"It is difficult to have a goal without ever having tried the bike,” explains the Italian. “The first thing, however, is to understand the prototype and how to ride it, to understand it quickly but also to understand how to express myself on the bike. Then, with regard to a target in terms of positions, I can’t say anything; I have no idea how it will go. I expect a lot of power. My first laps on a MotoGP bike will definitely be an experience to remember.” Source link
Sport News
MotoGP™ eSport Championship: For those game enough
The MotoGP™ eSport Championship has already captured the imagination of millions of motorcycle fans worldwide, with more than 17 million video views and a global reach of over 58 million. The Grand Final is global too, with players from Spain (6 players), Italy (5 players), the United Kingdom (2 players),the Netherlands, South Africa and Germany all qualifying for the showdown at Valencia. During the six online challenges put to would-be contenders for the 2017 eSport Championship title, more than 2.5 million kilometers of ‘track distance’ has been raced by players pushing for a 'fastest lap', and they recorded more than 15,000 hours of game time. Source link
Lüthi to miss Valencia, surgery this week
Frédéric Corminboeuf, Team Manager: “Tom will undergo surgery this weekend. The injury to the talus is relatively serious and he will need to rest, and miss Valencia. So we conclude three amazing seasons in which we’ve been runner-up twice. He has much more career ahead of him and I hope with all my heart that he will regain his full form as soon as possible to start his adventure in MotoGP ™ in the best way. I also want to take this opportunity to toast the incredible season of Franco Morbidelli, an exceptional competitor. What he has achieved this year is incredible. We have fought hard against this extremely professional team and I am convinced that it has been very
McPhee fights to hard-earned fifth in Malaysia
After a solid start to stay up with the frontrunners, McPhee wasn't quite able to stay with the lead trio but was fighting it out around the long, slipstream-heavy Sepang circuit. Then, a crash ahead saw McPhee have to head over the grass and onto the entry to pitlane before rejoining - and the Scot had a fight on his hands. Picking his moment to perfection at the end, the BTT rider got the best of the group and crossed the line in P5. Source link
Morbidelli on pole in dramatic Moto2™ qualifying
The big headline from the session, however, was a huge highside crash for Championship contender Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten), with the Swiss rider getting to his feet but headed to the Medical Center for a check up. Lüthi was fifth fastest, with EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider Alex Marquez just beating him to fourth. Rookie of the Year Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) took sixth to complete Row 2. Source link
Michelin set for the sultry sensations of Sepang
The Sepang International Circuit staged its first MotoGP race in 1999 and has since become a permanent event on the calendar. It is a safe and modern facility with a layout that provides many different challenges for riders, manufacturers and technical partners alike, making it a track that is also an important test venue in the winter. Its 15 corners — 5 left and 10 right — are combined with two long straights either side of some of the most impressive grandstands of the season and a big crowd is expected to fill them on race day. With the hot and sultry climate at Sepang, there is also a strong possibility of wet weather, so the MICHELIN Power Rain tyres
Crutchlow: “This is what MotoGP is all about”
“It was a good race,” says Crutchlow. “Obviously I would have preferred to have repeated the performance from last year or be on the podium, but I felt good in the race. Not the best because I didn’t know if I was even going to race after a hard fall this morning. I didn’t feel great. Normally I’m the guy who will get up from a crash and I did that this morning, maybe I shouldn’t have!” Source link