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Eight years after being announced, Kodak’s Super 8 movie camera will finally ship in December: Digital Photography Review


This is the version of the Kodak Super 8 Camera we saw at CES in 2017.

As reported last week by The Verge, Eastman Kodak’s Motion Picture division – not to be confused with Kodak Alaris, which sell photographic film – will finally release the Kodak Super 8 Camera, a traditional Super 8 movie camera that incorporates modern digital technologies.

To give you an idea of just how long the road to productization has been for the Super 8 Camera, we first saw it at CES in January 2016, the same year that Rio de Janeiro hosted the Summer Olympics, Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar for The Revenant, and Pokémon Go briefly took over the world. To say it missed its anticipated Q4 2016 launch date is an understatement, so you can imagine our surprise to discover it’s finally coming to market eight years later.

We got our first look at the Kodak Super 8 Camera at CES 2016.

The Super 8 Camera is a hybrid of old and new technology. At its heart is a Super 8 movie camera, a format released by Eastman Kodak in 1965. But it also incorporates digital elements that provide a more modern shooting experience and bring audio to your movies.

Most notably, the Super 8 Camera includes a 4″ LCD that can display aspect ratio overlays and audio meters and works by using a split prism to redirect some of the light entering the lens to a digital sensor. We got to try a much older version of the camera at CES 2017, and the live view image was hazy, grainy and difficult to use for judging focus, not wholly inconsistent with the analog Super 8 experience. Hopefully, it’s been improved since then. Movies can be captured at either 18, 24, 25, or 36 frames per second.

Kodak’s sizzle reel for the Super 8 Camera offers a glimpse of the Super 8 film look. While it’s possible to apply film effects to video in post-processing, it’s still difficult to achieve the organic look of real film.

The Super 8 Camera captures audio using a built-in or external microphone. Audio isn’t captured on the film, but to an SD card, allowing you to synchronize sound after your film is processed and scanned. Audio capture is limited to 24 or 25fps shooting.

The camera includes a 6mm F1.2mm C-mount lens, providing approximately 35mm equivalent coverage in full-frame terms. C-mount is compatible with lenses going back many decades, and there are a lot of C-mount lenses out there, many of which can likely be found in your local thrift store.

“The Super 8 Camera is a hybrid of old and new technology. At its heart is a Super 8 movie camera, a format released by Eastman Kodak in 1965.”

Kodak is touting the camera’s ‘Extended Gate’ capture. The Super 8 format captured a 4:3 aspect ratio (1.33:1), but the Super 8 Camera is designed to use a wider area of the film such that each frame is 11% larger than the Super 8 standard in a 1.5:1 aspect ratio (or 3:2 as photographers tend to think about it), which Kodak says is closer to the 16:9 format that has come to dominate playback in the decades since Super 8 was a mainstream format.

Kodak’s ‘Extended Gate’ capture uses a wider area of the film, resulting in a frame in the 3:2 aspect ratio that’s 11% larger than the Super 8 standard.

Interestingly, the original camera we saw in 2016 included a full-sized HDMI and type A and B USB sockets. When we next saw it in 2017, this had morphed into a micro-HDMI and micro-USB socket (for charging), which appears to remain unchanged seven years later.

Kodak provides several film stocks, including three Kodak Vision3 color negative films, Tri-X black and white and Ektachrome color reversal film. Each 15m (50 ft.) film cartridge will set you back $32 ($43 for Ektachrome) but includes processing, scanning, and transfer to the cloud.

Kodak Vision3 200T is one of three color negative films to choose from, along with Tri-X and Ektachrome stocks. One 15m (50 ft) cartridge will get you two and a half minutes of footage when shot at 24fps.

Before taking the plunge, take note: shooting your next project with this camera will cost a pretty penny. At 18fps – a frame rate that will definitely look vintage – you’ll run through an entire film cartridge in just 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Step up to 24fps, and you’ll be down to just two and a half minutes per cartridge.

What may be the biggest surprise about the Super 8 Camera is its price. When it was first shown in 2016, we were told to expect the camera to sell for between $400 and $750. Inflation over the past eight years has been stiff, but that doesn’t explain an MSRP that has jumped to $5495, which includes the camera, a Pelican case, the 6mm F1.2 lens, a pistol grip with trigger, and various accessories.

The Super 8 Camera includes a micro-HDMI port and a micro-USB port for charging, the same as the prototype we saw in 2017.

The price point suggests that Kodak hopes it’ll find favor among commercial users or creative agencies looking to provide something unique to their clients rather than the nostalgia crowd who want to have fun with film. Perhaps a few social media influencers will also pick these up, though no provision is made for shooting vertical video.

Either way, this is a significant cost for a format whose 6.3 x 4.2mm capture region is very similar to the Type 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.5mm) sensors used in compact cameras. Even with an F1.2 lens, Super 8mm is going to deliver the ’60’s home movie’ look that you might need if you want to make the title sequence of a TV show about wealthy, dysfunctional families.

According to The Verge, Kodak expects the camera to go on sale in limited quantities in the US on December 4, but you’ll need to sign up for a reservation on Kodak’s website. If you were already on the reservation list (you’d be forgiven if you can’t remember at this point) and want to maintain your priority position, you’ll need to sign up again using the new waiting list by midnight Eastern time on November 28.



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Yamaha still too far from MotoGP rivals after 2024 test


Tuesday’s outing in Valencia marked the true first test of the 2024 season, with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales leading the way.

After a lukewarm reception to its first 2024 prototype – and particularly the engine – at Misano in September, Quartararo ended Tuesday’s Valencia running 0.769s off the pace in 12th, albeit without doing a proper time attack run.

Due to the new concession regulations announced on Monday, Quartararo will have three extra days of testing in the winter of 2024 as he will be able to take part in the Sepang shakedown in February.

Yamaha will also be able to test with him in-season and freely develop its engine.

Quartararo says he is happy to take on this extra testing role, but admits disappointment at the lack of a bigger step on Tuesday in Valencia.

“Yes. I mean, of course, I expected more also from… it was not really a big expectation from this test,” he replied when asked by Motorsport.com if he was disappointed with the latest 2024 Yamaha, even if he has more options to develop it.

“But you always try to look high and of course, for me, it was some improvement.

“But the reality is we are still as far as before. But it’s true that me as a rider, I want to race and fight for victories.

“And if I have to make extra tests to really perform, I’m happy to do it. But we have to work hard and in a real idea with what we need to get back.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

He added: “If it’s enough [the extra testing], I don’t know. But for me, it’s really important to get closer to them. I mean, the gap today is still too big.

“Of course, today we didn’t go from one lap or whatever. But still we are very, very far from what we want. But I think and I hope that these three extra days in Malaysia will make us arrive closer in Qatar.”

Quartararo praised the prototype aerodynamics he tried and says the engine was a small step from what he tried in Misano, but nothing huge.

“So, new bike there was a lot of jobs to do today, especially on the aero side,” he began, noting that the aero fairing was not the final carbon fibre version due to its newness.

“I think we made a step in this area, which is positive.

“But it changed a little bit the balance of the bike. We didn’t have enough time [to work on this] because this morning we started one hour later.

“And I think we have to adjust the setting of the bike. We tried a new chassis, but it was not so great. The engine was really similar, a little bit better but just a little.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Yamaha is working with ex-Formula 1 engine chief Luca Marmorini on its motors for 2024 as part of a bid to bring a more European-centred mentality to the Japanese marque.

Asked if he felt there was more of a shift in this direction on Tuesday, Quartararo added: “I think they changed their mentality.

“We are getting closer to a European [mentality], which is what we want, everything [developed] faster.

“I think the more important moment will be from February to July. These months will be really important in the way of really improving the bike, making updates super fast and this will be the key moment to see their mentality.”

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McLaren agrees F1 deal that lures Monster Energy from Mercedes


Monster Energy has partnered with McLaren on what is described as a “multi-year” contract, which will lead to the recognisable ‘M’ logo featuring on the helmets, race suits, caps and drinks bottles (branded in the past by Coca-Cola) of drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from the 2024 season.

While McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has used his vast experience in the commercial and marketing sectors to bring on board an array of high-profile sponsors such as Google, Dell and British American Tabacco (Velo) – moves helped by the Netflix-led popularity boom for F1 – signing with Monster is made more significant since it draws the energy drink company away from rival team Mercedes.

Throughout the Three-Pointed Star’s run of eight constructors’ championship and more recent ground-effects struggles, the ‘M’ badge has featured on the helmet and race suit collar of Lewis Hamilton and team-mates Nico Rosberg and George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG

Hamilton does have his own personal sponsorship deal with Monster, the seven-time champion lending his name to a range of zero-sugar drinks. This tie-up is expected to continue despite the partnership with Mercedes coming to an end.

Rodney Sacks, chair and co-CEO of Monster Energy Company, said: “We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Mercedes Formula 1 team, and [motorsport boss] Toto Wolf in particular, for a partnership that has spanned well over a decade and seen us celebrate some wonderful success together. We wish the team well for their upcoming championship campaigns.”

“Monster Energy is proud to start this new chapter in its F1 journey with McLaren Racing. Monster is focused on enhancing fan experiences and partnering with a world-class team and its elite drivers to share our passion with F1’s global audience. We are planning some really exciting programs with Lando and Oscar and are excited to go racing together from 2024.”

Brown added: “We are delighted to join forces with the iconic Monster Energy brand from next season onwards. Monster focuses on celebrating athletes through bold ideas and creating awesome content, so we can’t wait to explore ideas and find new ways to engage and entertain our fans.”



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Marquez fourth on Ducati debut as Vinales tops Valencia MotoGP test


The major story of the first official test ahead of the 2024 season was Marc Marquez’s debut on the Gresini Ducati.

It marked the first time in his MotoGP career that he took to the track on a bike that wasn’t a Honda and generated a considerable amount of buzz on Tuesday morning as he prepared for his first run.

Taking to the circuit on his sponsor-less Ducati at 11:14am local time, about an hour and 15 minutes into the session, Marquez ended his first run third fastest.

With just over an hour and a half to go in the day, Marquez shot to the top of the order with a 1m29.460s before improving to a 1m29.424s.

His time at the top of the standings wouldn’t last and he would finish up his day well before the 5pm chequered flag.

Ending the day fourth, Marquez was just 0.171s off the best pace set by Vinales, who put the 2024 RS-GP through its paces and led the day with a 1m29.253s.

Only six riders posted lap times inside the opening hour of running under cold and windy conditions, with Vinales fastest at the end of hour one on a 1m31.256s.

Bike of Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Red Bull KTM

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Bike of Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Red Bull KTM

His session-best lap would come in the closing stages of his 86-lap day, Vinales ending up 0.028s clear of Binder.

The South African leapt up to the top two late on his 2024-spec KTM, with Binder and team-mate Jack Miller testing a new aerodynamic concept – among other things – disguised by a camo livery.

Marco Bezzecchi was third on his 2023-spec VR46 Ducati, edging ahead of Marc Marquez by 0.078s as Raul Fernandez tested for Aprilia despite RNF Racing’s recent collapse.

Alex Marquez was sixth on the second Gresini Ducati as he got to grips with the power delivery of the 2023 Ducati, while Fabio Di Giannantonio was seventh on his VR46 debut.

Enea Bastianini led Miller on his factory Ducati, with Luca Marini 10th and 0.703s off the pace on his Honda debut.

World champion Francesco Bagnaia was 11th ahead of Fabio Quartararo on the updated 2024-spec prototype Yamaha, while Joan Mir was 13th.

Championship runner-up Jorge Martin crashed twice on Tuesday, his first coming on his first run of the 2024-spec Ducati.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

The Pramac rider was 15th, 0.054s ahead of new Pramac team-mate Franco Morbidelli.

Johann Zarco was 17th after a crash on the LCR Honda, while MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta was 1.2s off the pace in 18th after a tumble on his Tech3 GasGas.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) ended his day after only 17 laps to return to Barcelona for treatment on the leg he fractured in Qatar two weeks ago and was 22nd.

Alex Rins was 19th on his Yamaha debut, 1.3s off the pace.

Cla  Rider  Bike  Time   Gap   Laps 
Maverick Vinales Aprilia 1’29.253   86
Brad Binder KTM 1’29.281 0.028 51
Marco Bezzecchi Ducati 1’29.346 0.093 62
Marc Marquez Ducati 1’29.424 0.171 49
Raúl Fernandez Aprilia 1’29.516 0.263 64
Alex Marquez Ducati 1’29.638 0.385 56
F.Di Giannantonio Ducati 1’29.662 0.409 60
Enea Bastianini Ducati 1’29.796 0.543 56
Jack Miller KTM 1’29.901 0.648 62
10  Luca Marini Honda 1’29.956 0.703 72
11  F.Bagnaia Ducati 1’29.970 0.717 51
12  Fabio Quartararo Yamaha 1’30.022 0.769 63
13  Joan Mir Honda 1’30.051 0.798 69
14  A.Fernandez KTM 1’30.077 0.824 72
15  Jorge Martín Ducati 1’30.152 0.899 51
16  F.Morbidelli Ducati 1’30.206 0.953 69
17  Johann Zarco Honda 1’30.283 1.030 61
18  Pedro Acosta KTM 1’30.476 1.223 70
19  Alex Rins Yamaha 1’30.564 1.311 54
20  Cal Crutchlow Yamaha 1’30.765 1.512 74
21  Takaaki Nakagami Honda 1’30.976 1.723 63
22  Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1’32.312 3.059 17
23  Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia 1’32.684 3.431 27

 



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WEC firms up plans to expand grid to 40 cars by 2025


Series boss Frederic Lequien categorically stated that the field would be increased to 40 in the wake of the publication of next year’s entry list of 37 cars.

“We will go to 40 cars in 2025, definitely,” said Lequein. “I can tell you it is a kind of obsession at the office, but it is really difficult to find the right balance.

“We will not have the capacity to take everyone, because we could have 43, 44, 45 cars in 2025.”

Lequien stressed that an increase to more than 40 cars would not be possible.

“When you participate in the WEC you automatically qualify for the Le Mans 24 Hours and at Le Mans we have only 62 places – we have to pay attention to that,” he explained.

More than 40 entries in the WEC would reduce the number of cars race organiser the ACO and the FIA could invite from its associated series, the European and Asian Le Mans Series and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in North America.

This year at Le Mans there were 10 automatic entries from the European and Asian series, as well as three nominated by the IMSA organisation.

The ACO has guaranteed 15 grid spots for LMP2 machinery in 2024 following the disappearance of the class from the full WEC championship.

The plan to go to 40 cars was first outlined to Motorsport.com by Pierre Fillon, president of WEC co-organiser the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, in September.

Start action

Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Start action

It was subsequently admitted earlier this month that the expansion had been shelved and that the grid would stay at 37 cars, though the desire to increase the field remained current.

The 2023 limit has been set by the capacity of the pit complexes at the Imola and Austin tracks that host WEC rounds in April and September respectively.

The WEC will need to increase the grid in 2025 when Aston Martin and the Heart of Racing team is due to arrive with at least one Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar and the Iron Lynx factory Lamborghini squad is aiming to expand from one to two SC63 LMDhs in the Hypercar division.

A maximum capacity of 40 cars would mean there would only be room for one further car assuming that no competitors drop out of the championship and the LMGT3 field remains at nine manufacturers and 18 cars.

Lequien explained that how the WEC will accommodate the extra cars at tracks where there are fewer than 40 pitboxes remains a work in progress.

“We are currently discussing with everyone, all the teams, to check all the possibilities, especially in LMGT3 to share the garages [with each team running two cars from one box].

“There are so many parameters that need to be taken into consideration.”

Lequien also didn’t rule out additional cars joining the WEC in 2024 where the number of pits allowed.



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WTR Andretti adds Doyle for GTD endurance rounds, Harrison to Daytona roster



The two will join Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal in the #45 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.

Doyle, 17, comes into the IMSA SportsCar Championship as a rookie after spending 2023 in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America LB Cup class, earning eight podiums and five LB Cup class wins that also included first place finish at the Grand Finals in Vallelunga, Italy.

“It is hard for me to put together the words to express my excitement for the upcoming 2024 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship season,” Doyle said.

“I will be competing in all five endurance rounds and it is truly a dream come true. I cannot wait to share the car with three people I truly consider family. Both Danny and Kyle have been like brothers to me throughout this past Lamborghini Super Trofeo season and Ashton has been the biggest supporter and help to me on race weekends. With Lamborghini and WTRAndretti, I truly believe this program is going to be something special and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

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Harrison, 29, returns to WTR Andretti after recently competing with WTRAndretti and Racers Edge Motorsports in both the Endurance Cup and GT World Challenge America. Paired with co-driver Mario Farnbacher, Harrison scored two wins and five podiums to finish runner-up in the 2023 GT World Challenge America title race. Additionally, she previously completed in a four-year stint the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Championship with WTRAndretti, where she became the first female to win a Lamborghini World Finals race.

“Super excited to be back with WTRAndretti, back with my home team for next year,” Harrison said. “Also, very excited to be joining Kyle, Danny and Graham for the 24 hour and to be racing with Kyle and Danny again for another season.

“I feel that WTRAndretti has a really strong group of GT drivers, and I am honored to be one of those. I am also looking forward to being with Lamborghini on a full-time basis and getting back to proper GT3 racing in IMSA. Very excited to be back home.”

Wayne Taylor, team principal for WTRAndretti, added: “I am excited to represent Lamborghini in GTD this coming season. I am excited with our driver line up. I think Graham Doyle and Ashton Harrison will really be good at the Rolex and then Graham doing all the endurance races. Graham is still very young, but what he achieved this year in LST made it a no brainer to hire him. Ashton will be a great fourth driver. She is an important part of our WTRAndretti global program.”



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Isotta Fraschini partners with Duqueine for 2024 WEC after Vector split


Isotta has joined forces with Duqueine, a regular in LMP2 at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the European Le Mans Series, after parting company with the British Vector Sport operation that was scheduled to run its solo Tipo 6 Competizione LMH in 2024.

The link-up with the Vector LMP2 squad was revealed in December 2022, but the team announced ahead of the publication of next season’s WEC entry list on Monday that it will be taking a year out of the series after two seasons in LMP2.

Duqueine Team, part of a wider group specialising in automotive and aerospace industries, subsequently made a short announcement that it would be collaborating with Isotta and the Michelotto Engineering organisation masterminding development of the Tipo 6 in the WEC in 2024.

Isotta motorsport boss Claudio Berro told Motorsport.com that the change of team had been made for financial reasons.

Berro said: “Duqueine, the global company, came with a sponsor to support the car. As a small company, we had to go with some realistic support.”

He added that it “was not an easy decision” and that Isotta is “still open” to working with Vector in the future.

Vector team principal Gary Holland confirmed to Motorsport.com that there had been an attempt by Isotta to change the terms of its agreement.

He said: “There was a ‘we need some more money’, and we said that is no problem, can you release this data and we would like you to perform these fairly simple requests, and it was, ‘absolutely not’.

#10 Vector Sport Oreca 07 - Gibson: Ryan Cullen, Matthias Kaiser, Gabriel Aubry

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

#10 Vector Sport Oreca 07 – Gibson: Ryan Cullen, Matthias Kaiser, Gabriel Aubry

“There was a manufacturer programme to be run by us that can no longer be fulfilled and Claudio’s narrative is confirming that by citing economic factors.”

Holland also stated that Isotta and Michelotto had granted Vector “minimal access” to the car during its development phase, contrary to its agreement.

Vector’s drivers were due to begin testing with Isotta during the summer, but its involvement stretched to four laps by Gabriel Aubry at Monza in August prior to a fire that curtailed the test.

Holland added that Vector felt “huge disappointment” in the breakdown of its relationship with Isotta.

“We had assembled such a strong line-up of drivers, multiple championship winners and guys who had won the biggest races on the planet,” he said.

“I am absolutely gutted that they are not going to be seen in the car and that programme.”

Duqueine already had a relationship with Isotta: one of its companies is producing the carbon wheels for the road-going version of the Tipo 6 known as the Stradale.

The French team will be racing in the WEC for the first time in 2024, although it has been a regular at the Le Mans 24 Hours in LMP2 since 2019, claiming third in class this year.

Duqueine’s race team was established in 2014 for an attack on the French GT Championship and moved into the European Le Mans Series in 2016 in LMP3 and then P2 in 2018.

#30 Duqueine Team Oreca 07 - Gibson of Neel Jani, Rene Binder, Nicolas Pino

Photo by: Rainier Ehrhardt

#30 Duqueine Team Oreca 07 – Gibson of Neel Jani, Rene Binder, Nicolas Pino

French constructor Norma was incorporated into the group at the end of 2017, with the Duqueine-Nissan M30 claiming the ELMS P3 title in 2021 with DKR Engineering.

Two drivers have so far been announced for the Isotta; 2017 TCR International champion Jean-Karl Vernay, who has been one of the key players in the Tipo 6 test programme, and Alejandro Garcia, winner of the ELMS P3 title.

Holland stressed that Vector’s aspirations to graduate to Hypercar remain intact.

“What seems like bad news today could present a huge opportunity tomorrow,” he said.

“We still have ambitions to race in Hypercar in 2025 and we’d like to be testing in 2024 with a different manufacturer, and we are already in negotiations to achieve that.”

Vector has already announced that it will be continuing its LMP2 programme in the ELMS next year.



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Vowles wants final Williams data check before Sargeant F1 2024 call


Sargeant is the favourite to secure the final spot on the 2024 F1 grid with Williams despite a mixed rookie campaign.  

While he showed signs of improving form throughout the year and scored a point at the United States GP, there were also some notable errors that resulted in big crashes. 

But Williams has been consistent in feeling that Sargeant needed time to prove himself, so would be given until the end of the season to show what he could do. 

And with him securing a season-best seventh on the grid for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sargeant appears to have done enough to convince Williams he is worth sticking with. 

However, Vowles wants to have one final dig into the analysis of the season to get a comprehensive picture of Sargeant’s form before he commits to a fresh deal. 

Asked when a decision would be made, Vowles said: “Shortly. Within weeks of where we are now.

“Fundamentally, I wanted to make sure I saw the end of the season and assess all the options. 

“I’m someone that was very clear from the beginning. I want to assess this across the season, not across one race, to make sure we make the right decision for this team and for the future of Logan as well.” 

Logan Sargeant, Williams

Photo by: Williams

Logan Sargeant, Williams

Vowles said that while Williams did have other options available, there were “not many” candidates, as the emphasis was clearly on just double-checking where things were at with Sargeant. 

“I just want to check through a full season of data one more time and look at the progress, look at mistakes, look the outliers, look for growth and just make sure we’re on the right track,” added Vowles. 

Speaking at last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sargeant said that he had not been spending time worrying about the contract situation for next year. 

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For with Vowles having been clear that he would wait until after the end of the season to make a call, Sargeant said that he felt things had been going in the right direction. 

“I feel like from a driving point of view, everything’s been getting much better in the past for however many rounds,” he said.

“And yeah, I’m just trying to do my job the best I can. I think with how it’s been going recently, I don’t see any issues.”



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First images of Marc Marquez on Ducati MotoGP bike revealed


The eight-time world champion made his MotoGP debut at the Valencia test in 2012 with the factory Honda team after stepping up from Moto2 as the title winner.

He spent 11 seasons with Honda, winning 59 grands prix and six world titles in seven years between 2013 and 2019.

Since badly breaking his right arm at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2020, Marquez has struggled to recapture that form – first through a lengthy recovery and multiple surgeries, and then due to the Honda’s lack of competitiveness.

This reached its nadir in 2023, with Marquez scoring just one grand prix podium in 20 rounds and surpassing his season record for crashes at 29 – five alone coming in a German GP weekend in which his future with Honda became seriously in doubt.

After the Japanese GP, he informed Honda that he would be quitting his contract a year early and subsequently signed with Gresini to race a year-old Ducati for 2024.

Marquez was granted permission by Honda to ride the Ducati at the post-season test in Valencia on 28 November, despite still being under contract until the end of the year.

On Tuesday morning, he took to the track on a blacked-out 2023-spec Gresini Ducati, with it thought to be the bike Johann Zarco rode this season at Pramac.

Bike of Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing MotoGP

Photo by: Lewis Duncan

Bike of Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing MotoGP

Marquez will not speak to the media after the test on Tuesday due to his contractual situation with Honda.

He will leave behind most of his Honda crew, bringing only tyre technician Javi Ortiz to Gresini with him, while his new crew chief will be Frankie Carchedi – who worked with Fabio Di Giannantonio in 2023 and previously with Joan Mir at Suzuki from 2019 to 2022.

Tuesday’s Valencia test will also see Luca Marini make his Honda debut as Marquez’s replacement, with the Italian taking over the latter’s technical crew.

Zarco will make his first Honda appearance since the 2019 Valencia GP with LCR, while Franco Morbidelli swaps the factory Yamaha for the Pramac Ducati.

Alex Rins will ride the Yamaha for the first time, while Pedro Acosta will make his public MotoGP debut with Tech3 GasGas. Di Giannantonio will take to the track with VR46.



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