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Post by truenorth on Nov 20, 2019 8:20:34 GMT -8
Abraha: "Zarco wants my place? I have no intention of giving it to him.": "I have a contract for 2020, and Avintia will have to break it. There's a 90% chance I'll continue to race with them. I'm talking to the team, but Johann has nothing to do with it." Abraham: "If Zarco could bring 5 million, he could run with Avintia immediately"
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Post by truenorth on Nov 20, 2019 8:29:14 GMT -8
Mat Oxley: Ducati getting jiggy with their sensors - note the two red light dot
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Post by truenorth on Nov 20, 2019 8:41:17 GMT -8
Box_Repsol: There they are!
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Post by truenorth on Nov 20, 2019 9:04:14 GMT -8
Vinales: "The new engine? The horses are not enough yet": "It is better than the previous one and the character has not changed, but more power is needed. I am happy, but in Jerez I will be able to understand more"
Crutchlow: "To help Alex Marquez, Honda has stolen my 'three technicians": "For three years I have been the only one able to get on the podium with Marc and instead of helping me they did this to me. The new bike? easy and this is not "
Marquez: "Alex? Fatigue in braking, where Cal and I have often fallen ":" The new Honda has potential. I don't care about having an easy bike, I want it fast. I've had the chance to do some laps with my brother and he's struggling in what's the hardest point of the bike - the braking
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Post by truenorth on Nov 20, 2019 9:12:28 GMT -8
Aprilia ‘on the limit’ with 2020 bike 20.11.2019 BSN Aprilia MotoGP star Aleix Espargaro believes that having only six test days with the 2020 RS-GP is right on the limit of being able to create a contender for next season. The Noale factory is building a new from the wheels up bike but it won’t be ready until the Sepang test in February, which Espargaro thinks isn’t particularly acceptable. “We will have six days testing with the new bike before Qatar. So, it is a little bit on the limit,” said Espargaro, who has warned Aprilia that if they want to keep him, they need to work to tighter timelines. “I already said to them if I stay at Aprilia for the next three years, we have to readjust the timings and the bike has to arrive earlier. As a big a factory as we are, we need to work at the same as the other manufacturers. “The ideal plan was to also have it here, but we have to be patient because for 2020 it looks like we’re going to change a lot. “I give full credit to Aprilia. I hope that the new bike that will arrive in Malaysia will be much better.”
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Post by truenorth on Nov 20, 2019 15:32:37 GMT -8
Viñales fastest to turn the tables on Day 2 The Spaniard leads Quartararo and Morbidelli on Wednesday as the Valencia test wraps up Nov 17 2019 Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) topped Day 2 of the Valencia test and it was once again a Yamaha 1-2-3, with the trio at the top within three tenths. Viñales was the only rider in the 1:29s – true of Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) at the weekend – and the number 12 narrowly beat the Frenchman’s pole time on Wednesday. Quartararo was 0.164 in arrears, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) within 0.265 of the top. Honda’s Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was the only other man within half a second… Viñales fastest was set on the ‘new’ bike – with a different chassis and new engine – and the Spaniard put in 67 laps on the final day of testing, topping the timesheets with his 56th. Teammate Valentino Rossi was once again ninth, and ‘The Doctor’ did 68 laps on Wednesday. He was within 0.968 of the top and suffered a mechanical problem in the afternoon, but got back out. Quartararo and Morbidelli, meanwhile, didn’t say much about what they were working on – “some small things” and the Frenchman said it was more a day of riding than testing as yet. For a man only just starting his second season, the 64 laps were doubtlessly useful, however, and Morbidelli added another 52 to the team’s count. For Crutchlow it was a mammoth day of work. The Brit headed out on the ‘2020’ bike, suffered a crash but managed to prove Yamaha’s closest competitor on the timesheets and improve his laptime from the weekend after 73 laps. Speaking of the number 73, Alex Marquez, on the other side of the LCR Honda garage, was the only man to do more laps. The rookie did 79 on his second day as an HRC MotoGP™ rider, shaving six tenths off his time from Tuesday. Reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) made some more Honda headlines, however. The number 93 premiered the aero seen on Crutchlow yesterday, with the all-black Honda breaking cover bearing a 93 in the afternoon, and he ended the day in seventh after 71 laps. He also suffered a failed getaway earlier in the day, and his teammate for the test – in the garage at least – also suffered an issue on Wednesday as Stefan Bradl ground to a halt. Nevertheless the German was able to complete 53 laps by the end of play. Team Suzuki Ecstar were fifth and sixth on Wednesday. The new engine previously having been put through its paces by test rider Sylvain Guintoli was a big focus for the Hamamatsu factory as they look for a step forward in terms of outright speed, and Joan Mir was the quickest Suzuki on Day 2. He put in a 1:30.427 and did 61 laps, teammate Alex Rins was just 0.076 off and did 47 laps. They plan to continue testing the engine at Jerez. KTM stole a few headlines on Day 2. For their speed – Pol Espargaro’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) impressive showing and that of Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Iker Lecuona – and they had the new kids on the block, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Lecuona, taking some tips from the veterans. But there were also a few crashes, with each of the three racers all going down. Espargaro first, Lecuona later and Binder even later in the day. Espargaro’s crash, however, led to his fastest lap as he was then forced to switch bike to another new chassis – and found immediate positives. He was eighth and did 46 laps, Pedrosa 14th after 48 laps and Lecuona just 0.045 off the three-time World Champion by the end of play. Binder did 66 laps on Day 2. The Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, meanwhile, was focused on gathering more information on what they tested on Day 1, one big thing of note being a new chassis. Some sensors were spotted on the rear of the Borgo Panigale machine too on Wednesday, and the ‘salad box’ was back. Danilo Petrucci, however, was not back. The Italian remained sidelined by his bothersome shoulder, although Michele Pirro was once again on track to put the laps in – 40 of them – and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was all action stations too. The Aussie explained he’d been doing back to back comparisons with the first version of the 2020 machines because the number 09 was ruled out. Miller was fastest Ducati in 10th, just ahead of Dovizioso. Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) was 12th, ahead of Pirro. For Aprilia, it was another day of track action working with their 2019 machines. Aleix Espargaro was 16th after 43 laps, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate Andrea Iannone in 19th. Espargaro crashed at the final corner, and Iannone ran on at Turn 1 with the RS-GP then catching alight – rider ok. Test rider Bradley Smith was also on track and did another 32 laps to add to the information-gathering tally. That’s it from Valencia and the first test of 2020 – with Jerez up next as a two-day test takes place on Monday and Tuesday. Who will reign there? Will we see more engines, chassis updates, more aero and even more tech on show? And can Yamaha keep their dominion so far?
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Post by truenorth on Nov 21, 2019 5:58:30 GMT -8
Valencia MotoGP Test Wednesday Round Up: Judging Success on Limited Data David Emmett on Wed, 2019-11-20 The point of the post-season test at Valencia is to give the new parts the racing departments have cooked up based on the data collected during the year their first run out. The hope is that the new parts – engines, chassis, electronic packages, etc – will provide improvements, make the bikes faster, and help drop the lap times even further. There was plenty of good news for the MotoGP factories from the two days of testing at Valencia. Their work has been successful, judging by the initial results at the test. The new engines which have been brought are all quicker, the chassis which have been tested are all an improvement. The bad news is that all of this applies to just about every manufacturer in MotoGP. Yamaha, Honda, Ducati, Suzuki, KTM, even Aprilia, they have all made steps forward. The trouble is, that if everyone makes a step forward, they all end up still left in the same place. So who comes out of the Valencia test ahead? It is still way too early to tell. At Valencia, the factories bring their new concepts, in a fairly raw format. Engines need adapting to electronics, chassis need adapting to engines, the setups the factories start the test with are based on data from last year's bikes, and still need tweaking to refine. The real work starts at Jerez, a more complete circuit with a greater variety of corners. The five days between Valencia and Jerez give the engineers a chance to find a better setup based on feedback from the new parts. At Valencia, the teams are figuring out whether things work. At Jerez, they start working on how to get the most out of the stuff which works. Hope grows in the breast of man That explains why on Wednesday, we spoke to a string of optimistic riders. More optimistic than in past years, because the factories have brought more updates which appear to have produced bigger improvements. It feels like everyone has made quite a lot of progress. But precisely because everyone has made a lot of progress, it is hard to judge just where everyone stands. Yamaha have brought more and bigger steps than they have in recent years, with a new chassis and a new engine, aimed at improving top speed and tire life. Smarter minds than I believe the engine has a revised firing order, aimed at being more gentle with the tire, the engine sounding a little more aggressive than the 2019 M1. That the new engine is chasing power is obvious from a glance at the new air intake. The taller intake appears to open into a larger airbox, or at least that was the impression I got from trying to peer into the intake while in pit lane today. The new shape should create smoother air and increase pressure, helping to feed the engine. Running to stand still The speed boost helped, but was not enough, both Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi said – only the factory Yamahas tested the new engine and chassis, the Petronas Yamaha riders likely to have to wait until Sepang to get their hands on the new bike. "For sure we need a little bit more power," Viñales said. "A little bit more has arrived, but it’s not enough, our competitors are still far away so we need to keep working on that area and try to not lose on the others." On Wednesday, Viñales had tried to follow other bikes down the front straight, to see if he could stay in their slipstream. The fact that the new engine can be revved out higher made sitting in the draft of another rider easier, he said. "There is still 8km difference," he said. "I took many slipstream trying to understand if it was better or not. In the slipstream, I felt much better because the engine keeps running, not like last year, so for that I’m quite happy. Yamaha works well, but now we are trying to recover all the information to improve for the next test." Valentino Rossi was marginally more positive. "For me we move in a good direction, but still the gap is big," the Italian said. But more top speed was not the only objective. "For the engine, they tried to make something more easy to ride to save the tire and it's a bit better. Not so bad. It's true also that we have new tires, also for me the new tires are better. More constant. So this is a positive. Also the chassis is a bit different, something better, something worse. So you feel something, now we have to work." Balancing power with finesse Suzuki were in a similar predicament, chasing more speed while trying not to lose out on the exceptionally sweet handling they already have. "I am happy because we are working on the electronics to know where the limit of the engine is," Joan Mir said. "I was able to do great lap times, really constant, and also not a bad lap time so we are really close. I am happy for that and there is an important test in Jerez to continue our work to see where is the limit. We will also continue working on the chassis, chassis parts, to improve the turning but I think we are doing a great job at the moment." Suzuki did not have many new chassis parts, though the appearance of much more carbon on the frame suggested they weren't standing still. But the objective is to get faster first, and improve the turning second. "With the new engine it looks like we gain a little bit," Mir said. "Not so much, probably it is not the strongest point of the new engine but we will continue working because the electronics can change the engine a lot so we will see." Speed has never been an issue for the Ducatis, but it was not an area they were prepared to lose out on. That meant that Ducati had brought new parts to improve the performance of the engine, but that was not their main focus. The new chassis Ducati has brought to the test appears to be a major step forward, helping with the corner speed the bikes were missing in previous years. It turns! It turns! Jack Miller had stepped up to test the new chassis, after Danilo Petrucci had decided to sit the test out to allow his injured shoulder to rest ahead of next week's Jerez test. The feedback from both Miller and Andrea Dovizioso, who had tested the frame on Tuesday as well, was very positive. "The 2020 frame is working well, but it is still early days," the Pramac Ducati rider told us. "It helped us here in terms of turning, but it is hard after a race weekend and after you have been riding the bike you have been on all year, and then you go and jump on a new bike. It is always going to feel a little bit foreign and a little bit different. You are going to pick up all the negatives immediately so I would like to try it in Jerez, somewhere fresh, and then we will really understand what we need to do. It is different so we need some different settings so throwing in our base settings that we were running here at the race on Sunday isn’t quite going to work. We adjusted a few things here and there but we have a little bit more work to do." Andrea Dovizioso was positive as well. "I think the chassis they brought here was a big effort from Ducati," the Italian said. "I’m pretty happy about that. I think that was a different step than the past. That is very important for us." Surprise victors? Dovizioso was happy that Ducati were finally starting to act on his requests, he said. "I mean, it’s a long time I’ve been asking for that," the Italian said of the improved turning of the Ducati Desmosedici GP20 prototype. "I’m pretty happy to feel that. I’m really happy in the way they are working now. They are really focused on that." If the improvement of the Ducati is as big as Miller and Dovizioso are hinting, that could be a huge step forward in 2020. Dovizioso has been asking for a bike which turns better since he arrived in 2013. He got a big chunk of what he wanted in 2015, but there was still a big gap to the other bikes. At first glance, it looks like the GP20 could be another major step in the right direction. Honda are not resting on their laurels, however. At Valencia, they had a new engine, a new chassis, and a new aerodynamics package to test on the RC213V. The engine was a little faster, the chassis giving a little more feeling from the front, and a slightly larger operating window in which to work. Better does not mean perfect "We have to be positive that they’ve made a step in some areas and I feel a bit more comfortable and confident on the bike," Cal Crutchlow said after spending much of the day on the 2020 prototype. "But as far as the bike is concerned with regards to it being easier to ride, it's not. We need to still improve that over the winter and I think that hopefully they can. But on a general feeling I managed to go faster than I'd been all weekend and this has to be a positive thing on a bike that has only done two days here in Valencia." "I would say I've gained some front feeling with the bike," Crutchlow replied when asked for the biggest improvement with the 2020 prototype. "Not as much as I believe I need or believe we need as a manufacturer. But the good thing is it's the first roll out and honestly again today we have done nothing with the setting of the bike. Not even touched it. We've tested parts and then when you test parts if you change the bike suspension wise or length or height, the part is irrelevant to the one you’ve just tested before. So you have to leave everything the same." Marc Márquez saw the prototype of the new 2020 Honda RC213V from a similar perspective. "The character is more or less similar," the reigning champion said. "I just concentrated a lot with the prototype, because I believe it has potential, but everything is still very new. Still we need to modify a few things. I did the best lap time with the prototype. And I just kept working with that bike, on the last run I took the current bike and I was fast too." Power first and let Márquez wrangle his way round the corners But Márquez had his own set of objectives and priorities, and user friendliness came way down his list of priorities. "In the end, if you have like an easier bike, it will help all the Honda riders, but my target is to have the fastest bike. I mean, it doesn't matter if it's difficult or not, what I want is to try to win, and it doesn't matter if I need to push more or less on the riding. But of course we are trying to work on the chassis area, to try to be easier on a competitive lap times." That is simultaneously a worrying sign for his Honda stablemates, and a sign of hope for Honda. If they can give Marc Márquez a stronger bike, he will bring them back another title, Márquez seem to be saying. But if the bike isn't easier to ride, then Márquez will have to try to win the team title all on his own again, to the detriment of his brother Alex. Honda's new aerodynamics package was met with mixed feelings, Márquez explained, the larger, more integrated top wing helping with wheelie but causing problems in some parts of the circuit. "We tried some new aerodynamic package together with the prototype bike, with the new engine, with a different chassis, and it was not bad. Some interesting points, still I think we need to modify it a little bit, because in some corners it was not the best feeling," Márquez told us. Tubular balls http://instagram.com/p/B5GdePiJKNR Perhaps the most remarkable step forward came at KTM, where Pol Espargaro was trying a different evolution of the trellis frame. The bottom section connecting the plate holding the swingarm mount and the tubes going to the headstock has been replaced with a steel beam, aimed at improving the turning of the bike. Espargaro was trying a second iteration of the new chassis, which Dani Pedrosa had preferred in the test. The change was so big that Pol Espargaro set his fastest time of the day when he wasn't even expecting it. The amount of improvement the new chassis offered had taken the Spaniard aback, to an extent. "It was honestly very good," the Spaniard said. "I started with the one I used yesterday – the one you all saw that is the color orange – then I crashed in the morning and it was my mistake. We had some problems on the bike but that crash was my fault." "Then I needed to jump to the new chassis because I did not have any more fitted on a bike and with a hard compound on the rear I jumped on it to get the feeling back and see how it was and to my surprise, and all that of the team, I did a 30.6 on my third lap pushing." That speed had surprised Espargaro. "I was shocked. At that time we were second with the same time as Marquez and after a crash and with new leather suit that meant I was not too comfortable on the bike. Everything came so easy. We go to Jerez now and let’s see what’s going on there and whether we can stay at the same level as here in Valencia." The one known weakness of the KTM is that it is fast when there is grip. In the cold of Valencia, after nearly a week of laying Michelin rubber on the track, grip was plentiful. The real test of the KTM's new chassis will come at Jerez, which is likely to be hotter, drier, and with much less grip. That is where we will learn if it's a success. Fire Aprilia are perhaps the only factory not to take a huge step forward, as the racing department in Aprilia struggles to get the 2020 bike ready for the Sepang test in February. But it is obvious they are not standing still, Aprilia hanging Bradley Smith's test machine with the vast array of ride height and asphalt temperature sensors previously seen at Ducati. There were lasers on front and rear wheels to measure bike position, and infrared cameras measuring track temperature before and after wheels passed over it. Aprilia's biggest challenge was chasing power, but in that perhaps they went a little too far. As Andrea Iannone exited pit lane, his RS-GP caught on fire, forcing him to abandon ship. It left Iannone relatively unfazed, once he had blown off steam in the garage. "We tried a different solution and we tried to improve horsepower," Iannone said. "We tried to improve power so we tried to push a little bit more on the limit the bike and this happened. But it's always like this. When we try, we understand. When we don’t try, we remain at the same level and understand nothing." The paddock has now packed up and are on their way to Jerez. The times at the Valencia test are not particularly meaningful, for a whole host of reasons. The times at Jerez should give a little more insight into how things go.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 21, 2019 6:14:40 GMT -8
Jack Miller: «Have a lot of crap on the bike these days» Speedweek.com Ivo Schützbach - 21.11.2019
In overall eleventh, Jack Miller was the second-best Ducati rider during the first MotoGP winter test in Valencia. On the 2020 machine, the Australian lost over a second to the top. Unlike the Winnow-Ducati factory riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, Pramac rider Jack Miller got plenty of new parts for the first day of testing, but not the 2020 chassis to try. Originally he should have received this only for the next test in Jerez.
Then the Ducati officials changed their minds for the second and final day of the test and left Miller on Wednesday with the next year's chassis at the Ricardo Tormo circuit because Petrucci took a break.
"I drove some comparative tests between this year's chassis and the pre-release version of next year," said the third Sunday's Valencia GP. "In Malaysia, for the first time, I tested a new rear-seat unit, which has since been developed further. Now I drove it again, I'm assuming we'll see her on the new bike. Nowadays we have so much crap on the bike, the whole camera and so that Ducati went out the front of the place and they have packed a lot in the rear. We need a lot of space, as in an old Amischlitten. "
The rear of the Ducati is thereby even clunkier, a beauty prize wins the motorcycle no.
"It works well for that," said Miller, who finished in 1.055 seconds on the best time of Yamaha factory driver Maverick Viñales as the 11th and second best Ducati rider. "While many others were always using new tires, we worked through our test program. We are just at the beginning. It's also difficult to test right after a race weekend and then compare the bike you used to ride all year long with a new one. The new automatically feels a little strange and different. Where we really stand, we will only know after the next test in Jerez. The bike is different and requires a change in the tuning, our basic set-up from the race weekend did not work. "
Valencia Test, Appreciation 19./20. November: 1. Viñales, Yamaha, 1: 29.849 min 2. Quartararo, Yamaha, 1: 30.013 min, + 0.164 sec 3. Morbidelli, Yamaha, 1: 30.114, + 0.265 4. Crutchlow, Honda, 1: 30.316, +0.467 5. Mir, Suzuki, 1: 30.427, + 0.578 6. Rins, Suzuki, 1: 30.503, + 0.654 7. Marc Márquez, Honda, 1: 30.556, + 0.707 8. Dovizioso, Ducati, 1: 30.665, + 0.816 9. Pol Espargaró, KTM, 1: 30.685, + 0.836 10. Rossi, Yamaha, 1: 30.781, + 0.932 11. Miller, Ducati, 1: 30.854, + 1.005 12. Rabat, Ducati, 1: 31.258, + 1.409 13. Pirro, Ducati, 1: 31.424, + 1.575 14. Petrucci, Ducati, 1: 31.433, + 1.584 15. Pedrosa, KTM, 1: 31.470, + 1.621 16. Lecuona, KTM, 1: 31.515, + 1.666 17. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 1: 31.526, + 1.677 18. Abraham, Ducati, 1: 31.597, + 1.748 19. Bradl, Honda, 1: 31.657, + 1.888 20. Iannone, Aprilia, 1: 31.674, + 1.825 21 Smith, Aprilia, 1: 32.090, + 2.221 22. Alex Márquez, 1: 32.235, + 2.386 23. Binder, KTM, 1: 32.367, + 2.518
Valencia test, November 20: 1. Viñales, Yamaha, 1: 29.849 min 2. Quartararo, Yamaha, 1: 30.013 min, + 0.164 sec 3. Morbidelli, Yamaha, 1: 30.114, + 0.265 4. Crutchlow, Honda, 1: 30.316, +0.467 5. Mir, Suzuki, 1: 30.427, + 0.578 6. Rins, Suzuki, 1: 30.503, + 0.654 7. Marc Márquez, Honda, 1: 30.556, + 0.707 8. Pol Espargaró, KTM, 1: 30.685, + 0.836 9. Rossi, Yamaha, 1: 30.781, + 0.932 10. Miller, Ducati, 1: 30.854, + 1.005 11. Dovizioso, Ducati, 1: 31.143, + 1.244 12. Rabat, Ducati, 1: 31.258, + 1.409 13. Pirro, Ducati, 1: 31.424, + 1.575 14. Pedrosa, KTM, 1: 31.470, + 1.621 15. Lecuona, KTM, 1: 31.515, + 1.666 16. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 1: 31.526, + 1.677 17. Abraham, Ducati, 1: 31.597, + 1.748 18. Bradl, Honda, 1: 31.657, + 1.808 19. Iannone, Aprilia, 1: 31.800, + 1.951 20. Alex Márquez, Honda, 1: 32.235, + 2.386 21 Smith, Aprilia, 1: 32.249, + 2.400 22nd Binder, KTM, 1: 32.367, + 2.518
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Post by truenorth on Nov 21, 2019 8:31:15 GMT -8
www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/motogp/motogp-post-season-testing-2020-here-we-come Lots of pix of the new bikes Mat Oxley: HRC had various new frames at Valencia. Crutchlow had a laugh at my expense: "you keep taking photos, but you don't know what you're taking photos of!"😂I'd say he's about 50 percent correct. Mat Oxley : And for all those asking why MotoGP front brake hydraulics feature dry-break couplings, this is why: no room to fit wheels/disc with calipers in situ, so calipers are mounted to discs first
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Post by truenorth on Nov 21, 2019 16:17:34 GMT -8
Valencia Test: Binder: Pol data 'incredible, insane' - Pedrosa help Crash Peter McLaren 21 Nov 2019 'It’s incredible, to see his data and some of the things he is doing is insane. I have a lot to learn' – Brad Binder Rookie Brad Binder spoke of his admiration for the way Pol Espargaro rides the RC16 and appreciation for help from Dani Pedrosa at the end of his debut test as a factory KTM MotoGP rider. The South African was quick to admit that he still needs to shake-off the former Moto2 style after his progress stalled slightly during the final day at Valencia, leaving him 22nd and bottom of the timesheets. "It was a cool two days and completely different to what I expected," Binder said. "To jump on the bike and to feel more and more comfortable, but I got to a point where I was riding more and more like I was on my Moto2 bike and that made it difficult for me to improve. "It is mainly just the lines and the way you pick up the bike on the exit of the corners," he added. "The way you use the throttle is crazy. You use so much more throttle on a GP bike than the Moto2 bike when you’d think it is the complete opposite. "So it is really hard to try and work it out in my head and improve. The more I rode the easier it felt to get to a certain point, but to go faster I kept doing the wrong things, so making life difficult." Rookie Brad Binder spoke of his admiration for the way Pol Espargaro rides the RC16 and appreciation for help from Dani Pedrosa at the end of his debut test as a factory KTM MotoGP rider. The South African was quick to admit that he still needs to shake-off the former Moto2 style after his progress stalled slightly during the final day at Valencia, leaving him 22nd and bottom of the timesheets. "It was a cool two days and completely different to what I expected," Binder said. "To jump on the bike and to feel more and more comfortable, but I got to a point where I was riding more and more like I was on my Moto2 bike and that made it difficult for me to improve. "It is mainly just the lines and the way you pick up the bike on the exit of the corners," he added. "The way you use the throttle is crazy. You use so much more throttle on a GP bike than the Moto2 bike when you’d think it is the complete opposite. "So it is really hard to try and work it out in my head and improve. The more I rode the easier it felt to get to a certain point, but to go faster I kept doing the wrong things, so making life difficult." What were the 'wrong things'? "Braking too late, going past the corner and not opening the throttle: pretty much!" Binder replied. "What I found I am doing too often is going past the apex of the corner so instead of getting the bike stopped and around the apex I was making too many metres. You gotta use the power…and I don’t know exactly what I was trying to do to be honest!" Binder has Pol's data to analyse to help with the transition to MotoGP on a KTM, but there's a difference between seeing what the Spaniard is doing and putting it into practice. "It’s incredible, to see his data and some of the things he is doing is insane. I have a lot to learn," Binder smiled. "The way he opened the throttle and the way he holds the throttle with angle. Some of the things look insane, but I am sure it is one of those things that will come with time and when I find more confidence on the bike." The greatest help for any rookie is to follow an experienced rider, using the same bike. Binder got a brief opportunity behind Pol but "he was still way too fast! I could see him for a couple of corners, then he kinda disappeared into the sunset." While Espargaro was busy pushing the new KTM 'beam' frame bikes to the limit, Binder reached out for some assistance from 31-time MotoGP race winner Pedrosa, now a KTM factory test rider. "I felt completely lost at one stage and asked my team to go to Dani to turn me around a little bit, so he was quite happy to help me," Binder revealed. "I was quite fortunate today that my quickest lap time was behind him (pictured). "All the things that I saw is how I noticed where I was going wrong, where I really saw how quickly he gets around the corners and picks the bike up. Whereas I was going in and going past and not doing a very good job." Binder also got his first MotoGP crash 'out of the way' during his 66 Wednesday laps, in the form of a fast lowside at the notorious Turn 10. "You always have to have the first one and that is out of the way now and I am 100%. I had a few moments today and when I went down it was a good one!" he smiled. But all-in-all it had been a good second MotoGP outing for Binder, after some mid-summer laps at a private test. "Working with the new team has been amazing," he said. "The guys are awesome, there is no pressure and they are super-chilled. They want me to improve in my own time. I had the little crash there at the end but other than that everything was pretty good today. "Now I can relax before Jerez and analyse what I need to change and from then on go forward. "Physically I feel good, and I’m actually really surprised. I thought I would have a lot more pain or would suffer a lot more, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I am still quite slow. "When you are two seconds a lap quicker then the way your body works on the bike is quite different. In mid-season I had a trainer come to stay with me to learn some new things but other than that, nothing crazy. "I definitely made a step in the second half of the season but the main thing I felt riding this bike is on my forearms. They, and the hands, work a lot harder. That will come. "When I can relax more then I’ll be a bit more loose on the bike." Iker Lecuona, who made an early MotoGP debut for Tech3 KTM during the grand prix weekend, was the quickest rookie in 15th place with Binder's Moto2 title rival Alex Marquez 20th for Honda.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 23, 2019 7:57:38 GMT -8
Stefan Pierer (KTM): "Johann Zarco was a mistake" Speedweek.com Günther Wiesinger - 23.11.2019 09:40
Johann Zarco was supposed to take the KTM RC16 to a new, higher level this year. But his dedication turned out to be the low point in the MotoGP era for Red Bull KTM.
For Red Bull KTM the balance of the MotoGP season 2029 is quite positive. Pol Espargaró has climbed to 11th place in the World Cup overall standings compared to the previous year (51 points and 14th world championship rankings) and almost doubled the point yield to 100 points. For this he has increased the number of top ten places eightfold: 2019 it was one (3rd place in Valencia), this year the 27-year-old Spaniard roared eight times in the top ten.
There was also progress in qualifying at KTM. Johann Zarco set off from third on the grid in Brno, and Pol Espargaró in Misano even started from second. Rank 6 in Le Mans has also produced the best ever dry driver performance this year.
The ninth overall in the two-day test in Valencia on 19./20. November with the innovative new steel frame can be considered as a promise for the future.
But we also know the setbacks, especially the disappointing performances of the supposed new team leader Johann Zarco. They also overshadowed the sometimes strong performance of Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Miguel Oliveira, who came in 8th at the Austrian GP, but was then torpedoed by Zarco in England and suffered from a right shoulder injury ,
Stefan Pierer, the CEO of the KTM Group (with KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas and WP Suspension), now called «Pierer Mobility», looked back on the sometimes turbulent season in conversation with SPEEDWEEK.com.
"Zarco was a mistake," said the Styrian unceremoniously. "There's nothing to add."
Pierer was crucial in deciding that Zarco (€ 1.8 million annual salary) was released after eleventh place in Misano for the rest of the season. The contract for 2020, the Frenchman had previously quit five previously in Spielberg.
Zarco's ill-considered maneuver against brand colleague Oliveira at Silverstone annoys Pierer today. "Miguel was driven down by Zarco. That was not a racing accident ", the Austrian outraged.
«The chapter Zarco is finished», Stefan Pierer summarizes now. "The abrupt separation to Misano was the right move. Despite difficult circumstances, we have behaved very fair by having him drive at the last three Grand Prix at the request of Alberto Puig at LCR. We paid Zarcos Gage to Misano. It was not until we moved to Honda that we did not pay for anything, which is logical. "
"We said to Misano, how finish the chapter Zarco, because it brings nothing. We are looking ahead, "added KTM board member Hubert Trunkenpolz.
KTM's MotoGP squad for 2020 looks promising: Pol Espargaró (28) and Moto2 vice-world champion Brad Binder (24) form the Red Bull KTM Factory Team. The Tech3 KTM team features Miguel Oliveira and the talented 19-year-old Spanish rookie Iker Lecuona.
"At the beginning, I had some reservations about Lecuona because he is still so young. But Iker surprised us all at the Valencia GP debut, "says Pierer.
Stefan Pierer demanded single-digit results for the 2019 season. Pol Espargaró delivered good six-digit results, Oliveira one, Zarco none. The Frenchman scored only 30 points, a tenth place in Catalunya was the highlight.
Pierer: "I talked to the top Yamaha racing boss in Valencia. You have Fabio Quartararo set on a mature, existing motorcycle. Then the two regular drivers Viñales and Rossi also had to increase, they could no longer require changes in technical details. Yamaha is a role model for me now. We have Miguel now. Brad and Iker Lecuona three fresh, young, good, very sympathetic drivers; In 2020, Miguel will drive the second MotoGP season. That will also be a help for Pol. He has been through the project for three years now, through thick and thin, that was exemplary. Now we are broader, so we are very confident.
In addition, at the Sepang test, we will have all four motorcycles of the four drivers on the same technical stand for the first time. That almost never happened in 2019 because of the enormous development speed. "
"We have suffered a setback since Misano this year because of certain circumstances," says Pierer. Pol approaches his best after injury. We saw that in Valencia. For next season, top 5 results would be announced. »
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Post by truenorth on Nov 23, 2019 14:16:32 GMT -8
The First Shoe Drops: Avintia Terminates Contract With Karel Abraham, Abraham Ends MotoGP Career David Emmett on Sat, 2019-11-23
Karel Abraham is to cease racing in the MotoGP class for the foreseeable future. The 29-year-old told a meeting with fans on Saturday night that he would not be returning to the Avintia team for 2020, and that it is likely he will end his active racing career altogether.
Abraham made his decision after being told not to come to Jerez for the two-day MotoGP test due to start on Monday. The email had come as a hard blow, Abraham told the fans, as he had a contract to continue racing with the Reale Avintia team for 2020. But on Friday night, he had received an email terminating the contract, though Abraham disagreed with the reasons given.
The way in which the contract was ended made the Czech rider not want to have anything more to do with the team, he told the fans present at the event. Something like this should be dealt with before leaving for the flyaways, or at least in a face-to-face meeting, Abraham said.
Abraham accused the Avintia team of financial problems, claiming that a number of mechanics did not travel to the Malaysian round of the championship in Sepang. Abraham accused Avintia of not having paid some mechanics. In turn, Abraham stands accused of not having fulfilled his contract with Avintia by paying the agreed sponsorship amount.
Abraham's departure opens the way for Johann Zarco to take the seat there. The Frenchman had originally turned the team down, saying they were 'not a top team'. "I want a good team and a good bike, and for me Avintia is not a top team, so if I have to lose more myself in that place, I will move to Moto2," Zarco had said on Saturday at Valencia.
But after the weekend, Zarco was spotted holding meetings with Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall'Igna, where he is believed to have been offered assurances about the level of support at the team. Zarco also has the backing of French GP promoter Claude Michy, who has persuaded Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta to back the team.
However, top French journalist Thomas Baujard spoke by phone to Johann Zarco about a move to Avintia during the test at Valencia, and at that point, Zarco was still to be convinced. At the moment, the seat left vacant by Alex Marquez in the Marc VDS Moto2 team was still available, but talks between the team and Zarco have been difficult.
As of Saturday night, there is still no sign of Zarco having made a decision about taking the ride on a Ducati with the Reale Avintia team. With that seat now empty, it would be logical for Zarco to fill the seat and try to win a much better ride in 2021. But the Zarco saga is so long and complex that logic has long since been abandoned. We await official confirmation of the next move.
Even if Zarco does take the Avintia seat, he is unlikely to ride at Jerez. The Frenchman is still recovering from the ankle injury picked up in his crash during the race at Valencia, and is far from being fully fit to ride. There will also have to be some papering over the cracks left by the Frenchman's comments about the team.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 23, 2019 14:33:03 GMT -8
Andrea: Karel said he would never come back to reale avintia. They announced it to him by an email in Spanish yesterday. He said: "Avintia manager is dead to me. At least, he could tell it to me in person."
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Post by truenorth on Nov 24, 2019 7:15:00 GMT -8
MotoGP test in Jerez: Who is missing? And who is there? Speedweek.com Günther Wiesinger - 24.11.2019 Avintia Ducati has not registered for the last MotoGP test of the year in Jerez Johann Zarco. Will he get to know Desmosedici in February? 24 drivers are in Jerez. A good bunch of MotoGP riders will compete in the two-day winter tests on the 25th and 26th of November at the Circuit der Jerez in Andalusia. The factory teams of Suzuki, Yamaha, Ducati Corse, Repsol Honda, Red Bull KTM and Aprilia Racing are among the party. Compared to the Valencia test, however, there are a few riders missing - as well as Abraham, test driver Stefan Bradl. HRC does not have enough 2020 material and now wants to offer it primarily to the Márquez brothers and Cal Crutchlow. Of the test riders but Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki) and Michele Pirro (Ducati) and Bradley Smith (Aprilia) have been summoned. Yamaha does not have a test driver. Red Bull KTM hosted Dani Pedrosa. With Nakagami, Oliveira and Bagnaia missing three regular pilots for injuries. Therefore, Ducati test driver Michele Pirro will be on display in the box of Pramac-Ducati and will be supervised by the Bagnaia troupe with crew chief Christian Gabbarini. Three rookies compete: Moto2 World Champion Alex Márquez at Repsol-Honda, Brad Binder at Red Bull KTM and Iker Lecuona at Red Bull Tech3-KTM. The real Avintia Racing with Tito Rabat has not nominated newcomer Johann Zarco on the "entry list". Because the Frenchman suffers from the shooting by the Lecuona KTM still ankle pain. The Frenchman will therefore first sit on the Ducati Desmosedici in Sepang in February. The second Avintia-Ducatri drives at the test in Jerez Eric Granado. The weather forecast says cloud cover for both days and 19 degrees ahead. On Tuesday, rain has to be expected. The squad for the IRTA test in Jerez: Repsol-Honda: Marc Márquez, Alex Márquez Ducati Team: Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci Monster Energy Yamaha: Maverick Viñales, Valentino Rossi Suzuki Ecstar: Alex Rins, Joan Mir Suzuki Ecstar Test Team: Sylvain Guintoli Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Pol Espargaró, Brad Binder Red Bull KTM Test Team: Dani Pedrosa Aprilia Racing Team Gresini: Aleix Espargaró, Andrea Iannone Aprilia Racing Test Team: Bradley Smith Pramac Racing: Jack Miller; Michele Pirro Petronas Yamaha SRT: Fabio Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli LCR Honda: Cal Crutchlow Real Avintia Racing: Tito Rabat, Eric Granado Red Bull KTM Tech3: Miguel Oliveira injured, Iker Lecuon - Mehr bei SPEEDWEEK: www.speedweek.com/motogp/news/152293/MotoGP-Test-in-Jerez-Wer-fehlt-Und-wer-ist-dabei.html
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Post by truenorth on Nov 24, 2019 7:22:50 GMT -8
Pit Beirer (KTM): “Only Pol Espargaró has been a reliable competitor” Motosan Lidia Vega Garrote 24 Nov. 19 Pit Beirer, director of KTM Motorsport, has sat down to talk about the changes presented by the new KTM by 2020 being, for the moment, one of the most cutting-edge motorcycle on the grid. In addition, he has had time to analyze the pilots he has, and not, for the following season. The manager of KTM is more than satisfied with the changes that have been introduced in the motorcycle for the next season and that could already begin to analyze in the Valencia tests. Last Tuesday, the team was the sensation in Cheste as they were presented with a new design on the frame . The distinguishing feature of this new piece was the square side profiles and the steel tubes. " KTM has always built steel racks with angular tubes " collects the German medium Speedweek in statements by Pit Beirer. Remember that KTM is the only brand that has the frame and suspension different from the rest . While the other five manufacturers rely on the Delta Box aluminum racks and Öhlins spring elements, KTM does the steel tube racks and the WP suspension. Even Pol Espargaró , who finished eighth in the tests, was happy with this change. The Catalan pilot points out that 80% of the frame is made of steel tubes, and the fact that the frame was round was something that the factory had been asking for a long time. " Nothing has changed for us, " Pit Beirer reiterated, and recalled that they have always used square tubes, as in the footrest . Pit Beirer: "Miguel took the chestnuts out of the fire in Spielberg" For the manager of KTM having introduced this chassis and going well has been a relief, especially after spending a rather complicated season after the departure of Zarco and the injury of Pol Espargaró in Aragon . In addition, after the results have not been especially satisfactory for the brand, especially in Misano's career. " For most of the 2019 MotoGP season, only Pol Espargaró has been a reliable competitor with chances of finishing in the top ten ," says Beirer. The director highlights that in Le Mans finished seventh a little more than five seconds from the leader. “ In the GP of Catalonia, Pol was only 16.1 seconds behind, and finished in seventh position. Then he suffered a sharp drop in the Barcelona test ”, which made him unable to be in optimal conditions in Assen where he finished eleventh at almost 30 seconds of his head. Pit Beirer also has good words for Miguel Oliveira , Red Bull KTM Tech3 driver. The Portuguese highlights that in Spielberg " we took the chestnuts out of the fire " since he finished eighth. For the motocross expilot, Oliveira could have finished within the top ten in England, but Zarco got in his way . " Zarco hit him and threw him and since then he has damaged his right shoulder ." Now, KTM sees its four drivers as champions and they have placed all their trust in them . “ For months we have had the certainty of having a trio of very strong drivers for next season with Pol Espargaró, Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder. Now we have added Iker Lecuona because we think he was 19 years old and could have potential . ” For now, they are satisfied with what the Valencian driver has shown with his KTM and hope he can improve even more.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 24, 2019 7:25:18 GMT -8
Red Bull KTM Tech3: Buenos días from sunny Jerez. We’re preparing the last test of the year.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 24, 2019 12:53:48 GMT -8
Augusto Fernández joins Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS for 2020 Published: 24 Nov 2019 After enjoying a fantastic season in which he scored five podiums and three victories, the 22-year-old Madrid rider Augusto Fernández joins the ranks of the Belgian-Hispanic structure for the 2020 Moto2 World Championship campaign. Fernández made his Moto2 debut at the 2017 Italian Grand Prix for Speed Up and he competed in the last thirteen races of that season. Previously he raced in the FIM CEV Repsol Moto2 and in 2014 he was crowned European Junior Cup Champion. In 2018, Fernández raced a Kalex chassis for the Pons HP40 squad in the Grand Prix of Catalonia and he stayed with the same team for the remainder of that year before signing a permanent deal for 2019. This year, Fernández has established himself as one of the youngest and brightest prospects in Moto2. In what was his first full season in the World Championship, Fernández finished fifth in the overall standings, despite injury ruling him out of the Argentina and Austin rounds. He collected 207 points and took five podiums, which included three victories in Assen, Silverstone and Misano. He also took one pole position at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Fernández is a young rider blessed with enormous talent and determination and he has been tipped for a great future in the World Championship. During the 2019 season he has consistently demonstrated his great potential by being a regular front-runner in the new Triumph-powered Moto2 era. With the arrival of Fernández, Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS completes its 2020 line-up, having already captured Sam Lowes earlier this year. It is without doubt a high-level line-up with which the Belgian-Hispanic structure aims to continue its unrivalled success in the Moto2 World Championship. Augusto Fernández: Rider "I'm really happy for the opportunity that Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS has given me to become part of their big family. It is a dream come true to continue growing in a great team like this. My objective is to give the maximum and to work very hard to fight for victories and have the opportunity to fight for the World Championship. I want to thank Marc van der Straten, the team and the sponsors who have shown great faith in me. I promise to do everything in my power not to disappoint them and to repay their confidence with good results". Marc van der Straten: Team Owner "I'm very happy to announce the addition of Augusto Fernández to our team. This year he has proven to be one of the best riders on track. He has been able to fight and win against more experienced riders. We are convinced of his talent and possibilities to continue fighting for the front positions. With his arrival, we complete a fantastic Moto2 team for 2020 with which we will continue dreaming and, above all, enjoying ourselves". Joan Olivé: Team Manager "The choice of Augusto Fernández to represent the colours of Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS in 2020 is not random. His great performances throughout the season made us notice him and his name was among the possible additions in the future. As a vacancy arises in the team, it is our pride and pleasure to be able to incorporate a pilot of Augusto's stature into the team and with whom we hope to continue fighting for the top positions.".
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Post by truenorth on Nov 24, 2019 13:01:15 GMT -8
Tammy Gorali: So that was circuitodejerez pre- test day so here's what I have got In HRC, according to Takeo, they do not have so much to test - what they did not test because of crashes in VLC and mainly reconfirm all In Ducati - I have never seen so many staff members that I have never seen before, seem like half the factory is here. Andrea Dovizioso, Petrux9(shoulder is better), and PirroRider. For pramacracing only jackmilleraus as PeccoBagnaia needs to let the wrist heal for 20 days. That means the Italian will be off the bike for 2 1/2 months. Next door in Avintia-saw KarelAbraham_17 pick up his things,more on that later. Also saw ericgranado,their rider for MotoE as he got a gift to ride the GP bike,as AB will not ride,he gets it for full day,not just a short run.& where did I FU? didnt ask when he was told that. Waited for Gigi to get out of the Ducati truck for 3 hrs but he was busy in a meeting with all the engineers, did i mention ducati have a lot of ppl in Jerez? Tomorrow starting at 10AM Aaaa and why did I wait for Gigi? because I wanted a Zarco yes, no update. For sure he is not here tomorrow but what how who and so on... according to Tardozzi nothing decided yet
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Post by truenorth on Nov 25, 2019 7:18:21 GMT -8
Tammy Gorali: Crash at the last corner for marcmarquez93; was feared to damage the shoulder but all ok Red Bull KTM Tech3: Iker Lecuona Small crash, but rider ok and ready to continue
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Post by truenorth on Nov 25, 2019 8:11:52 GMT -8
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