in America since Casey Stoner at Laguna Seca in 2007 and that is one drought that the team will want to end.

In 4th position, Britain’s Scott Redding will be hoping for another top 10 finish. The Ducati rider has finished every race since Catalunya last year, although three of them were 0-point finishes. Redding was 6th in the Americas Grand Prix last year, meaning it was the first time that he had finished in the points at the track. There is also a psychological advantage to Redding, who is beating his teammate Petrucci, despite the Italian being on the Factory bike. The 24-year-old Brit will be hoping for his momentum to continue in the USA.

Completing the top five is fellow Brit and double winner from 2016, Cal Crutchlow. The Brit took a stunning third place in Argentina to kick-start his season following a point-less Qatar. Crutchlow’s form in the Americas GP has been mixed, with 17th last year after a crash but a 7th in 2015 remains his best result on the Honda. However, it was 2013 where Cal got his best result at the track, with 4th. In 2014, he crashed at the fast turn two, suffering horrible hand injuries which hampered him for the first part of the season. Cal sits as top Honda in the championship and will be gunning for a top five at the very least. Who’s to say a podium would be too much to ask?

Rookie Jonas Folger is the rider who occupies 6th place in the championship. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider has rode well so far in 2017, with two top-10 placings from his first two races. Folger’s best result at COTA remains a 4th in 2013 on a Kalex KTM, although last year he was 5th in Moto2. With a Tech 3 Yamaha that is obviously handling very sweetly, Folger may well be able to gel with the track on a big 1000cc bike. The last German rider to get a podium was Stefan Bradl in 2013 at Laguna Seca. Can the drought be ended in Texas?

Jack Miller is 7th in the championship and the 2nd Honda. The Australian winner from last season has had a consistent start to 2017, with an 8th and 9th in Qatar and Argentina respectively. He didn’t start in the race last year but was 14th in 2015 and won the Moto3 race in 2014. The last Australian to win in the USA was Casey Stoner in 2007 at Laguna Seca, something that Miller will want to put right, even if the odds may not be in his favour. Don’t put it past him to put in another sterling effort for a top-10 finish.

Keep your eyes on Alvaro Bautista this weekend, after an incredible ride in Argentina to finish 4th. The Spaniard has some tricky form at the track, with an 11th and 15th in 2016 and 2015 respectively, both on the Aprilia. He crashed in 2014 but was 8th when the paddock came for the first time. His 4th place in Argentina was the first time since Le Mans in 2014 that he had a top five result. He hasn’t had back to back top five finishes since Motegi and Valencia in 2013 and he has never had back to back 4th place finishes. Will he continue this stunning run of good form?

Other names include Andrea Iannone, who was somewhat unfairly penalised for apparently causing Jorge Lorenzo to crash at Argentina. Anyone blessed with eyesight could tell you that Lorenzo most certainly rode up the back of the Italian. Jorge Lorenzo is another big name who is languishing in the championship, in 18th with just five points to his name. A track he has never won at and with just two podiums to his name at COTA, it’s hardly likely we will see Jorge shine this weekend. But give him time.

Johann Zarco got points on the board in Argentina, finishing a solid 5th. The Frenchman is 11th in the championship, behind Dani Pedrosa, who also sits on 11 points. Aleix Espargaro will be hoping to bounce back from his Argentina mistake with another top six. Danilo Petrucci missed the Americas GP last year but will be hungry to return to the track and get more points on the table after finishing 7th in Argentina.

Loris Baz and Hector Barbera will be hoping for some big improvements to come their way to challenge for the top 10 once more, whilst fellow Ducati rider Karel Abraham is going to be hoping to be upset the front runners again, with another solid qualifying position – like in Argentina.

The other two rookies – Sam Lowes and Alex Rins – are going to be looking to challenge for the points again. Rins’ fractured ankle will not be making his life pleasant whilst Lowes will be in search of his first points in the premier class at COTA, a track he has won at in Moto2.

Both KTMs scored points at Termas and if they can do the same again in Texas then we know that they have got massive potential for the rest of the season. Tito Rabat’s double point scoring rides in the opening two races will be propelling the Spaniard in his challenge for a top 10.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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