Рубрика: Motosport News

Oliveira reckons MotoGP “looks too easy” on TV now

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Oliveira was speaking of his experiences at Trackhouse Racing’s NASCAR facility in Concord, North Carolina, prior to last weekend’s Americas Grand Prix.

Admitting he knew very little about NASCAR prior to his visit, he says he gained a greater appreciation of the series and the intricacies of it that go far beyond drivers simply turning left.

When asked about this, he noted that MotoGP could do with opening up to fans in this way as he feels they are not getting an accurate representation of how difficult it is to ride one of these bikes on TV.

“When you get inside of a sport you get inside what it means, and you understand it’s not as simple as it looks on TV,” he said.

“We could use a bit of that in MotoGP also. I think people who can come and watch us live, they can appreciate that it’s difficult. But not from home. I think it looks too easy from home nowadays.”

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Commenting on his time at Trackhouse’s NASCAR base, five-time grand prix winner Oliveira says he was surprised at the complexities of the stock cars used in the series.

“We got a nice insight into what NASCAR racing really is about, and really positively surprised about it,” he noted. “I got to drive the NASCAR car for a pitstop, so it made my day.

“No [I didn’t know much]. For me it was like guys inside of a car, they drive left corners all the time. That was it for me.

“I really had no idea of the complexity of the balance of the car, the aerodynamics of the car and how little they can do technically to the car but how big of a work this means to the teams in terms of disassembling the frame, putting every part together, measuring everything to the laser detail practically.

“For the drivers as well, we got to drive the simulator and you can definitely feel the difficulty that is to be competitive there.”



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Honda MotoGP boss «confused» by «good improvements» not working

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The Japanese manufacturer has made an abysmal start to the new campaign on its radically overhauled RC213V package.

Scoring just eight points out of a possible 111 from the opening three rounds, no Honda rider has cracked the top 10 yet in either sprint or grand prix.

In last weekend’s Americas Grand Prix, only one Honda rider – Luca Marini – finished the race, albeit 33.529s off the pace at a track it won at 12 months earlier with Alex Rins.

This comes as the mood in the Honda camp was positive in last November’s Valencia test, but a lack of progress since has stumped the Japanese marque.

«The only thing I can tell you is in Japan they are trying hard,» Puig told motogp.com during the Americas GP.

«They are really trying, they are working on many different things.

«They bring new people to the group, they have more manpower. I mean, it’s not that they are sleeping.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«But on the other hand, we are not getting there and the bike is not performing. We did big changes on the bike, we did good improvements theoretically.

«But you cannot see it on track. At this time we are a little bit confused. We are trying a lot, but we cannot see anything really impressive on track. This is true.»

Joan Mir was highly critical of Honda on Friday at the Americas GP, saying it had to «take responsibility» for going in the wrong direction with the RC213V concept this season.

After the US round, Mir added: «It’s desperate. The situation is very difficult.

«If you want to do something more, you can’t. And what happened a bit in the race was this.

«You see yourself in the mid-pack, the lap times, you get close to it, you make one lap, two laps recovering, but on the third lap the bike says ‘I give up’.

«This is a bit the rhythm of the story. We have to be strong, to work hard and to continue to move on from this situation where we are far from it.»

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Secrets of stopping a 220mph bike

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The bikes’ 1000cc engines produce 270hp but their tiny contact patches and lack of downforce relative to cars costs them dearly in lap time when compared to a Formula 1 machine.

For example, Valtteri Bottas lapped his 2019 F1 Mercedes in 1m32.029s in qualifying for the US Grand Prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, compared with Maverick Vinales’ 2m00.864s in MotoGP qualifying there in 2024.

However, a few years ago Red Bull pitted Dani Pedrosa’s KTM RC16 against Liam Lawson in an RB8 over a quarter of a mile from a standing start, and the bike won hands-down – mainly thanks to its superior power-to-weight ratio (the RB8 weighing in at 640kg compared to the KTM’s 157kg).

Their narrow nature also means very little drag, allowing MotoGP bikes to max out at around that 220mph mark. Which is all well and good in a straight line, but how do you get them slowed down for the twisty bits?

MotoGP disc brake detail

MotoGP disc brake detail

Photo by: Brembo

What’s the technology behind MotoGP brakes & who makes them?

For the ninth season running, Italian-based Brembo supplies all 22 MotoGP riders with a fully-customized braking system and service. The components of the system are brake calipers, carbon and steel discs, master cylinders, clutch pumps and pads.

Its monobloc caliper, called the GP4, is machined from a solid piece of aluminum. It features an amplification system that allows the braking torque to be increased, which means that the rider gets greater benefit from applying the same pressure to the brake lever.

Meanwhile, a spring device on the anti-drag system reduces the residual torque and stops the pads and discs coming into contact with each other.

Immense stopping power is generated by the use of carbon front discs: Brembo offers different diameter sizes and each is available in three material specs – finned, high mass and standard. A smaller diameter steel disc is used at the rear, as engine braking assists with the process on that end.

MotoGP disc brake options

MotoGP disc brake options

Photo by: Brembo

During the season, most riders use 340mm diameter carbon discs, splitting between high mass (for higher-end requirements) and standard mass (low end) – with 320mm also available. Ventilated disc solutions, one option with a diameter of 355mm, are available for more demanding circuits such as Spielberg, Buddh, Motegi, Buriram and Sepang.

The thickness of the discs, regardless of diameter, is 8mm, while their weight varies between 1kg and 1.4kg depending on the diameter and specification used.

So that means MotoGP brakes are actually larger, in terms of diameter, than an F1 car’s but far thinner (F1 brakes are 32mm wide). Overall, between front and rear wheels, the MotoGP braking system weighs about 5.5kg in total.

The operating temperature of a MotoGP carbon disc must be between 250°C and 850°C. In comparison, the steel discs that Brembo makes for Moto2 and Moto3 operate between 100°C and 650°C.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

How quickly can a MotoGP bike slow down?

MotoGP bikes weigh 157kg and, along with their jockey-sized riders, they can decelerate at just over 1.5g. Let’s look at a real-world scenario, at last weekend’s Grand Prix of the Americas at COTA.

The biggest stop at that circuit – which is classified as ‘medium’ in terms of braking effort, at 26% of the total lap spent slowing down – is at the end of the back straight. The approach speed on the back straight to Turn 12 is 338km/h – close to their maximum velocity of 220mph in imperial measures – and the minimum corner speed is 65km/h.

It requires a 293-meter stopping distance, which takes 5.8s. The brake pressure required is 12.5 bar (NOTE: One bar is roughly the atmospheric pressure on Earth at an altitude of 111 metres at 15°C), and the maximum braking power is 120kW x 2.

MotoGP carbon disc brake detail

MotoGP carbon disc brake detail

Photo by: Brembo

“The part where the carbon disc is most effective is when the heat dissipation takes place,” says Brembo’s MotoGP race engineer Mattia Tombolan. “Due to the properties of the carbon material itself, it can absorb a lot more heat than a steel disc, but it can also dissipate it very quickly.

“To have that same level of dissipation with steel, you’d need a very big disc which would be a lot heavier. And the weight has a huge impact on the maneuverability of the bike.”

The size of a carbon disc also has a knock-on effect through the rest of the system.

“Looking at the dimension of the disc, this has a direct impact on the braking torque applied by the rider,” he adds. “A larger disc also generates a greater gyroscopic effect that hampers a bike and rider’s ability to change direction.

“If I’m putting the same pressure on the master cylinder, if I have a bigger disc, with a higher radius with higher momentum, I will put higher braking torque. So, the rider will feel he has to put less pressure to reach the braking force he wants.

“On the other hand, a smaller disc means a rider has to put much more pressure – so it depends on the rider preference.”

MotoGP disc brake detail

MotoGP disc brake detail

Photo by: Brembo

Although the science is the same as the braking systems in F1, the way the pilot initiates the interface – in F1’s case, stamping on the left pedal with huge force – is totally different.

“When you put over 100 bar with your foot, you’re also using the deceleration of the machine to help you,” says Tombolan. “In MotoGP, you are talking between 10 and 15 bar, applying that with your fingers.

“I would say the feeling of a MotoGP rider is more important, and don’t forget the rider is also moving around on the bike, they are not strapped in. So, I’d say the rider feedback is even more important when it comes to the engineering part, to translate the feeling of the rider and not just the numbers.

“It’s quite tricky, in MotoGP you really need to build a relationship with the rider and crew chief to tune the bike from the braking side.”

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The MotoGP rider’s guide to braking

Trackhouse Racing’s Miguel Oliveira has been racing in MotoGP since 2019 and has five wins to his name in the premier class.

The 29-year-old Portuguese rider, who has won races with both the factory and Tech3 KTM teams, now rides an Aprilia for the American-owned squad.

He explains what it’s like to ride one of these 220mph machines, and to discover where the limit is to slow them down from their top speed into a 35mph hairpin bend.

“The first question in terms of the braking is: What is 100%?” he asks rhetorically. “You have to find the limit. And usually our limit on the braking approach is when the rear lifts off the ground.

“Whenever the rear tire lifts, or the front is locking, that’s where I feel the limit and adjust the brake pressure, to keep as much pressure as possible but without going over that limit throughout the whole braking phase.

“As you see nowadays, there is not that much advantage to keep the bike straight for braking. We are trying to use all the aero, all of the rear tire, to stop.

“In terms of the rear brake usage, we try to keep it to a minimum, to let the engine braking work more effectively – but it depends on the bike, and the electronics. We do adjust it a lot.

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“We work hard on the corner entry, so we use that to keep reducing the speed when we need to. Of course, you cannot keep much pressure when you’re in that [entry] phase of braking into the corner, so that’s where we especially use the rear brake.

“Together with the engine braking, and the rear brake, you try and work the balance to not be too sharp or aggressive as you rotate the bike into the corner, otherwise you overload the front end and that’s when you can lose the front.”

Unlike others, Oliveira doesn’t use a thumb-controlled rear brake: “I prefer to use the foot, because I can use more pressure using my foot,” he explains.

When you watch F1 you’ll often see drivers locking up their front wheels on the approach to a corner. In MotoGP, this also happens, but it is much less obvious to the watching eye…

“You feel it quite easily,” he says. “When it happens, you let it slide a little bit, you don’t release the brake immediately, you can let the bike slide a little on a locked front – but it’s really a feeling that you get used to, and you react to it quite naturally.”

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

And what of the force required on the lever, when you need to make a big stop? As we mentioned, F1 drivers generate huge pressure on the brake pedal in the cockpit via their foot – how about the levers in MotoGP?

“It’s not that hard, you know,” he replies. “I think it would be 11 to 12 kilos on the brake lever, to generate the strong braking power you require.

“But the main thing we need to concentrate on is how much to use it in the race, how precise you need to be at over 300km/h, the braking marks are what’s super-important, and the most difficult thing is to keep hitting them regularly in a race, when you have tire degradation and reducing fuel load. It’s not easy!”

Oliveira is also a seven-time winner in Moto2 and six-time Moto3 race victor, so well placed to compare carbon versus steel front discs.

“It’s been a long time since I rode without these brakes!” he quips. “But as I remember, it’s really that first bite that you notice the big difference. With carbon brakes – bwoah! – you really stop hard when you first hit them.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Why do MotoGP riders dangle their legs under braking?

And, finally, how about the trend of riders dangling their legs out into the airstream during the braking phase? What does that achieve?

“We mainly use it as drag for air resistance,” Oliveira explains. “We also use it as a way to balance, to load the rear because once you slide sideways, you kick your leg out and that creates an inwards and downwards centre of gravity, so that helps you to slow down a bit too.”

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F1 and MotoGP double-header possible but not probable

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Earlier this month it was announced that Liberty Media, the American entertainment company which also owns F1, acquired an 86% stake in Dorna Sports, valuing the MotoGP, WorldSBK and MotoE promoter at €4.2 billion.

It revived the idea of the two championships experimenting with a joint weekend, which according to Dorna sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta was «not discarded» but not actively worked on either.

COTA chairman Epstein, whose circuit hosted last week’s eventful Grand Prix of the Americas and welcomes F1 in October, believes a double-header with both series would be possible but faces several stumbling blocks.

«I think there are complications beyond the obvious,» Epstein told selected media, including Motorsport.com.

«The first ones that come to mind are just the physical ones, but from a sponsor activation standpoint they both bring different sponsors, different activations and manufacturers, that we would be bulging at the seams.

«And also, you’d have to do a lot of changeover of track signage. The media centre would bulge a little bit at the seams. It’s possible, I don’t know that it’s probable.»

But amid struggles to expand MotoGP’s fanbase in North America, Epstein welcomed Liberty’s arrival with open arms, saying his circuit will be «one of the biggest beneficiaries».

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 leads start

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 leads start

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«We’re excited by it probably more than anybody,» he explained. «MotoGP has come to the US and really not had a whole lot of attention paid to it. And once they leave, that’s all you hear for about another 51 weeks.

«So this is a fantastic thing to have us be the only sort of flag bearer of MotoGP in the US and to give support to that series that we’ve had 12 years of commitment to, and really believe in.

«It’s a fantastic competition and it’s just waiting for more people to discover it. I hope we’re one of the biggest beneficiaries of that purchase.

«I don’t think they have to change the sport at all. They just have to focus on shedding a little more light on it, giving it visibility. They’ve got the channels and the ability.»

On Thursday COTA announced a deal whereby early bird ticket holders for October’s F1 grand prix can re-sell their weekend general admission tickets back to the circuit for a profit, which runs until after the circuit unveils its music line-up on 29 April.

«We sold more than 10,000 GA tickets at a price of $299 and we’re going to offer to buy back their tickets at $350,» Epstein explained.

«When we announce our performers, those tickets are going to be worth well more than then they paid.

«We’re going to put a limited amount of tickets on sale again, after the music announcement, at a little bit higher price.

«We want to show there’s value in our tickets and I think it’s a strong statement.»

Watch: F1 Teams Concerns about the 2026 Regulations Changes



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Marquez’s Honda exit «woke a lot of people up» at Yamaha

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Earlier this month, Quartararo inked a fresh multi-year deal with Yamaha, keeping him with the Iwata-based manufacturer until at least the end of the 2026 season.

The new contract was agreed despite an underwhelming start to the new campaign for Yamaha, leaving the 24-year-old to fight for lower reaches of the points in the opening three rounds of the season.

It also followed six-time champion Marquez’s call to leave Honda with a year left on his contract and join forces with the independent Gresini Ducati team in 2024, a decision that has already allowed him to fight for podiums and race wins.

But while Quartararo didn’t follow in the footsteps of Marquez and elected to keep his faith in Yamaha, he believes the Spaniard’s decision to split with Honda actually worked out in his favour.

He feels Marquez’s move to Gresini sprung Yamaha into action, as it showed that top riders in MotoGP are willing to trade loyalty for more competitive machinery.

«It’s a moment that a lot of people have been waiting for,» the 2021 champion told French broadcaster Canal+. «My choice was to stay with Yamaha, not by default, but for the project.

«I think that Marquez’s departure from Honda to Ducati woke up a lot of people at Yamaha.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«They’ve recruited a lot of new engineers, and a lot of things are happening in Italy rather than in Japan.

«The speed with which parts can be changed has totally changed. I think it was very interesting for me to continue with Yamaha.»

Some factions have questioned Quartararo’s choice to stay at Yamaha for 2025-26, amid its continued struggles in MotoGP over the last few seasons.

While the Japanese manufacturer has been overhauling its MotoGP programme by bringing in new people and changing its philosophy, while also taking advantage of the new concessions system, the jury is out on whether the work it is putting in will yield the desired results on track.

Quartararo admitted that he did consider moving to a different team earlier in the year, but his decision was swayed by the amount of resources Yamaha is dedicating to return to the sharp end of the field.

«Of course, I totally understand [that people have doubt about his choice] because even I, a few months ago, was really ready to take my departure for another team,» he said.

«I’m not going to say [which one] but of course, Yamaha is investing huge sums to get a better bike. I think it’s one of the only brands investing so much in this project.

«We’re already going to see some improvements this year. I think that this year will be very difficult, already to fight for a few podiums, but I think that this year will be very important for the next two.»

Watch: MotoGP: Vinales recovers from 11th to win | 2024 #AmericasGP



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COTA MotoGP podium “essential step” for Bastianini

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Bastianini is in the final year of his two-season contract with the factory Ducati squad and was spared demotion for 2024 by Pramac’s Jorge Martin not winning the title in 2023.

Four times a grand prix winner in 2022 on the Gresini Ducati, Bastianini struggled for form in an injury-plagued campaign in 2023.

But the start to 2024 has been much more promising, with Bastianini on pole in Portugal before finishing second in the grand prix. In America, he overtook Martin late on for third to be the top Ducati at the chequered flag, in what proved to be a tough race for the Italian marque.

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Dall’Igna heaped praise on Bastianini’s step forward in his race debrief: “It was a long and gripping race, lively and vibrant, on a track that is most demanding in physical terms.

“Many duels and much overtaking that saw us as protagonists in a no-holds-barred contest marked by tracts of chiaroscuro, lights and shadows.

“For Enea this is an important podium, confirming that he is among the key figures on the track, race after race, with a constancy that he is gradually regaining.

“His was the first Ducati under the chequered flag, with a finish that reached a crescendo after a tentative start, now placing him second in the world championship standings.

“What he needed was greater continuity, and this is another essential step in the right direction.”

Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team

Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Francesco Bagnaia and Martin both suffered from chatter problems during the Americas GP, which has been a problem all Ducati riders have been hit by this year.

This contributed to what Dall’Igna described as Bagnaia’s “very meagre haul” of points for sixth in the sprint and fifth in the GP.

With this problem affecting Ducati early in 2024, Dall’Igna has put great significance on a private test with Michele Pirro prior to next weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

“The championship is long and difficult, and there will be no shortage of ups and downs for everyone,” he added.

“We have to give of our best to provide our riders with the chance to express their top performance.

“That’s why the next test with Michele in Barcelona will be of great importance: there we will be testing some changes to the bike’s set-up, to then be reconfirmed with the factory riders during the tests scheduled for the day following the Jerez Grand Prix.”

Dall’Igna also praised Gresini’s Marc Marquez for briefly leading the Americas GP prior to his brake problem-induced crash.

“Even though he crashed, Marc proved to be an extraordinary interpreter of the race, even taking the lead, and this says a lot about his skull and experience as well as his determination and enthusiasm,” he said.

Watch: MotoGP: Vinales recovers from 11th to win | 2024 #AmericasGP



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The obstacles Yamaha has to overcome to have a satellite MotoGP team in 2025

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


After 26 seasons at the helm of Yamaha, Britain’s Lin Jarvis revealed last weekend in an interview with Motorsport.com that 2024 will be his final year as the brand’s most senior executive. Before closing this chapter, Jarvis managed to extend 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo’s contract until the end of 2026.

Having secured the Frenchman, the manager’s efforts are now focused on regaining the satellite team that Yamaha gave up at the end of 2022, after not renewing with RNF, who signed with Aprilia instead.

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At a time when the analysis of bike data has become a key element in their development, having just two M1s on the grid is an obvious handicap that Jarvis is trying to rectify. However, in order to realise that desire he has to convince one of the independent teams — a considerable hurdle considering that the only options available would be to move away from the Ducati they race on to a Yamaha that hasn’t won any races in over a year and so far in 2024 has come nowhere near a podium.

Until a few months ago, most of the signs suggested that VR46 was the right structure for the alliance that the Iwata factory was looking for, especially because of the link between Valentino Rossi and the Japanese manufacturer. Four times a world champion with Yamaha between 2004 and 2009, Rossi was made a brand ambassador for the Japanese manufacturer last year.

However, the reality is that the Tavullia-based team is one step away from extending its commitment to Ducati for the next two years, with an option to go even further. The latter is not a trivial detail, given that it is now when the pieces are being placed on the board on which the game will begin in 2027, when the new technical regulations come into play, marked by the reduction in engine displacement to 850cc and the limitation of aerodynamics.

«I’m still optimistic that we can have a satellite team again in 2025 because that’s what we want,» said Jarvis in a chat with Motorsport.com in Austin. «As far as I know, VR46 and Ducati haven’t formalised anything yet. Achieving our goal would be the best news for the championship and for Yamaha.»

Despite the Yamaha boss’s hopes, the offer VR46 received from Borgo Panigale meets almost all the ambitions of Rossi’s ‘tribe’. This is how Alessio Salucci, his manager and Rossi’s right-hand man, acknowledged it so forcefully to Motorsport.com.

Valentino Rossi looks unlikely to reunite with Yamaha for a third time in his illustrious MotoGP career

Valentino Rossi looks unlikely to reunite with Yamaha for a third time in his illustrious MotoGP career

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«Yamaha is my second home. But, from the start, what they should offer us is a more competitive bike. The Ducati is a great bike and its performance is very high. We owe it to our partners. The change is not easy,» said Salucci.

The only ‘but’ in Salucci’s eyes is that the Bologna-based company does not give him the possibility of having a factory Desmosedici for the next two seasons, given that Pramac has that status exclusively, at least for the time being.

With VR46 all but out of the equation, Yamaha’s focus now turns to trying to recruit Paolo Campinoti’s team, and to do so it will play the emotional card. Motorsport.com understands that Pramac has until after the summer break to execute an option that gives it the right to unilaterally renew with Ducati until 2026.

If it signs, it would retain the privilege of being the only team with factory support from the Italian marque for another two seasons. After 2027, it would lose that exclusivity, and with it, one of the two official bikes it currently fields for 2023 runner-up Jorge Martin and Franco Morbidelli.

While it is true that Gresini has extended its Ducati agreement until the end of 2025, it is also true that there is a release clause, subject to paying a fee

As painful as such a demotion might be, it is hard to imagine Pramac considering giving up its current status. The one that allows it to win races and fight for the title, and that guarantees it a visibility that would be lost if it decides to join Yamaha. Should Pramac opt for the latter, VR46 would most likely inherit that coveted spot until 2026, going from having no factory Ducatis to having two. The relationship between Pramac and VR46 has been strained in recent times, and that has Ducati open to any possibility.

«Honestly, we have no idea what Pramac might decide,» said an authoritative voice from the Ducati offices at the Circuit of the Americas last weekend. Switching from red bikes to blue is not an easy move from an operational point of view, especially given the amount of resources Ducati spends on nurturing Pramac, which does not have a large infrastructure.

In the event that Campinoti chooses to take advantage of the sweet moment his team is going through, Yamaha would have to look elsewhere, and that would probably lead it to try to persuade Gresini.

Pramac is a target for Yamaha, but sticking with Ducati guarantees it success

Pramac is a target for Yamaha, but sticking with Ducati guarantees it success

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

At the same time, the Faenza team is trying to convince Ducati to supply it with an official Desmosedici in 2025, with the intention of using it as a lure for Marc Marquez to stay. That is a possibility that seems unlikely at this stage, in which there are many who aspire to such favourable treatment from the constructor that dominates the series, which, in turn, seeks to reduce its investment in the championship as much as possible.

While it is true that Gresini has extended its agreement until the end of 2025, it is also true that there is a release clause, subject to paying a fee. At this point, it remains to be seen whether Yamaha would be willing to pay the price in order to put four M1s back on the grid.

The difference in potential that can be seen these days on the track between the Ducati and the Yamaha perfectly explains the overbooking of requests that the former has, and the scarcity of them that the latter suffers.

Yamaha's lack of form has left it with a lack of interested parties in its M1s

Yamaha’s lack of form has left it with a lack of interested parties in its M1s

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images



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Aprilia MotoGP win has a “different value” to Suzuki, Yamaha triumphs

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Having looked rapid all weekend in Austin, polesitter Vinales was able to fight back from a first corner clash that dropped him to 11th to take an incredible victory in Sunday’s main race — his first as an Aprilia rider and the 10th of his career.

It made him the first rider in the modern era of motorcycle racing to win races for three different marques in the premier class, after his 2016 British GP triumph with Suzuki and eight previous victories with Yamaha between 2017-21.

But while his previous race wins are dear to him, the Spaniard says his feat at the Circuit of the Americas holds a special value as it represents Aprilia’s accession from a lower midfield marque to a race-winning force in MotoGP.

“Obviously the win with Aprilia has a different value because when I signed for them, they were P15, P10, and looking how much we grew this factory,” he said, highlighting how Aprilia had only just scored its first podium when he joined the then-Gresini run squad in the latter part of 2021.

“Obviously, we are a big factory. Still we need time to improve and be more constant, but I see this year with a lot of potential in front of us.

“We must be very smart and very focused on the job, and especially things like [what] happened in Portimao [with the gearbox]. It’s about getting more experience and more time in the front, and that confidence we build up.

“We have to continue, we are a big factory and big factories win races. We did it [in Austin], so we need to be very happy and very proud of the job we did. But it’s more difficult what I did right now because we came from the back and here, we are on top.”

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Vinales’ bitter exit from Yamaha and a relatively slow adaptation to the Aprilia had led many to doubt whether the Spaniard would ever be able to rediscover his old form again, especially in the wake of team-mate Aleix Espargaro’s race-winning campaigns in 2022 and ‘23 on a rapidly improving RS-GP.

There also had been speculation about Vinales’ position in the team as he enters the final year of his contract, with Aprilia believed to be in talks with 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo before he inked a fresh contract with Yamaha this month.

The 29-year-old said he could prove the naysayers wrong in the Americas GP because he now has a bike that is not only fast when running at the front but also in the middle of the pack — which enabled him to scythe his way through the field and snatch the lead back on lap 13.

“Obviously in the past I didn’t have the weapon I have now, especially to overtake because you know very well I was struggling to be close to the other riders in the past,” he said.

“But how I have the bike right now, I can really over-brake all the time, it seems that it’s not easy to pass but I can try it and that’s fantastic.

“I have the weapon to try it and that’s huge because you cannot always start and lead the race from the first corner. So, you must fight and all these guys are braking late, fighting. I am there also, so this is fantastic.”

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Why MotoGP’s COTA thriller was just what Liberty wanted to see

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


A staple of American sports is the ‘Make Some Noise Meter’ on Jumbotron TVs inside their stadiums – a clearly-faked decibel level monitor that encourages the excitable home fans to whoop even more loudly, which is usually employed to put off the opposition on a third down or a free throw.

But you can’t fake the noise of fans at an outdoor racetrack, and from my vantage point on the inside of Turn 1 during COTA’s MotoGP round on Sunday, I could clearly hear the buzzed crowd making some genuine noise in reaction to some thrilling on-track action, lots of overtaking moves, and a significant faller.

This was the first race following the news that F1 owner Liberty plans to acquire 86% of MotoGP owners Dorna Sports in a blockbuster deal worth €4.2 billion, which it hopes to finalise by the end of 2024.

The Liberty deal meant that MotoGP’s annual trip to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas felt way more important this year. Not just because it’s now the only round on the Liberty’s side of the Atlantic, following Argentina’s demise from the schedule, but the acquisition means America now has a major stake in the game.

COTA is the only US race on the MotoGP schedule

COTA is the only US race on the MotoGP schedule

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

There’s little doubt in my mind that the series has massive scope to grow in America – like an amusement park of possibility – and it can certainly learn from its F1 experience so far.

It might be a happy coincidence but NASCAR squad Trackhouse’s takeover of the former RNF Aprilia squad means it now has a team baring the Stars and Stripes, while Joe Roberts’ run to second in Moto2 on Sunday gives it the potential for a homespun big class star of the future once again.

Under Liberty, F1’s at-track attendance has sky-rocketed to the point that COTA owner Bobby Epstein was eyeing half a million people for its United States Grand Prix until last year’s surprise dip. Of course, COTA’s MotoGP crowd is way off its F1 attendance, so there’s much work to be done here.

Although this time Liberty doesn’t have its silver bullet of a docuseries lifting the lid of the exclusive world of F1 coinciding with a global pandemic and a captive audience that was in much need of entertainment, it knows the correct buttons to press elsewhere.

 “I’d like to think that some of the things we’ve done to show the world the value and power of Formula 1, we can bring to MotoGP,” says Liberty’s CEO Greg Maffei. “Let’s call it pattern recognition.

“MotoGP is a great, thrilling sport. Enormously exciting, I don’t think we need to change that at all. In fact, we don’t want to.

“What we want to do is show the world exactly how exciting this sport is.”

The MotoGP battle pack at COTA

The MotoGP battle pack at COTA

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

With a fanbase that’s primarily based in Spain, Italy and France, plus the far east and Australia, Maffei plans to bring Liberty’s F1 learnings to increase the sport’s awareness outside of its current bubble to a “broader audience” around the world.

The riders are genuinely heroic, with some epic stories behind them, and there are some great characters on the grid who need developing for the audience to get to know, so that more fans will attend and more viewers will tune in. Put simply, it needs different eyeballs on it.

MotoGP’s biggest current star Marc Marquez points out that targeting a younger generation would also make a “big difference”. For example, in Pedro Acosta, it has a remarkable young rookie who looks set to be the next big thing (he’s also an absolute chatterbox) who comes from a very humble background.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

What it already boasts is a genuinely thrilling racing product, where (unlike F1) the identity of each event’s winner isn’t a near-certainty. Of course, MotoGP has had its periods of domination, and it can produce some processions and tire-defined races, but it’s hit on a relatively rich vein of unpredictability – with way more manufacturers and competitors in with a shot at winning races compared to F1.

That said, the five times I’d previously attended this race in person, the racing was dang ordinary! This was by far the best MotoGP race ever at COTA, with thrilling dicing throughout the field, and the fans who were there – oddly, COTA is one MotoGP venue that doesn’t give a crowd number but does for F1 – were richly entertained.

Maverick Vinales’ sensational charge from 11th to victory – before donning a Batman mask and cape on the podium – happened in front of a crowd that I’d estimate in the region of 75,000 – certainly a fraction of the 432,000 weekend number that F1 attracts.

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The majority of fans were clearly avid, with merchandise being worn wherever you looked, and lengthy, patient queues for turns on the video games in the fan activation zone. Judging by my flight from Miami, and the folks in the airport, there were plenty who had flown in from across America for the occasion as well as the team personnel from Europe.

But, in Austin itself, you wouldn’t know that a global racing series was in town – unlike when F1 arrives here. The only signage I saw across the weekend was for the whacky King of the Baggers support event. I attended a really cool hand-built bike exhibition in town, and I didn’t see one MotoGP bike on display – but there was a Red Bull F1 showcar!

You’d imagine that Liberty can raise the promotional game and will add extra races in the America – perhaps moving this date away from US Masters Sunday would be a wise move. Reviving events at Indianapolis or Laguna Seca would seem obvious avenues to explore – I heard Barber Motorsports Park and even Daytona’s road course being mentioned, which would be absolutely wild…

“When we took over Formula 1 it also only had one race in the United States,” adds Maffei on the subject. “I’m not suggesting that we’re going to get to three, but the opportunity to grow in the US, and other geographies, probably not increase the total race number but extend it elsewhere.”

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Miguel Oliveira, Trackhouse Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

An unlikely hero who proves a point

The ‘King of COTA’ label is one that seems to get the locals really enthused, and with Marc Marquez being in the injury doldrums in recent years – the biggest groan of the day was when he fell from the lead on Sunday – it’s been Alex Rins who’s stepped up in the meantime and collected quite the fanbase in Austin.

When he made a guest appearance on Saturday evening for a meet and greet, the reaction was simply staggering – and he was absolutely mobbed for photos. The knowledgeable audience knew all about his Moto3 and Moto2 triumphs here too.

Last year at COTA, Rins became the eighth rider to win with two factory teams in the MotoGP era – along with Jack Miller, Andrea Dovizioso, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, Maverick Vinales, Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi. It was Honda’s most recent victory, an epic feat in itself given its troubles, but this year there would be no miracles – although he stormed up to eighth on the opening lap! – and he crashed out.

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“It was frustrating, we are suffering with our bike,” Rins told his audience. “When you go out on the track and understand it’s going to be difficult and we need to accept what we have and what we’re doing.”

[Cue lots of whooping and hollers of encouragement]

“We will be back. It’s a process and it takes time. The last thing we need to lose is the faith.

“It was not easy with the Honda to get the victory here, still the last victory for them, and I’m very proud of that. So, it shows what can happen.”

While critics will point at MotoGP’s plethora of Spanish and Italian riders as a negative, I think this enthusiasm from an American crowd shows that doesn’t matter when an audience is convinced that these guys are the best riders on the planet.

Marc Marquez fans at COTA

Marc Marquez fans at COTA

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

And this is the crux: Liberty must tell that story in a way that gives wider appeal to more people. Get them hooked on it like these folks clearly are.

America also loves an underdog or rebound story, and MotoGP’s concession rules give Yamaha a chance to rebound to its former glories. And in this sense it feels like almost the flip of F1, which has its recently-extended audience enthralled by the personalities if not always a thrilling on-track race.

MotoGP doesn’t need reinventing, it needs promoting more effectively. It shouldn’t try to be Formula 1, but it should take notes and tell its stories in a more captivating manner.

The acquisition by a savvy company that understands how TV and digital media works, and which levers need to be pulled to do so, can absolutely take this sport to another level.

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