Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) likes dirt track – a fact often mentioned when his record at counter-clockwise tracks is examined. At the Sachsenring, the 5-time World Champion hasn’t been defeated since 2010. This season saw that record remain, despite the best efforts of the weather – and Marquez pulled off one of the bravest wins of the year. On a single dry line on the track, the Spaniard gambled on a switch to slicks and kept it inch-perfect as he reeled off a string of ever-faster laps. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) completed the podium, with the German GP proving a turnaround of sorts for both after some difficult races over the first half of
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Catalunya: VR46's "perfect Sunday"
There was a dark grey cloud over the Catalan GP after tragedy struck on the Friday and the paddock mourned the loss of Moto2™ rider Luis Salom. Racing on at the express wish of the Mallorcan’s family, the weekend was pivotal because of the tragedy – and because of the events in parc ferme following the race. With an adjusted layout after track safety was discussed following Friday’s events, it was – surprisingly to some – the Hondas who gained the most from the change. In the race however, it was Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) who struck back once the light went out, finally winning a duel with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) on the penultimate lap – for
Recent decisions of the Grand Prix Commission in Madrid
The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Ignacio Verneda (FIM CEO), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA) in the presence of Carlos Ezpeleta (Dorna), Mike Trimby (IRTA CEO, Secretary of the meeting), Paul Duparc (FIM), Mike Webb (Race Director), Danny Aldridge (Technical Director) and Corrado Cecchinelli (Director of Technology), in a meeting held in Madrid on 2 December 2016, made the following decisions: Source link
Repsol and Honda extend MotoGP™ contract until 2018
Repsol's Director General of Communications and Presidency, Begoña Elices, and HRC Director - General Manager Race Operations Management Division, Tetsuhiro Kuwata, put pen to paper on the extension contract, through which Repsol will continue to be the main sponsor of Honda's factory MotoGP team in the premier class of motorcycle racing. Riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, who have both renewed their contracts with HRC for two years, will continue to represent the team. Source link
McPhee: “I’m excited to come home!”
JM17: “It’s been a difficult year. The bike was new to me and new to the team so we had a lot of learning to do. I think three or four races in we made a step forward and we weren’t in such a tricky position like we thought we were in Qatar. Then come the midway point…obviously the win in Brno was a good achievement, for Peugeot, for me and for the team – because that was something we didn’t think was going to be achievable this year. From then on everything seemed to click a bit better. In Phillip Island we were strong from the start, and I think we could have fought for the podium.” Source link
Texas: Marquez' American beauty
After the drama in Argentina, the men completing the podium also raced for a little redemption. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who had crashed out alone at Termas de Rio Hondo, got back on track in style to take second – despite a crash in Warm Up. Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team), whose last lap move on his teammate Andrea Dovizioso in Argentina had seen them both slide out and sent some waves through the Ducati Team garage, converted his impressive pace into a points finish for the first time in 2016 – and a first podium of the year. Source link
Argentina: The good, the bad and the unlucky
The biggest news, other than the crash for reigning Champion Lorenzo, was undoubtedly the Ducati incident. On the last lap and both looking set for podium finishes, Iannone’s move on his teammate saw him slide out and take ‘DesmoDovi’ with him – as well as 36 points for the team. It was Iannone’s second DNF in succession and saw Dovizioso’s Qatar promise take a hit – although the older Italian heroically lifted up his bike and pushed it to the line, such was the short distance before the flag that the incident happened. It was the second finish on foot of the day in Argentina, after Adam Norrodin did the same after a last lap crash in Moto3™. Source link