ThePitcrewOnline

Category: Crew On Two

  • British Superbikes 2017 – A Guide to the Year Ahead

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    British Superbikes returns to our screens this coming weekend and it has all the credentials to be yet another scintillating championship which will go all the way to the final round at Brands Hatch in October. With Shane Byrne staying in the championship and runner-up Leon Haslam promising to challenge him all the way, we could see the most explosive season ever. However, there are other riders who will be desperate to rock in the best domestic superbike championship in the world.

    Shane Byrne stays in BSB and remains in the Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati outfit. The 40-year-old Londoner took a record-shattering 5th title last season, his third for Ducati. ‘Shakey’ is more determined than ever before but he has a young teammate out to relegate him in the rankings. Enter Glenn Irwin. The 27-year-old comes into the BSB paddock for a 2nd season with PBM Ducati, having had a successful 2016 campaign. Podiums last season and 12th overall in the championship, Irwin could be a dark horse for success in 2017 as he looks to confirm his place in the top six.

    Leon Haslam spearheads Pete Extance’s JG Speedfit Bournemouth Kawasaki team. After Mark Smith-Halvorsen pulled the plug on his GB Moto efforts last season, the former WSBK ace was left without a ride, having finished 2nd in the series on his comeback last year. As he and JG Speedfit move to the Bournemouth Kawasaki team, they’ll be looking for victories from the word go and to challenge for the championship. Cambridgeshire rider Luke Mossey remains in the team for a third consecutive season. Taking podiums throughout last year, Mossey has potential to once again upset the pecking order. Don’t expect him to consider himself number two for very long.

    Tyco BMW retain Christian Iddon for 2017, after the Derbyshireman did such a fine job last season. Despite finishing on the podium six times last season, it was all too late as he recovered from a nasty injury mid-season. Iddon started the season strongly last year and will definitely be out to take his first victory in the class. Alongside him is one of a flurry of new/returning riders in 2017. Davide Giugliano was unceremoniously dumped out of Ducati’s Factory WSBK effort at the end of last season and found himself out of a ride come the end of the year. However, the Italian superstar has been thrown into the BSB mix, having joined the Tyco BMW team. He will be exciting to watch on British tracks, especially Cadwell Park. He knows Donington Park and Silverstone well, so expect strong performances at these venues.

    Suzuki return with a full factory effort for 2017. The new GXR is run by the Hawk Racing Team, switching from BMW, a bike they’ve run for the past five seasons. Sylvain Guintoli is another big name coming back into the championship, after he was left out of Crescent Yamaha’s revised line-up for the 2017 WSBK season. The Frenchman’s BSB career was cut short after a terrifying accident at Donington Park in 2009, which involved Josh Brookes. Having won one race in the series and finishing on the podium on four occasions, he has unfinished business to deal with. Teaming up with him is reigning National Superstock 1000 champion Taylor Mackenzie. It’s great to see the Mackenzie name back in the BSB championship, although Taylor did compete in WD40 colours back in 2015 but he never scored points. Taylor promises to be exciting to watch, although for us journos and fans, his rivalry with Ian Hutchinson from the Stock 1000 championship last year will be put on hold for now.

    Keith Flint’s successes in the British Supersport class have seen the outfit move to the premier class of British motorcycle racing. He remains on Yamaha equipment and takes on the experience of James Ellison and Michael Laverty. Ellison took victory in the final race of last season in an epic four-way scrap whilst Michael Laverty started last year with a win for Tyco BMW. Neither rider has ridden the new R1, although Ellison has Yamaha experience from 2013. The McAms Yamaha pairing will be wanting to hit the ground running with a bike that has won the title but as Tommy Hill’s EPayMe Yamaha team proved last year, it might not be love at first site. Ellison believes the bike has the potential to fight for the championship and who’d bet against that?

    Honda Racing UK have retained their line-up from the past two seasons, minus the efforts of Jennie Tinmouth. Dan Linfoot leads Jason O’Halloran as the team prepare to race the new Honda Fireblade, which has seen its difficulties in the WSBK championship. Linfoot is yet to win a race in BSB but always goes well at Donington Park, whereas Jason O’Halloran has won a race and will be hoping to build on that success to propel him into a title challenging spot. It won’t be easy for the team but with experienced riders and crew members, it may not be as bad as they think.

    Another Yamaha team this season is Tag Racing. The Anvil Yamaha squad have Josh Brookes who makes a shock return to BSB after an unsuccessful season in WSBK with Milwaukee BMW. The Australian took the BSB crown in 2015 and will want it back in 2017 to give Anvil Tag Racing their first win and their first title. Brookes says that he “has to win” and I have a feeling that he will be taking no prisoners on his way back to British success. Joining him in the team is Shaun Winfield. The Brit had a best result of 16th in 2016 and will be wanting to secure points in 2017.

    Moto Rapido Ducati return once more in 2017, with their 2015 rider John Hopkins. The American was left without a ride when Tommy Hill’s team folded at the end of 2016 but was quickly snapped up by Steve Moore. After a tricky 2016 with numerous riders (starting the year with Danny Buchan, then enduring Alessandro Polita before finishing with Stuart Easton) the team will want to remain consistently quick throughout the season to challenge the more ‘factory’ PBM team. And if anyone can do it, 2011 runner-up John Hopkins most certainly can, as he comes into the year in fine form following a brace of podiums at Brands Hatch in the final round of last season.

    Quattro FS-3 Kawasaki remain on the grid for a 2nd season, after a rather successful 2016. Based in Coventry under the watchful eye of businessman Nigel Snook, the team are hoping to run a two-bike team with their National Superstock 1000 rider James Rispoli towards the end of the season but it will be Billy McConnell who once again shines for them in BSB full-time. The Australian was a podium finisher in 2015 and scored a best of 4th in 2016 at Snetterton. On the brand-new Kawasaki for the first time, we could see some surprises from the relatively new team.

    Lloyd and Jones (PR Racing) return to the championship in 2017, after a tricky few seasons. Jakub Smrz is their man in the saddle in 2017, having finished 18th in the championship last year with two top-10 results. The Czech rider will be looking to repeat his efforts from last year and return to the higher positions with BMW. A hard-working rider and a hard-working team could see them, like FS-3, cause a few upsets.

    The RAF Reserves team, run by Lee Hardy Racing, switch manufacturers this year from BMW to Kawasaki, whilst retaining Jake Dixon as their sole rider. Snapped up almost immediately after his BSB debut last year, Dixon had some great rides with a best result of 6th in race one at Snetterton. However, two massive accidents – the first at Knockhill before a high-speed crash at Oulton Park – showed us that even the protégé of Shane Byrne will get it wrong. Having fully recovered from terrible hip injuries, Dixon promises to be a firework coming through the BSB ranks. 16th in the championship competing in half of the races last season is no fluke.

    Smith’s Racing BMW made the step up to BSB two seasons ago, with the then-champion in British Supersport, Billy McConnell. Whilst the team has evolved, their results dropped somewhat last season. However, Ryuichi Kiyonari joined the team for the final few rounds and was as high as 2nd in the final outing of the season at Brands Hatch, so it wasn’t all negative. Lee Jackson and Peter Hickman join the team for 2017, with the hopes of podiums being not too far away. Hickman took victory in the first round of last season and I’m sure that Rebecca Smith wouldn’t mind a repeat performance, should ‘Hicky’ be able to do it for her at Donington Park.

    Team WD40 are still on the grid in 2017, fielding former race winner Tommy Bridewell. Martin Halsall’s team didn’t stay in the BSB class for 2017 so Tommy needed a ride. It was a last-minute deal that saw the #46 sign for Brent Gladwin’s outfit at GR Motorsport. Having had a tricky few seasons in the championship, Team WD40 deserve some luck and deserve some real success. Bridewell could be the rider to do it. He made the Suzuki look amazing last season (despite it being seven years old) and could do the exact same this year. The team have an all new Kawasaki ZX10 to play with, so keep your eyes open for the blue and yellow machine making headway through the field.

    Riders Motorcycles BMW once again has Martin Jessopp on board. Phil Jessopp runs the outfit and his ambition is a repeat of 2016, just with more top 10 finishes. It could be a tricky year for the team but with Martin’s experience and success, who would bet against another relatively decent campaign.

    Aaron Zanotti again lines up on the BSB grid this season. 16th place was his best result last season and will be looking to return to the points in 2017. He is about as privateer as they come, being both the rider and owner of the Platform Hire Yamaha team. The Loughborough based rider is eager to get on with 2017.

    Gearlink Kawasaki are once again in the series for 2017, with James Westmoreland returning to the championship after having a title challenging season in British Supersport last year with Keith Flint’s Traction Control Yamaha team. A podium in 2015 is Westy’s best success in the British Superbike class and will be looking to put Gearlink Kawasaki in a regular point-scoring position for 2017.

    There’s a new team in the championship for 2017, with Buildbase Suzuki giving British Supersport sensation Bradley Ray an opportunity at the big time. Bronze medallist in last year’s British Supersport championship, this year will be the first time he has raced a 1000cc superbike. Brad will take time to adapt but believe me, the lad has some incredibly scintillating pace.

    So that is the incredibly strong line-up for 2017 and we will be bringing you all the action, news and interviews this season. Who will win the opening race of the season and which lucky six will make it into the showdown? Never has BSB had so many fast riders and never has it been so competitive. What a year we are in for.

    A big thank you to our wonderful British Superbike photographer, Gareth Davies. Not only does he supply this image but he supplies us with thousands of images from all over BSB. He is very high up with certain teams and riders and even Tommy Hill has one of Gareth’s images framed. Find him on Facebook here.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Josh Brookes: We Have To Win

    As British Superbikes approaches its launch off this weekend at Donington Park, Josh Brookes returns hungrier than ever before, declaring that victory is a must for him and the Anvil Yamaha Racing Team. The Australian returns to the series after a difficult year with Milwaukee BMW, who like Josh, made a switch to WSBK from BSB after their 201t title success with Yamaha.

    “The last five days I’ve ridden on a bike, four of them have been in the wet so rain seems to be the consistent factor as of late, said Brookes who is determined to get some dry weather rides in this weekend at Donington Park.

    “I’m happy with the bike in the conditions I have ridden it in, but it’s no way to gauge the performance of me or the bike as it’s just been bad conditions. It’s certainly no yardstick, so we’ll just have to wait for better weather. Josh didn’t win at Donington Park when he visited the track in his championship year. In fact, he hasn’t won at the track since doing the double for TAS Suzuki back in 2012.

    “I don’t feel frustrated about it, that’s just the facts. Logic states that better weather would have been more suitable to our preparation and we just haven’t had it. It’s the same for everyone, everyone wants to get out and start riding properly. We have to win, the plan is to win, that is our goal and that is what everyone wants to start the season of on a high.”

    Whilst Josh returns to the championship, the Milwaukee team he was in have stayed in WSBK. Brookes does return though to a Factory supported Anvil Yamaha team and on a bike which is virtually identical to the one he rode to victory 13 times in 2015.

    Whether Josh will win instantly is yet to be discovered, seeing as he has never won any of the first three races of a season he competed in. Having said that, he hast been on the podium 12 times from 28 attempts in the first two rounds of a year since 2009, highlighting that consistency may be key for those all-important podium points, which contribute to the amount of points added on to the standard ‘500’, should he reach the showdown placings.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Lowes looking for podiums as Aragon approaches

    Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes has shown much optimism ahead of this weekend’s Aragon World Superbike round, which kick-starts the European section of the championship. Lowes is currently 4th in the championship with 49 points and is just 13 behind Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes.

    “I’m really looking forward to getting back on my R1 and kick-starting the European season. Aragon is a track I really enjoy, and I believe we can continue our good start to the season there”, said Lowes, whose best result there is an 8th place picked up last season.

    “My goal is no less than to be challenging for the podiums now, I am confident that if the Pata Yamaha team and I do our job in the Friday practices then we have a good chance to be there!”.

    Lowes got a double top 10 finish at the track last season and with a new found confidence in the Yamaha for 2017, a partly reversed grid could propel him to his first podium in WSBK for over a year.

    Yamaha haven’t particularly gone well at Aragon in the past, with just one win in the first ever WSBK race held at the venue back in 2011 when Marco Melandri won from pole position.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Zarco: It’s Part of Being a Rookie

    Early race leader Johann Zarco has been magnanimous in defeat after a crash on Sunday took him out of the lead of the race. Zarco was on course to become the first French premier class winner since Regis Laconi in Valencia in 1999 but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

    “Despite the end result, I am happy and it was so good to lead the field in my first race”, stated the double Moto2 champion.

    “We had a longer warm up because there wasn’t any action on Saturday. The track was not perfect, but my feeling was very strong and my grid position, which was 4th, was close to the top.” Zarco was looking to become the first rider to win a race for Tech 3 Yamaha and to get their first podium in over a year.

    Johann continued, saying that he wanted to take the opportunity he was presented with when he realised that he wasn’t far from the front. “Just before the start, the procedure was disrupted because it rained twice and there was a delay. When the GP finally commenced, I was focused and I could see that I was not far from first so I wanted to take the opportunity to do well.”

    “I know that my starts are strong and I overtook some good riders at the first corner and I then got into a consistent rhythm. I kept pushing but on the sixth lap, I decided to relax, and maybe I went off the racing line a little bit and then I fell at the second corner”, said Zarco, who had pulled out a 1.7 second lead before he hit the deck.

    However, despite the heartbreak for Zarco and let’s face it, the whole of France, Zarco remained upbeat that he has gained valuable experience. “This is a shame but we are always on the limit and I still need to learn the category so this kind of mistake is part of my lesson as a rookie in MotoGP. I am happy in the end, it’s a pity about the result but it’s important for my confidence and I am excited for the Argentina round”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Rossi: The Secret Is My Team

    Valentino Rossi put in a great ride on Sunday evening from a diabolical 10th on the grid to reach 3rd, racking up his 222nd podium in all forms of GP racing. The veteran Italian overcome a tricky pre-season and build up to race day and now has a solid platform to build on.

    Valentino began by thanking his team, saying how the support and trust helps to his performance. “My secret is my team, it’s Yamaha. We never give up and we always keep up our concentration. I always feel the support and the trust from all the guys around me, which is great.”

    The 38-year-old nine time champion also said how he had already settled when he got to 5th place. ”We know our potential and we know we have a great bike and race rider. Sincerely, when I was in the top five I already said “this is OK”, but arriving on the podium is something even better.”

    The Doctor continued, saying, “I’m very happy to start the season like this, because the podium is always better and like was said, it comes after a difficult period. We have to continue like this. This result is very good for us, both for our feeling and also for the technical side, because we now understand a lot of things.”

    Rossi has two weeks off now to prepare for a track which he won at in 2015, with Termas De Rio Hondo coming up for the Argentine round of the championship. Rossi has scored the most points out of any rider on the grid in Argentina, with 58 accumulated over the past three season. Next up in joint 2nd is Marquez and Zarco, who have 50 (including Zarco’s 2 wins in Moto2).

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • MotoGP Qatar GP Review: Vinales Reigns in Desert Storm

     

    Maverick Vinales backed up his pre-season form by taking the win at the Qatari Grand Prix at Losail on Sunday evening. The Spaniard repeated Valentino Rossi’s achievement of winning first time out on the Yamaha, after coming from as low as 5th to beat Andrea Dovizioso. Teammate Valentino Rossi also put in a super-human effort, coming from 10th on the grid to finish 3rd. This makes it the first time that the Factory Yamaha team have had a double podium at Losail since Lorenzo and Rossi achieved a 1-2 in 2013.

    The race got underway after a delay of around 40 minutes, as the weather – like on Saturday – proved to be havoc for the premier class. Andrea Iannone got the drop on the field, as the Suzuki breezed into the lead. However it was Johann Zarco who made an aggressive start by swerving across the track to take 2nd position, ahead of Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso. Pole-sitter Vinales was 5th with Dani Pedrosa leading Valentino Rossi and Alvaro Bautista in 6th, 7th and 8th.

    At turn six on the opening lap, it was Johann Zarco who took the lead. Barging his way passed Iannone who in turn was lifted up by Marquez. The incredible sight of a Tech 3 Yamaha leading and if we’re honest, it wasn’t the one we had expected through pre-season given Jonas Folger’s incredible form.

    As the race progressed, so did the Frenchman, opening up a 1.7 second advantage over the battling Dovizioso, Iannone and Marquez. However, disaster was about to strike for the #5. Into turn 2, Zarco’s front end washed out, dumping the Frenchman unceremoniously on the deck as his Tech 3 Yamaha bounced through the Qatar sandpit. The success was only short-lived but Zarco was a hero in Qatar. He’s made his mark and will be up the sharp end regularly very soon. The crash came as BT Sport’s Keith Huewen said, “So then, Zarco’s leading, Dovizioso in 2nd”. A true commentators curse if ever I’ve heard one.

    Dovi was now the race leader and my five pound bet with a chef at my workplace suddenly started to have a little bit more meaning. Dovi wasn’t escaping though, with Marquez, Iannone, Vinales and a rapidly-closing Rossi all in pursuit. Alvaro Bautista was a solid 6th on the Aspar Ducati. I say “was” for a reason. The Spaniard crashed out at the final corner but like Zarco, Bautista has made his mark and will be in that top 10 on other occasions this year.

    You’re probably wondering where Jorge Lorenzo is. Having run off the track at turn four on lap one, he found himself down in 15th, although the five-time champion was recovering, up to 8th at one point. He was in a ferocious battle with Dani Pedrosa and Aleix Espargaro who was riding the wheels off the Aprilia on his debut for the team.

    Back at the sharp end and there was another casualty. On lap 11, Andrea Iannone’s front tyre also decided enough was enough, putting the feisty Italian on the deck at turn five in the middle of the corner. He and the bike stayed together until they both reached the gravel trap and for the 2nd consecutive season, Iannone crashed out of the Qatari GP whilst looking on for a podium at least.

    Vinales was closing the gap to Dovizioso too and Valentino Rossi had also caught Marc Marquez as we came to the end of lap 11. Rossi took Marquez for 3rd at turn 15 and although Marquez fought back, Rossi had the inside for the right handed turn 16. The Doctor was third from 10th on the grid and given his woeful pre-season form, I’d say that was pretty remarkable.

    Vinales took the lead from Dovizioso on lap 13, as Rossi closed ever so slightly on the leading duo. Dovizioso had chosen the soft front tyre option but that was starting to wear. Behind Rossi and a remote 4th belonged to Marc Marquez and behind that, Aleix Espargaro had got passed Dani Pedrosa and was in 5th position.

    Dovi retook the lead on lap 18 but it was to prove pointless, as Vinales fought straight back, holding on for the remaining two laps to take the victory. Dovizioso took 2nd place for the third consecutive season and it was Valentino Rossi who took third – becoming the oldest rider on the podium since Australian Jack Findlay won the Austrian Grand Prix of 1977, which was boycotted on safety grounds by top riders. 4th place went to Marquez who just held off Dani Pedrosa and a heroic effort by Aleix Espargaro, who took Aprilia to new heights as they achieved their best ever MotoGP result! Britain’s Scott Redding capped a great weekend with a late charge to 7th ahead of Jack Miller in 8th, with rookies Alex Rins and Jonas Folger completing the top 10. Jorge Lorenzo suffered a terrible start to his Ducati career as he finished 11th, just a second-or-so ahead of Frenchman, Loris Baz, who continues to recover from injuries sustained last season. Hector Barbera, Karel Abraham and Esteve Rabat rounded out the points.

    A scintillating start to the MotoGP season with four different leaders at one point in the race. Comebacks through the grid and shocks in the top 10, how can you not want to watch MotoGP in 2017? The next round is the Argentine Grand Prix from the Termas De Rio Hondo circuit. For the last two seasons, Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez have done battle so will it be the same again in 2017 or will we see a changing of the guard?

    By @MotoGPKiko

    @PitCrew_Online

  • Davies Primed For Aragon

    With the European leg of the World Superbike season commencing this weekend at Aragon, one rider in particular will be looking forward to this round more than most – Aruba.it-Ducati’s Chaz Davies.

    The Welshman has a truly imperious record around the Motorland circuit, having secured victory at the venue for the last three races (two in 2016 and the final race of the 2015 round). When he hasn’t managed to take the victory, Davies has not finished outside of the top five in any of the six races between 2014-16 and done the double in 2013 on the Goldbet BMW. As such, it came as no surprise to anyone when Davies announced that he would use this weekend to “reset” his campaign.

    The 2017 campaign has not been a disaster so far, by any stretch of the imagination. Davies heads into the third round of the World Superbike championship in second place having scored 70 points and three podium finishes from the Australian and Thai rounds. Although he is a distant second – some 30 points behind Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea – in the championship, a brace of wins at Aragon will go a long way to cancelling out that deficit.

    Indeed, it is hard to look beyond the possibility of Davies securing another brace of victories at the circuit. As with its MotoGP counterpart, the Ducati Panigale superbike comes into its own when given a chance to demonstrate its straight-line speed, although Davies’ weight does have a negative effect on him. With its combination of long straights and numerous heavy braking and acceleration zones, the Motorland venue is therefore a perfect place for the Ducati to shine.

    Given this, it can be expected that we may witness the first in-house battle for top honours between Davies and team-mate Marco Melandri. The Italian has secured two rostrums from the opening flyaway races, but is still very much adapting to the demands of the Superbike setup. Davies, has been with the outfit for since the 2014 season and, as such, knows the machine inside and out. A factor that will surely come to the fore should the two fight it out in the final laps.

    Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

  • Moto2 Qatar GP Review – First Time For Everything

    Franco Morbidelli eased to his first ever Grand Prix victory during Sunday’s Qatari Grand Prix at Losail. He beat last year’s winner – Swiss rider Tom Luthi – and Japanese sensation, Takaaki Nakagami. 4th went to Miguel Oliveira while Marc VDS’ 2nd rider – Alex Marquez – rounded out the top five.

    In a race was that was more technical than energetic, Morbidelli cruised off in the opening lap. Luthi momentarily took the lead from him on lap two, attempting to disrupt the Italian’s weapon-like rhythm. However, Morbidelli took the lead back at turn 12 and stayed there until the chequered flag. Luthi also remained in 2nd, meaning that the battle was for the final podium position.

    There was a crash on the first lap for Australian, Remy Gardner. He was furious as he threw is gloves on the floor in disbelief that his first race of the season had been curtailed. Mattia Pasini was also involved in the accident, along with Malaysian rider Hafizh Syahrin – he remounted along with Pasini.

    Meanwhile, 3rd place belonged to Alex Marquez. The Spaniard doing what everyone said he needed to do in 2017 and prove that he is a rider at the top of his game. However, a few moments allowed for Nakagami to get through, swiftly followed by Portuguese rider, Miguel Oliveira, making his debut on the new KTM.

    There was also a scrap brewing further down the field, with Moto2 rookie Fabio Quartararo in a battle with Lorenzo Baldassarri and his teammate Luca Marini. Both Forward Racing bikes having a heroic start to the season, especially compared to 2016, when Baldassarri dislocated both shoulders and Marini only managed 10th.

    Unfortunately the Kiefer Racing team didn’t endure the start to the season they had hoped for, with Danny Kent and Dominique Aegerter finishing outside the top 10. Aegerter finished 11th with 2015 Moto3 champion Danny Kent 13th.

    Valentino Rossi’s Sky VR46 team endured a tricky start, suffering from the massive lack in track time. Number one rider Bagnaia took a respectable 12th place with Stefano Manzi finishing 29th and last, more than a minute down on Franco Morbidelli.

    Back to the battle for 6th and it was Luca Marini who held off Fabio Quartararo and Lorenzo Baldassarri to equal his best ever result in Moto2.

    But the day belonged to Morbidelli. A perfect performance for the super cool Italian. Morbidelli beat Luthi and Nakagami, who held on to this 3rd place despite a late threat from Miguel Oliveria – a stunning start to KTM’s return to the intermediate class. Alex Marquez survived for 5th.

    The next round of the championship comes from the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, north of Cordoba in Argentina. Morbidelli crashed their last season and Tom Luthi is yet to get a top five at the track, whilst Nakagami is yet to beat 9th place. Of the riders still on the grid from last year’s race, Aegerter is the highest finisher with 5th – although outright, it is Xavier Simeon with a 2nd place in 2014.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Moto3 Qatar GP Review – A Mir Victory

    The first of three races in Qatar, the Moto3 race was a slipstream battle right from the start. Eventually, Joan Mir held off the chasing pack, which included Britain’s John McPhee, to take his 2nd career victory. McPhee joined him on the podium, with Jorge Martin in third place.

    As was to be expected, hard moves came straight away and initially it was Jorge Martin leading the way from the likes of Romano Fenati, Joan Mir, Niccolo Antonelli and Bo Bendsneyder to name all but a few. As soon as the front straight came into view, there was six or seven abreast, with Martin be swallowed up and Mir taking the lead from him. Other names up there included Oettl, Di Giannantonio, Guevara, Norrodin, Sasaki, Canet and Migno.

    Oettl took the lead briefly but then it was the sole surviving RBA machine of Juanfran Guevara at the head of the 13 man dice. Bo Bendsneyder was the first faller at turn six on lap four. He finished 26th and last.

    Britain’s John McPhee hit the front on lap nine, ahead of Migno and Mir. The Scotsman had been setting faster laps than anyone else prior to reaching the lead of the race. It was a great debut for the British Talent Team as their rider did the business out front.

    Joan Mir took the lead back on lap 11 on the home straight and despite moves during the other parts of the lap, it was Joan Mir who would hold on for victory. Further down however, Phillip Oettl was causing issues for Juanfran Guevara, who was unceremoniously wiped out by the 20-year-old German on lap 12.

    So what did we learn from the Moto3 race? Joan Mir’s rookie season has definitely given him a platform to build on and he’s doing just that. The Leopard Honda team may however be concerned with their other rider, Livio Loi, who finished 12th and 17 seconds off the win.

    Even greater concerns will be rocking the Estrella Galicia squad, after their big signing, Enea Bastianini, finished 16th and out of the points. The Italian has never started the season outside of the points and has a lot of ground to make up if he is to challenge for the title. Likewise for Bulega who was 14th who heads to Argentina with a lot of work to do.

    John McPhee looks like he is back from his injuries of last season. The wee McPhee was going well and that could be a sign of things to come this season. Now that he has the momentum, McPhee will be looking to build on that one win to his name.

    But for me, Mir is the man in fine form. Even coming into this season through pre-season and last year’s campaign, he has an aura about him that oozes confidence and success. He and Jorge Martin could be the riders to beat in 2017. But, you can never rule out Fabio Di Giannantonio who has a habit of coming through the field like the proverbial hot knife.

    Overall, it could be argued that we learnt absolutely nothing because the Qatari Grand Prix is a strange race. Unique for being under floodlights at night time and also because it’s the first race of the season, so some of the big names are blowing all the cobwebs off. We will have a clearer picture of what is going to happen when he get to Europe. After all, the first three races are all about staying safe and collecting points. Conservation could prove to be a champion ride for some.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Moto2 2017 Preview – New Everything

    Moto2 in 2017 is set to be as fast and furious as ever before! With four of last season’s race winners moving up to MotoGP, there’s a huge hole to be filled in terms of talent. Rookies, veterans and young pretenders all combine to form what is a star-studded line up for the upcoming season and a real mix of nationalities too!

    Franco Morbidelli and the Estrella Galicia Marc VDS Team must be firm favourites for the 2017 Moto2 championship. Despite having not won a race yet, Morbidelli took a stunning seven podiums in the last nine races last season, with five podiums in the final five. Aged just 22, Morbidelli has been in the sharp end of Moto2 for the last two seasons and will be hungry to put all that experience to good use. Alongside him in the team once more is Alex Marquez. The Spaniard has been rather lacklustre so far in his Moto2 career, with just one podium at Aragon last year. The 2014 Moto3 champion has been quick in testing and could make for an exciting on track dual with his teammate. The Marc VDS team had an in-team rivalry back in 2014, when Tito Rabat and Mika Kallio went head to head for the title.

    Tom Luthi finished the Moto2 season 2nd last season, after starting his campaign off with a victory under floodlights at Losail. He went on to take three more victories and two further podiums but couldn’t overhaul Johann Zarco. One of his best wins last season was at Phillip Island, when he slipstreamed Franco Morbidelli to the line and pinched the win by only a few thousandths of a second. Wanting to go one step further, he could become the first Swiss rider in the history of the Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship to win an intermediate class title. It won’t be easy but we know he’s quick. Alongside him this season, Jesko Raffin. The fellow Swiss joins Luthi to form a “Swiss Mafia” in the Interwetten Paddock CarXpert team. Raffin has impressed in testing and will want to improve on his best of 8th from last season’s German GP. The third rider in the team is young hot-shot Iker Lecuona, who came in late last season. Given a full-time ride for 2017, he suffered an enormous accident at the Valencia test and will miss the first race of the year (at least) and will be replaced by the recently retired and former 125cc champion, Julian Simon.

    The Team Asia Idemitsu Kalex squad once again field Takaaki Nakagami. The Japanese rider took his first win last season at a red-flagged Dutch TT, holding off Johann Zarco as the Frenchman got closer to him. Looking for wins again this season, the 25-year-old comes off the back of a season where he finished 6th. ‘Taka’ always goes well at Jerez, so keep an eye on him there. His new teammate -somewhat surprisingly – is Khairul Idham Pawi. The double GP winner in Moto3 makes a very early step up to Moto2, staying in the same team. The Malaysian rider hasn’t been that much of a stand-out in testing but he has got the whole season to prove doubters – like me – wrong.

    Forward Racing are back for 2017 with an unchanged line-up. San Marinese Grand Prix victor Lorenzo Baldassarri lines up alongside Valentino Rossi’s half-brother, Luca Marini. Both have shone in testing with Baldassarri potentially causing a bit of an upset in 2017. He’s quick and his experience of winning from last season will leave him seeking further success. Luca Marini is yet to break into the top five in a race yet, however two top-10 results last season (a best of 6th in Germany) show that he is quick and on his day, could be a great shout for a podium. It’s in his blood after all…

    Graduating from Moto3 after taking victories last season, Jorge Navarro takes the place vacated by Sam Lowes at the Federal Oil Gresini Kalex team. Fausto Gresini was quick to snap him up last year and so far, Navarro has been a solid top-10 tester. The Moto2 rookie will take time to adapt – as has everyone else who’s moved up – but expect some good results from the off. He’s got the talent, the bike and the team to guide him in the right direction.

    The Dynavolt Intact GP team field seasoned campaigner Sandro Cortese for the 5th consecutive season, partnering him with fellow German, Marcel Shrotter who will enjoy his 2nd season riding a Kalex. The team took a victory at Brno last year with MotoGP graduate Jonas Folger and will be looking to mount a serious challenge for the title with Sandro Cortese, who has so far failed to impress in Moto2. For Schrotter, the objective will be to hit the podium places by the end of the year, after taking 5th place at last year’s Austrian Grand Prix.

    As well as new riders, there is also a new team in Moto2. The VR46 Riders Academy add two bikes to the Moto2 grid this year, with Moto3 race winner Francesco Bagnaia and Moto3 wild-boy and crowd pleaser, Stefano Manzi. Bagnaia has looked quick in testing and will want podiums in the season, whilst also wanting to take home the Moto2 ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. Stefano Manzi may seem a strange signing but being over 6 foot, he will need more than a Moto3 bike – which is similar to Lorenzo Baldassarri’s situation in 2013. After all, it’d be like a giraffe riding a grehound if he was to stay in the class for another season.

    The Pons HP40 team have a new rider and a new livery in 2017, reverting to the 2013 look of blue and white instead of the yellow they have run for the past few seasons. Their new rider is non-other than former Moto3 podium finisher and double Junior World Moto3 Champion, Fabio Quartararo. He has proved he has pace in testing and will want to replicate what his fellow countryman Zarco was able to do last season. Whether that’ll be straight away will be left to be desired for now. Edgar Pons is alongside him this season. Edgar’s best finish last season was a mere 14th, so a top 10 will be an improvement.

    The Italtrans team keep hold of Mattia Pasini, who did such a fine job last season. The veteran Italian took six top-10 positions on his way to 11th in the championship. He hasn’t had a podium since the 2009 San Marinese GP and his last victory was at the 2009 Italian GP. Pasini will surely correct at least one of them stats soon? Alongside him in 2017 will be Moto3 podium finisher, Andrea Locatelli. Equally as puzzling as Pawi’s move to Moto2, I feel Locatelli may have benefitted more from at least another season in the frantic Moto3 class. Testing has been somewhat mediocre but, like Pawi, adaptation time will be required.

    Another new team join the Moto2 grid for 2017. This time, it’s reigning Moto3 champions KTM, who are starting to take Grand Prix racing a bit more serious.

    Miguel Oliveira moves back to the team he left in 2015 and joins former teammate and reigning Moto3 rider’s champion, Brad Binder. Oliveira’s season in Moto2 has been helpful and that has shown throughout testing. The Portuguese rider’s best finish last season was an 8th but missed the final part of the year through injury. Brad Binder took seven victories on his way to his first world title last season. He hasn’t been as fast as Oliveira initially but the times will come for the South African. Binder will be looking to become the first South African since Kork Ballington at the Nurburgring in 1980 to take an intermediate class victory as he continues to re-write South Africa’s motorsport history whilst paving his own future.

    The Kiefer Racing team move over from Kalex to Suter, not conforming to modern Moto2 fashion. Retaining 2015 Moto3 champion Danny Kent seems a good move; the Brit has been in fine form in pre-season testing and looked like the champion of old. A 6th place in the opening race of 2016 was his best result last year, showing that Danny must show us what he can do this season. Alongside him, former Moto2 winner, Dominique Aegerter. The Swiss rider comes back to his beloved Suter, of which he enjoyed a great season on back in 2014. The only downside to the team’s efforts is the wretched black and white livery they have. It really isn’t for me.

    Tech 3 racing return to the championship for 2017, with Xavi Vierge and Remy Gardner. Remy comes in from the CEV Junior Moto2 championship, after doing well but often running into mechanical gremlins. He joined the world championship for some of last year on a Kalex, with a best of 12th. Vierge was something of a revelation in 2016, with a best of 8th place at Sepang. Last year’s rookie of the year will want to get his first podium for sure, to give the Tech 3 Moto2 team something to cheer about as well.

    AGR reduce their output in Moto2 this season, from two riders to one. Yonny Hernandez goes to the team following his departure from the premier class. The Colombian’s extravagant style suited him when he was in Moto2 prior to the MotoGP class, with a best result of 6th place on a FTR bike. He boards the Kalex for the first time, knowing that he has to prove his worth in 2017.

    Hafizh Syahrin remains in Moto2 and with the Petronas Kalex team. The Malaysian had some great rides last season, often battling away in the 2nd group of riders. 4th place on three occasions last year underlines the Malaysian’s potential and I’ll take odds on him finishing in the top five this season. There are rumours that he and the Petronas team will move up to the MotoGP category for 2018, although nothing is confirmed just yet.

    The Speed Up team is all Italian this year as they expand their effort from a one rider garage to two. Simone Corsi retains his place in the team, with the hardcore Italian looking for his first podium since Le Mans last season. 10th overall proves that despite being an elder statesman of the Moto2 paddock, age is just a number. Axel Bassani joins him in the team, moving over from the European Supersport championship. The 17-year-old will make his debut after the Qatari GP.

    Replacing Johann Zarco at Aki Ajo’s Moto2 Kalex team is Japanese rider, Tesuta Nagashima. The #45 rider moves back into Moto2 after having a year in the CEV Moto2 championship. Having been in the championship back in 2015 and sustaining injuries at Silevrstone, there is unfinished business for the 24-year-old to attend to.

    Isaac Vinales moves into the SAG Racing Team, on a Kalex. His 2nd full season in the championship will hopefully be a better one for Maverick’s cousin, who achieved a 9th place last year at the German GP, on his way to 24th overall. The Spaniard will be looking for points in every race and may even be hoping for a top five placing here or there.

    The last rider on the grid is Xavier Simeon. The former GP winner and Superstock 1000 champion is riding the Tasca Racing Kalex in 2017, moving over from the QMMF Speed Up operation. Whether he can return to winning ways is yet to be shown but he has been more competitive in testing than what he was for the majority of 2016, with a best of 8th at COTA before finishing 17th overall.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko