Red Bull Documentary Charts Brad Binder’s Rise To MotoGP Stardom

From South Africa to MotoGP, Brad Binder is on a meteoric rise. Red Bull has been there most of the way to watch its progress.

Begin press release:

As the MotoGP season heads for its three-race back-to-back climax, the new film ‘Brad Binder: Becoming 33’ tells the exceptional story of the young South African motorcycle racer who became both his country’s and Red Bull KTM’s first-ever MotoGP winner in his rookie season.

Binder, the 25-year-old from just outside of Johannesburg, burst onto the MotoGP scene in 2020, claiming a historic victory in the third round of the season in Brno, Czech Republic.

At the time little was known beyond racing circles about the young outsider shaking up the grid in a sport usually dominated by Europeans. Now the story of Binder’s rise to the very top is being revealed in a new feature-length documentary.

Brad Binder said: “My first season in MotoGP has been full of ups and downs but I’ve really enjoyed it, and to top it off with this documentary coming out is super cool.

“When I was younger I was always searching online for documentaries about riders and other sports people, so it’s insane to think that I have my own. It’s been nearly 10 years of filming with Red Bull, from the Red Bull Rookies Cup all the way through to this season – I’m sure there will be things in there that even I’ve forgotten, but I’m really looking forward to seeing it!”

Starting out his racing career in karts, Binder was a national champion aged just eight, before moving to two wheels and being accepted into the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2009 at 14.

But with early success came sacrifice for the Binder family, as mother Sharon moved to Europe to support Brad’s dreams while father Trevor stayed with younger brother and fellow two-wheel racer Darryn.

By 2012, Brad had reached Moto3 but wasn’t considered a podium contender until an incredible charge from last to first saw him claim his debut Moto3 win at the Grand Prix of Spain in 2016, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Under the guidance of Red Bull KTM’s Aki Ajo, Binder became Moto3 World Champion, graduated to Moto2, and took 5 wins in the 2019 season to claim his place at the summit of MotoGP, taking on a new race number of 33 to echo his initials .

‘Brad Binder: Becoming 33’ features family interviews and archive footage starting right back where it all began with his childhood in South Africa, catching up to the present day with the Binder parents, proudly supporting their MotoGP star from the other side of the world due to the global health pandemic.

The film also contains insights from Aki Ajo and renowned MotoGP commentator Matt Birt, who says of Brad; “when he is in full flow it is spectacular to watch. Poetry in motion, one of the greatest sights you will see across all of MotoGP.”

The documentary available exclusively on Red Bull TV from November 5. The best viewing experience for the film is on the Red Bull TV App.

Movie Facts

Year of production: 2020
Length: 52 minutes
Watch the full documentary on RBTV.

Quartararo manager in talks with rival MotoGP marques for 2023

Quartararo is out of contract with Yamaha at the end of this season, having signed with the Japanese marque to join its factory squad for 2021 – replacing MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.

The Frenchman went on to win the 2021 title, ending a six-year drought for Yamaha dating back to Jorge Lorenzo in 2015, with the manufacturer admitting on a number of occasions since that re-signing Quartararo is its priority.

But Quartararo has repeatedly expressed a disappointment at a lack of development with the 2022 Yamaha, particularly in regards to horsepower. Earlier in the year he even admitted his future beyond 2022 was open as a result.

While rumors have circulated about various moves, including links to Honda, Quartararo has remained tight-lipped on what his future may hold.

Speaking to motogp.com, his manager Mahe also declined to comment on who has expressed interest in Quartararo – but did confirm talks are being held.

“We are checking all parameters,” he said. “We just have to know where Fabio can achieve the best results possible at this stage and then we are a bit lucky because years ago a decision like this was taken one year in advance.

“And at this stage there is no rush, so it’s a good situation. Only two riders are signed for next year, and I can imagine there is no rush to Yamaha too. So, we are investigating everything and then we will see what happens.

“We are in talks. It’s not a question of offers, we are trying to what could be the best for Fabio.

“For sure, we have a great respect to Yamaha, but due to certain reasons I cannot say we have to think about.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Quartararo’s teammate Franco Morbidelli already has a deal in place with Yamaha through to the end of 2023, while Ducati locked Francesco Bagnaia into a new two-year deal starting next season last month.

On Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Americas Grand Prix in Texas, Quartararo said he was not thinking about a timeline as to when he will make his decision for 2023.

The Frenchman is currently fifth in the standings after three races having scored only one podium.

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Malaysian MotoGP: Francesco Bagnaia: Atmosphere with Enea Bastianini next season ‘will not be easy’ | MotoGP

During Sunday’s race at Sepang, MotoGP series leader Bagnaia had to fend off fellow Ducati rider Bastianini, with the latter seemingly not bothered that Bagnaia had the chance to clinch the title.

Given Fabio Quartararo finished third, first or second was not going to be enough to claim the title for Bagnaia, although Bastianini, who was unclear of the situation behind, pressed on with his attempts to win the race anyway.

In fact, Bastianini nearly ran into the back of Bagnaia at turn nine on the final lap, which came after an unusual mid-race meeting between Ducati management.

Bastianini, who was also shown a pit board when leading the race which alerted him to the fact Bagnaia was directly behind him, confirmed post-race that he tried to win despite everything.

So when Bagnaia was asked how he envisions the relationship going between the two as teammates next season, it came as no surprise that the Italian felt like things could be challenging.

“The atmosphere will not be easy,” said Bagnaia. “We have to try and do a good work and for sure, it’s different compared to now. He’s a different person and really [wants to win].

“It’s difficult for me to explain well in English because I don’t have this vocabulary like in Italian.

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“But it will be a different situation because he’s another person and I think that at the start when you arrive at a factory team you need to adapt a bit to the work with all the engineers.

“It will not be easy for him at the start in testing, but then in the championship it will be the same as always. The first person you want to beat is your team-mate. It will be like this for all the years. “

Bagnaia not planning on being more ‘careful’ than MotoGP title beckons

Despite increasing his points lead to 23 in the MotoGP standings over Quartararo, thus only needing two points in Valencia to be crowned champion if the Yamaha rider wins the race, Bagnaia is keen to not let up.

“For sure, it will be a different situation,” stated Bagnaia. “23 points, I’m just missing two, so I will have to finish 14th if he wins. It’s easy to say now, but it will be very tough because sometimes when you are careful, you have more trouble, you have more mistakes , you have more distractions.

“I will try just to do a normal weekend like this one, maybe with less crashes – because this weekend, I crashed too much – and be smart, for sure.

“To work well, to be in the front, and if I have the possibility to win, I will try to win again.”

Suzuki reveals livery for 2019 MotoGP bike

The Hamamatsu marque eschewed a physical launch event this year in favor of releasing a YouTube video featuring the GSX-RR bike in its 2019 colors along with race riders Alex Rins and Joan Mir.

There is little to distinguish the new livery from the 2018 variant, besides slightly larger yellow and gray elements on the front fairing and the side of the bike.

Former Moto3 champion Mir replaces Andrea Iannone at Suzuki after a single season in Moto2, while Rins – who ended his 2018 campaign with three podium finishes in the last four races – goes into his third year with the team.

Rins is chasing his first premier class victory after finishing second on three occasions last year, with the team itself having gone winless since Maverick Vinales’ 2016 triumph at Silverstone.

“The first goal is to make a competitive, race-winning bike,” said Rins. “We have to keep getting experience, but I think we are now ready for victory.

“I think we had a good package with the previous bike. We managed to make a very good machine, and coming into 2019 we have tried to make a bike that’s improved a bit in all aspects: in braking, acceleration, and top speed. “

More Suzuki news:

Me meanwhile follows in the footsteps of Vinales and Rins in earning a spot at Suzuki after only one year in the intermediate class, and will be looking to make the same big impression as his compatriots in 2015 and ’17 respectively.

“Being realistic, this year’s goal is to gradually improve, start in Qatar with a good performance and end the year improving race by race,” said Mir.

“I need to adapt to the bike, the team, the category, and start to close the gap with the riders in front. That’s the most important thing.”

The 21-year-old’s crew chief for his debut campaign will be Francesco Carchedi, who worked with Karel Abraham at the Angel Nieto team last year, while Rins sticks with Jose Manuel Cazeaux for 2019.

Alex Rins, Team Suzuki MotoGP, Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP

Photo by: Suzuki

Ready for the challenge – Repsol Honda Team launch 2021 campaign

Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro prepare for all new challenges in 2021 with the Repsol Honda Team.

After a season like no other, both on and off the track, 2021 presents the MotoGP World Championship with a chance to rally in the face of adversity and forge ahead. With a difficult 2020 behind them, the Repsol Honda Team are also out to reset and show they are ready for any challenge. Marc Marquez is joined on this challenge by Pol Espargaro, fresh from his best premier class season to date. The pair have grown up racing together, battling from local championships in Spain to the premier class and bring with them 446 World Championship starts, 184 podiums, 109 poles and 97 wins.

With the world still working to overcome to Covid-19 pandemic, the Repsol Honda Team have launched their 2021 challenge with a fully online presentation for the first time in Honda’s history. A new style presentation for a year set to be full of new challenges.

The 2013 Moto2 World Champion, Pol Espargaro, achieves a life-long dream in 2021 as he wears the Repsol Honda Team colors aboard the factory Honda RC213V. With over 100 premier-class starts, the 29-year-old is among the most experienced riders in MotoGP and arrives in the best form of his career. Fighting to fifth in the World Championship standings with five podiums and two pole positions, Pol brings not only experience but an undeniable fire to succeed to the team.

For Marc Marquez, the 2021 season is a new beginning as he is set to return from his season-ending injury sustained in Jerez. Focusing exclusively on his recovery from a broken right humerus, the eight-time World Champion has been working diligently to return to his best and comeback strong for the 2021 season. A champion’s spirit drives Marquez to succeed at everything he does.

The iconic Repsol Honda Team livery will be another constant in 2021 as Repsol and Honda continue their more than quarter of a century long partnership. With 180 premier class wins, 447 premier class podiums and 15 World Championships, the combination is without a doubt the most decorated in Grand Prix Racing and is determined to return to these levels of success.

The Repsol Honda Team will now travel to Qatar for the MotoGP pre-season where Pol Espargaro will get his first taste of the Honda RC213V. Marc Marquez will not attend the Qatar Test as he continues to focus on his recovery.

For more information visit http://motogplaunch.hondaracingcorporation.com. All launch content is available for download at motogp.hondaracingcorporation.com

2 down, 1 to go: Ducati claim Teams’ title at Sepang

The fact of the matter is at least one Ducati rider has finished on the podium at every race this year. In addition, Ducati are currently enjoying a 25-race podium streak that stretches back to the 2021 Aragon GP. Only Yamaha between 2014 and 2016 have accumulated more (35) in recent years. Moreover, after claiming a record 24 podiums in total last year, Ducati’s 31 rostrum tally before Valencia is another example of their brilliance in 2022. Other additions to their 2022 trophy cabinet are the Rookie of the Year, best Independent Team rider and best Independent Team titles, thanks to Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Prima Pramac Racing.

SA’s Brad Binder comes in 7th at Valencia GP and with a strong finish to 2021 MotoGP standings

Brad Binder (33) of Republic of South Africa and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing during the qualifying of at Ricardo Tormo Circuit on November 13, 2021 in Valencia, Spain.

Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto

• Brad Binder pushes the limit to bank 7th place in Valencia sunshine.
• The South African rider also ranked sixth place overall in the championship standings.
• KTM close the book on 2021 with two wins and four podium appearances.
• For motoring news, go to Wheels24

What a year it has been for South Africa’s MotoGP hero Brad Binder. He has been consistent throughout the year, and while this is only his second season in the premier class, it certainly is a sign of more to come from our local rider.

And, with his younger brother Darryn lining up on the grid for the 2022 season, South Africans have a lot more to write home about for another exciting season.

KTM ended their fifth year in the MotoGP competition with the seventh position in the eighteenth and final round of the world championship in Valencia, and with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s binder securing 6th place in the standings.

INTERVIEW | Darryn Binder: Flying SA’s flag in MotoGP and taking over from Valentino Rossi

Warm sunshine and cloudless skies graced the last MotoGP race of the year. The Circuito Ricardo Tormo welcomed over 70,000 spectators for the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana and the second event in the space of a week.

Binder was the most advanced KTM rider on the grid, having qualified in 7th position and headed the third row. The South African planted himself into the mid-top ten, where he managed to stay ahead of Enea Bastianini and tried to close the gap to Johann Zarco. By the flag, he was only 1.5 seconds from 6th for his thirteenth top ten finish of the year.

Brad Binder of South Africa and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing looks at the starting grid before the race at Circuito de Jerez on May 02, 2021 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

Getty Images Photo by Steve Wobser

Binder says: “I’m happy with where we finished in the championship, and the race was a lot harder than I expected. I thought I’d be stronger, and, unfortunately, I was missing a little in a few places, and the gap was too much to make up in some corners.

It was a tough race, but I tried my absolute best from lap one to the end. I have to leave here happy because I left it all on the table. It has been my most consistent year and a level-up. I have to thank the team. Even though we had some tough times, they never stopped working. 6th in the championship is good, and now five to go.

Teammate Miguel Oliveira faced some adversity thanks to his grid position of 20th, but the Portuguese rode around a lack of feeling with the front tire to make it to 14th and two points. He was just ahead of Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Iker Lecuona in 15th, while Danilo Petrucci finished an emotional last MotoGP outing in 18th.

2021 action and work end with a final two-day test at the Circuit de Jerez-Angel Nieto this coming Thursday and Friday, where the two KTM teams will evaluate ideas and components for their 2022 set-up on the RC16s.

MotoAmerica: Tight Superbike Championship Heads To “The Ridge” (Updated) – Roadracing World Magazine

MotoAmerica Boasts Four Different Superbike Winners Heading To Ridge Motorsports Park Round

The Pacific Northwest Welcomes MotoAmerica Medallia Superbikes For The Dynapac MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge Event

IRVINE, CA (June 22, 2022) – With eight of 20 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike races in the books in 2022 and the series headed to the Pacific Northwest to begin its brief West Coast swing, only seven points separate first from second in the championship. And with a quartet of winners emerging from the first eight races, just 37 points separate first from fourth in the title chase. A look back at last year shows that after four rounds (and eight races), only two riders had tasted victory with champion-to-be Jake Gagne winning seven of the eight to lead Mathew Scholtz (who won the only race Gagne hadn’t won) by a whopping 44 points. Meanwhile, 67 points separated the top four and it was a forgone conclusion that this was just a two-horse race before the series had even reached the halfway mark. And the lead horse showed absolutely no signs of letting up.

The fact that Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci is leading the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship isn’t a surprise. Most figured he’d win races and contend for the title. Not many, however, would have predicted that Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne would be third in the series standings and 25 points adrift with three wins, two DNFs and a podium-free visit to Wisconsin and Road America. Say what?

Petrucci will pay visit to Ridge Motorsports Park this coming weekend for the first time in the Dynapac MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge event, and he will do so as the 2022 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike points leader with 140 points from the first eight races. Petrucci started off with a bang with three-straight wins, had his first and only DNF thus far in race two at Road Atlanta, and was on the podium in three of the last four races.

The man who is chasing the hardest at this point in the season is Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, the South African taking his first race win of 2022 in race one at Road America a few weeks ago. Despite following that win the next day with a lackluster eighth-place outing in race two, Scholtz sits just seven points behind Petrucci after finishing on the podium in six of eight races.

Then comes Gagne. Nobody in their right mind would have bet that the defending MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion would win three straight races going into Road America but emerge from there without a podium finish. But that’s exactly what happened. Gagne, fresh off a doubleheader sweep at VIRginia International Raceway going into Wisconsin, had brought Petrucci’s lead back to a manageable 13 points. But with his non-podium finishes of fifth (he crashed and remounted in last to charge through the pack) and fourth (in a mostly wet race) at Road America, Gagne sees Petrucci’s lead jump back out to 25 points heading to Ridge. Still, there don’t seem to be many worried faces in the Gagne camp.

The fourth man to win a Superbike race in 2022 is Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, the South African taking his first win of the season and his first with his new Yamaha team in race two at Road America. Petersen is now 37 points behind Petrucci with his efforts slowed a bit with a race-one mechanical DNF in Wisconsin.

Prior to Road America, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hector Barbera had a clean 2022 record with points scored in every round. In race one at Road America, Barbera landed on the podium for the first time in a MotoAmerica Superbike race to keep that perfect points-in-every-round tally going. But on Sunday, that was gone with the Spaniard following up his best career effort with his first non-finish of the year. Still, Barbera sits fifth, though he’s now in a heated battle or the spot.

Just four points behind Barbera is Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis with the Kentuckian just five points ahead of PJ Jacobsen on the second of the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RRs.

Jacobsen is coming to Washington hot off his first career MotoAmerica Superbike podium with the New Yorker pressing Petersen to the very end of race two at Road America while also holding off the advances of third-placed Petrucci.

Lewis’s teammate Richie Escalante had a rough go of it at Road America with the 2020 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion only scoring 10 points in total from the two races. Escalante now drops four points behind Jacobsen and is just six ahead of Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates.

Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman rounds out the top 10 in the series standings heading to the Pacific Northwest and Ridge Motorsports Park.

Ridge Motorsports Park Pre-Race Superbike Notes…

Last year, Ridge Motorsports Park hosted round four of the 2021 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship. This year the stop in Washington will be the fifth round of the series in 2022 after rounds in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Ridge is the first of two races on the West Coast with WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, scheduled for round six, July 8-10.

Jake Gagne won his sixth and seventh Superbike races in a row last year at Ridge en route to winning 17 straight and the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Gagne beat his then-teammate Josh Herrin in both races in 2021.

In addition to winning both races, Gagne also sat on pole position after lapping at a best of 1:39.568 (a new lap record on the 2.47-mile track) on his Yamaha YZF-R1. Frenchman Loris Baz qualified second on the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V4 R with Cameron Petersen completing the front row on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Jake Gagne hasn’t won every race this year, but he has been on pole position for all four rounds thus far – COTA, Road Atlanta, VIR and Road America.

This year’s race at Ridge will mark the third time that MotoAmerica has visited the track at Shelton. In the debut season of the series holding a round at Ridge in 2020, Cameron Beaubier won both Superbike races. With Jake Gagne winning both last year, Yamaha has won all four MotoAmerica Superbike races at Ridge.

Thirty-eight Superbikes will attempt to qualify for the two MotoAmerica Medallia races at Ridge. The most popular bike in the field is Yamaha’s YZF-R1 with 12 entries. BMW is next up with 10, followed by Suzuki with seven, Kawasaki with five, Honda with three and Ducati with Danilo Petrucci’s lone Panigale V4 R.

Two riders are currently tied for the lead in the Superbike Cup, the class within a class for those riders competing in Superbike on Stock 1000 machines. Ezra Beaubier and Danilo Lewis are tied for the lead with 110 points with Hunter Dunham and Jeremy Coffey only two and five points further adrift, respectively, heading into the round at Ridge.

About MotoAmerica

MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:

Just Seven Points Back, Mathew Scholtz And Westby Racing Look To Ridge For An Edge In Superbike Championship

Matthew Scholtz (11). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.

Tulsa, OK – June 22, 2022 – Round five of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship starts this Friday at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. Everyone on the Westby Racing team, especially Mathew Scholtz, rider of the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, is motivated to make up the narrow, seven-point deficit in the season point standings.

Among the things that weigh in Mathew’s favor is his familiarity with Ridge’s twisty, 16-turn, 2.47-mile road course. This will be his third visit to the Pacific Northwest track, while current championship leader Danilo Petrucci will be visiting Ridge for the very first time in his career this weekend.

“I’m seeking a little bit of redemption at Ridge since we struggled there quite a bit last year,” Mathew said. “We’ve got a completely different package this year, so I am really looking forward to much better results this weekend. Coming off a win at Road America, we have a lot of confidence going into Ridge, and I feel great on the bike and with what we’re doing. The team is working well.

“Sunday’s race at Road America was a bit of a disappointment, but I know we will bounce back from that. The weather (in Washington) looks a lot cooler than it was last year, which is going to make things a little bit easier. Usually, the tighter, twistier tracks are the ones that suit me, so this weekend should be really good for us. I can’t wait to get back on the bike, keep this momentum going, and keep on challenging for the championship. We’re not too far behind Petrucci, so we need to keep our heads down and keep working hard.”

Superbike final qualifying is on Saturday morning at 10:25 am PT, Superbike race one will go green on Saturday afternoon at 3:10 pm PT, and Superbike Race 2 is on Sunday afternoon also at 3:10 pm PT. Both races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 2 (FS2).

For all the action from Ridge Motorsports Park, as it happens, subscribe to MotoAmerica Live+, which is MotoAmerica’s live streaming and on-demand service.

Meet Mathew, Get An Autographed Poster, And More

Mathew will be available for autographs during the Dunlop Hot Pit Walk & Autograph Session, scheduled for 11 to 11:30 am Sunday on pit lane at Ridge. He and the team will be handing out free posters and T-shirts, so don’t miss it.

Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase

Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA and Pro-Bolt USA are the featured team sponsors on display in the Westby Racing paddock area this race weekend, so be sure to stop by to say hello and learn about some of the companies that support the team.

For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit https://www.WestbyRacing.com

So, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:

MotoAmerica Round 5 – Petrucci Leads The Charge Heading to The Ridge

Washington State beckons for Danilo Petrucci as MotoAmerica Superbike heads to The Ridge

Sunnyvale, Calif., June 22, 2022 – Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) heads to the half-way point of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at The Ridge this weekend with competition focused on the series points leader.

The Italian sits on 140 points, seven clear of Mathew Scholtz and 25 ahead of defending champion Jake Gagne. However, the Italian is under no illusions of the task at hand in his first visit to the scenic, undulating venue located among the pine trees of Shelton, Washington.

Two races with a possible 50 points up for grabs this weekend in Washington gives Petrucci a chance to solidify his title lead heading into round six at the world-famous Laguna Seca July 8-10.

Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9)

“I’m happy to be back racing on my Ducati,” Petrucci said. “For me, The Ridge is a completely new track and I recently had a look at some videos from the race last year but I can’t wait to ride this track. It’s really flowing, and there’s a lot of fast and blind corners so this will be good for the Panigale. I’m not looking at the championship. We’re not even at the middle of the year so I just want to win again and stand on that top step of the podium.”

Round five of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship kicks off with practice on Friday, June 24 with race one scheduled for 3:10 pm (PDT) on Saturday, June 25. Race two is scheduled for 3:10 pm (PDT) on Sunday, June 26

Joan Mir home after internal injuries force week-stay i…

SUZUKI Ecstar MotoGP rider Joan Mir has been allowed to return home a full week after an accident during testing at Brno left him with internal injuries that led to breathing difficulties.

Mir crashed towards the end of the one-day test in the Czech Republic, the resulting fall seeing him roll through the gravel a number of times, causing a pulmonary contusion that required him to be airlifted to hospital.

Though Mir was originally cleared of serious injury, the contusion remained a concern for doctors at the FN Bohunice University Hospital in Brno.

After three days he was transferred to Barcelona and the specialist Dexeus University Hospital for further treatment overseen by Dr Angel Charte, MotoGP’s Doctor and Head of the Internal Medicine Unit, where bruising of the lungs was confirmed.

“After extensive tests, including several CT scans, the group of doctors detected that the lung still had inflammation due to the large amount of bruising,” read a Suzuki statement. “They therefore decided to keep him in and give him daily checks to expedite his recovery and avoid possible complications.

“Four days later, the same medical team have decided, after a last round of tests that revealed an improvement, to let Joan go home – where he will continue to rest until another medical check next week at the same hospital.”

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‘They were finding parts in the trees…’

No confirmation of what caused Mir’s accident has been officially communicated but it is understood a technical issue was the reason for the fall, which occurred at high-speed on the run down to turn one.

Such was the ferocity of the smash the bike vaulted the air fence and landed in the relief road, while there are claims Suzuki were finding parts of Mir’s GSX-RR in the trees such was the impact.

Though Suzuki didn’t field a second bike alongside Alex Rins in Austria, it is contractually obliged to do at the next event, regardless of whether Mir is fit to ride or not. The next British MotoGP round takes place on August 23-25, with Sylvain Guintoli the likely deputy if Mir cannot race.

Brad Binder: ‘This wasn’t racing – this was surviving’

Binder’s last dry lap was a 1min 25sec. His first wet lap, when he took the lead while the leaders were in pit lane, was a 1min 32.7sec.

And then rain really came hammering down. Binder’s next lap, the 26th of 28, was a 1min 34.5sec, then a 1min 39.5sec and finally a 1min 50.3sec.

During those last two laps he was as surprised as anyone that he didn’t crash. Can you imagine if he had fallen? “Idiot!” everyone would’ve cried. Instead, as he crossed the line, exalting at his survival, everyone hailed him as the hero of the day.

Such is racing.

“I was having a horrendous race, but I got a bit more excited when it started to spit with rain,” said Binder after his first victory and first podium since his debut MotoGP win at Brno last August. “That’s when I saw my opportunity to really catch up.

“Just to stay on the track the last lap was virtually impossible. I thought it was finished a couple of times”

“As I saw the people stacking into pit lane I knew it was my chance to take a gamble. It was a really good decision for the next half lap because I could still ride really fast in the first sector and the second sector, more or less. Then I got to Turn Five and it was soaking wet.

“When the tires were hot and the brakes were hot it was quite okay. You could manage it and it was safe. But as soon as they cooled off it was a long two laps. I remember my brother [Darryn] telling me he was impressed about how much grip there is in the wet here on slicks [when the younger Binder had used slicks in the previous Sunday’s damp Moto3 race]so I think that had something to do with my decision.

The dry part of the race was a great battle between Bagnaia, Quartararo and Marquez, but had a different kind of climax

Ducati

“I just tried to make sure I stopped, got around the corner, and just went flat out up the straight. Just to stay on the track the last lap was virtually impossible. Actually I thought it was finished a couple of times because in Turn Three I wasn’t stopping and the only thing that was working a little bit was my rear brake. So I was pushing my rear brake and the thing was sideways and touched the steering lock and I went straight a little bit. But I would have happily crashed.

“When I came across the line with one lap to go I saw ‘plus nine’ on my board. But is that plus nine on someone on wets or someone on slicks? Because if it was someone on wets, they would’ve caught me.

“This wasn’t racing – this was surviving. I was just trying to finish the race. I wasn’t trying to go fast.”

The rider nine seconds behind Binder with one lap to go was indeed on slick tires – Aleix Espargaró was another who had decided to roll the dice and try to survive on slicks.

Just as well, because the fastest man on rain tires was Bagnaia. All the riders who had swapped tires found the first couple of laps very treacherous – which is why Marc Márquez fell at the start of his first flying lap on rain tires and others nearly joined him.

Even Bagnaia went backwards initially. At the end of his first flying lap on rain tires he had dropped to 11th, 32 seconds behind Binder, with two laps remaining! On the penultimate lap he was still only tenth, 27 seconds down.

And then his rain tires started working as the rain poured down and his slick-shod rivals teetered on the brink.

On the final lap Bagnaia passed Danilo Petrucci, Takaaki Nakagami, Alex Márquez, Valentino Rossi, Luca Marini and Espargaró, all of them sitting ducks on slicks. On the same lap he also took Pol Espargaró, who had changed tires at the end of the penultimate lap.

“I don’t know why, but the first two laps with rain tires were more slippery than with slicks during braking,” explained Bagnaia after equalizing his best MotoGP result. “I just tried to warm up the tires and on the last lap I overtook eight riders. I enjoyed it a lot, but Brad was already gone.

“I was angry when I started the last lap because I saw P10. Then I saw that far, far away there was a group, but I wasn’t thinking it was so many riders. When I arrived with them I overtook Taka braking for Turn Four and the others from Turn Six to Turn Eight, so, it was nice.

Championship leader Quartararo was expected to suffer with two Red Bull Ring races but in fact his points lead grew

Yamaha

“Then nobody was in front. I wasn’t thinking I’d be on the podium, because I had counted just six riders, so I was thinking I’d finished P4. Then I looked at the big television screen and saw I was second, so I was a bit happier. But the first feeling was that I was angry at the start of the lap.”

That last lap must’ve been like playing a video game for Bagnaia, or like riding in the beginner group at a track day, because his 1min 35.9sec final lap was almost 15 seconds faster than Binder’s and 16 seconds better than Lecuona’s, his final victims.

Just behind Bagnaia came Martin and Mir, who also carved through the helpless slick-equipped riders in the last lap or two.

“When I started the last lap I was P11,” said Martin, winner of the previous Sunday’s Styrian GP. “I should be with slicks, I thought! Then as soon as I did corner one I saw all the riders in corner three and I said to myself, come on, it’s time to push, do your best! I arrived with the group in corner seven and I passed six or seven riders in two corners – it was a bit difficult to avoid all of them!”

To add the chaos and the feeling that anything might happen, Valentino Rossi was third with two laps to go, a 200th MotoGP podium so near but so far. He took the checked flag in eighth, passed by Quartararo in the final run to the line.

Rossi, like pretty much everyone else, had reveled in the mayhem.

“The crossing point between the guys that stayed with slicks and the guys that changed for rain tires arrived at the last three corners, so it was very exciting,” said the 42-year-old, like he was talking after his first MotoGP race , not his 365th. “And at one point I was on the podium so it was quite exciting.”

Amidst the madness the battle for the 2021 championship was almost forgotten. But Quartararo’s ride – especially in the dry – had been stunning. Most people expected his Yamaha YZR-M1 to struggle at Red Bull Ring, as usual, but in fact he arrived there with a 34-point lead and left with 47-point advantage.

“That was the first time this year I thought about the championship,” he said. “I didn’t want to make a stupid crash and I nearly had one when Marc crashed.”

Silverstone next and who knows what will happen?

Audi reveals weight-saving measures for heavy Dakar challenger

Audi became the first major manufacturer to embrace Dakar’s new T1U regulations for electric and hybrid cars earlier this year when it entered a trio of RS Q e-trons for Stephane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz and Mattias Ekstrom.

Despite the scale of the challenge involved, Audi’s maiden outing the Saudi Arabia-based rally raid was largely a success, yielding four stage wins and a spot inside the overall top 10.

However, the car it had developed in a record time was not without its shortcomings, and was notably more than 200kg heavier than the minimum weight requirement of 2000kg.

This was largely due to a complex powertrain system, which included two electric motors, a petrol engine connected to an energy converter, and a battery pack.

The German manufacturer acknowledged the consequences of a heavy car has on driveability and agility and made it a key area of ​​focus while developing the updated Audi RS Q e-tron E2 model for 2023.

This has helped bring the car closer to the updated minimum weight limit of 2100kg and hence more competitive against its lighter petrol-powered rivals from Toyota and Prodrive.

Speaking after the launch of Audi’s overhauled Dakar contender, project manager Benedikt Brunninger revealed that shaving weight off the car became the marque’s priority immediately after it wrapped up its maiden outing in Dakar in January.

“The major [weight saving] thing was done by the bodywork,” he explained. “We also looked into the car with every small point where we can.

“We had an excel sheet with 12 or 13 pages where we had all the parts written down to where we could gain some grams there, some grams here.

“But from the outside the main weight loss is coming from the bodywork. So [that includes] the reduction of double surfaces we had on the last car.

“The last car was also mainly influenced by our design crew and this year we said we need consequently to reduce the weight. Therefore, we reduced all double surfaces and also looked into the material itself of the parts.

“There are also different carbon fiber materials that you can use and as we gain a lot of data and experience from the first Dakar we knew where the carbon parts need to be rigid and where they are not, so we could use different materials to lower the weight of each part there.”

Audi RS Q e-tron E2

Photo by: Audi Communications Motorsport

Fourteen-time Dakar winner Peterhansel tested the overhauled Audi RS Q e-tron E2 in August and will complete further running in the Moroccan desert this month ahead of its competition debut in Rallye du Maroc in October.

The French driver said Audi is going in a “good direction” with the development of its rally-raid car and is no longer fighting against time to be race-ready, as was the case last year.

“The competition never stops, which means after the Dakar we had a long meeting with the team, with the engineers, and we decided to modify a little bit some small things on the car,” said Peterhansel.

“But we keep the concept of our powertrain, our electric engine, our energy converter, [which] is really a good one. So we decided to walk on the weight, to have the car a bit lighter, we decided to walk on the electronic side, on the reliability sure, because for me reliability is a key point of Rally Dakar.

“If you are first it’s really good, but if you stop for a technical problem I’m sure it will never be possible to win.

“Yes, we did some tests last month in Spain and we are really in a good direction.

“Also, this year it’s more comfortable than last year concerning the timing because last year everything was ready at the last minute. But now it’s really the time to develop the car, to take the time to have the best set-up with the shock absorber with everything.”

New head of Audi Sport Rolf Michl explained that it has refined all its processes since January’s Dakar Rally to boost its chances for 2023, while the car itself is superior in every way than its predecessor thanks to better aerodynamics and improved powertrain efficiency.

“Last year we were a bit too heavy and this year definitely the performance improvement comes out of clear and significant loss of weight, lower center of gravity and the reduction of drag, in combination with enhanced power control and the new operating strategies,” said Michl.

“So the major thing I learned and also from the team was to improve the whole system, so the organizational processes, the interaction with [partner] Q Motorsport GmbH. And also looking very much into the details, the fitness of the whole team and the support that drivers have in the car.

“We looked in every interface in the team, with Q Motorsport, with the drivers, with the engineers and the result is a significantly optimized total system because achieving the podium or winning the Dakar, it’s not only the car.

“It’s a very important part, but also the drivers and the team work will play a major role and there I think we have done some significant improvements out of the learnings from our first Dakar we achieved.”

Hamilton believes Mercedes ‘not far away’ from front; Wolff on bouncing

Lewis Hamilton believes that the Mercedes are “not far away” from being in a winning position after a “hugely encourage” F1 British GP, as Toto Wolff adds more on upgrade situation.

The seven-time champion scored his third podium of the season at Silverstone after his Mercedes team introduced yet another upgrade to the W13, which he says noticeably improved the car’s race pace. This will largely be down to the departure of the much-maligned porpoising which plagued the car in the early races of the season, and the mechanical bouncing which resulted in running the car so stiffly sprung.

On the smooth and fast Silverstone circuit, the car did not exhibit any form of porpoising or bouncing – unless when expected to on the kerbs – unlike the front-running Ferraris who experienced porpoising in some high-speed corners. Mercedes could therefore run their cars lower to the track surface, which improves the car’s overall aerodynamic performance, enabling Hamilton to battle fiercely with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Teammate George Russell, who had qualified P8 on the damp track – three places behind Hamilton – took a gamble to start on the hard tires. This caused him to have a poor start alongside Zhou Guanyu and get tangled up with Pierre Gasly and the Alfa Romeo to kick off the horrific multi-car start crash.

Hamilton’s promising consecutive P3 finishes in Canada and Britain has elevated his confidence level unrecognizable in comparison to his clear dejection at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.

“I think it’s hugely encouraging that we were in the fight [at Silverstone],” said Hamilton. “There were times… for a good period of time I was matching the Ferraris’ pace, and even better at some stages. And we got the quickest lap at the end, for example, which I don’t think we’ve been able to do this year.

“We had an upgrade this weekend and I think the race pace was definitely improved. That’s been our strongest part of our car, I think this year in general. But it’s definitely helped us get a little bit closer. I don’t think we’re in a winning position yet, but we’re not far away,” Hamilton summed up.

Mercedes CEO and team principal Wolff is optimistic about the car’s improvement at Silverstone, although he reserves his judgment as he points out concerns about the errant nature of the car’s behavior. “It’s probably both,” he replied when asked whether the progress stems from Silverstone’s characteristics or the new upgrade.

“I think we’ve seen good data on the upgrade that showed us that we’ve gained some relative laptime to the others. But then we mustn’t be fooled, like we were last time around in Barcelona, ​​where we thought we’re on top of the problem when we weren’t.

“Russell had no bouncing on the first set of tires but 20 minutes later on the second set of tires he had bouncing,” Wolff reveals. “We can’t correlate that it changes so much between one session to the other, one tire to the other, there is no indication about setup, the wind, ambient in general, track conditions. None of that.”

The team boss, who is heavily involved in the technical decision making process at Mercedes, explained in depth how the W13’s characteristics as a narrow sidepod package is no longer the issue when it comes to problems extracting performance, claiming that the team could have easily reverted the car back to its Barcelona pre-season testing spec if that was the case.

“We need to continue to develop the W13 because the rules don’t change,” stated Wolff. “So if we were to decide to go to a different concept – I think the base is you need to understand why the previous one hasn’t worked – and that is not an answer we have at the moment. So we just continue grinding away trying to understand, but the narrow sidepods have the least impact on our current problems and on the performance.

“It’s an overall aerodynamic and drive issue rather than just narrow sidepods. We could change that easily.” Ahead of the quick turnaround for this weekend’s Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring, the scene of five victories for Mercedes in the past, Wolff admits it will be “tough” to claim the team’s first victory of the season this time around.

“There’s a few corners which in the past didn’t make our car happy,” he said. “So that’s something we need to look at, but it’s a constant learning curve. I think this season is gonna be a pretty tough one to win, so we just need to get our ducks in a row to be properly on top of the car’s performance.”

Here’s Lewis Hamilton on late tussle

Joan Mir penalized for Johann Zarco collision ‘because…

Joan Mir has hit out at the penalty he received during the Malaysian MotoGP after wiping out Johann Zarco four laps from the checkered flag, saying he is being singled out because he is a rookie.

The Spaniard was on the rise after a poor start, and was running in tenth position behind Zarco, who in turn had a fading Jack Miller in his sights.

However, his attempt at passing Zarco around turn 14, which tightens at the apex, instead resulted in him hitting Zarco’s Honda at a low angle causing him to slide off into retirement.

It spoiled a strong finish for the Frenchman in only his second race with LCR Honda, with Mir handed a long lap penalty – where he follows a designated route around the outside of a corner in lieu of a time penalty – which dropped him to tenth position at the flag.

It was a reaction Mir felt was ‘unfair’ and harsher due to his rookie status, pointing out he was eliminated in a similar way by Zarco at Brno and no penalty was levied towards him.

“I was on the inside, then Zarco tried to overtake Miller and he didn’t see me, that I was coming from the inside,” Mir told sister publication Crash.net. “It’s normal, it’s not his fault, obviously. And we both touched.

“He crashed, unfortunately, he was doing a great race, so I’m sorry for him, but it wasn’t my fault. It was something that can happen in the race.

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“If we look back at all the problems that I had – at Mugello with Valentino, in Brno with Zarco also, who hit me on the first lap and my race was over. All these type of things and they didn’t get anything, and to me a long lap.

“OK, because I’m a rookie, it was probably the easiest thing to do. ‘Zarco crashed, so we will give him a long lap’. But I think it was not the correct thing, and we have to talk about this , because at the end, it was not my fault.

“I think that Davide [Brivio, team manager] went to speak with the FIM stewards, but what shows it was not my fault is that Zarco came to my garage and said ‘sorry for this’. I also said ‘sorry’ for my part because I couldn’t avoid him.

“So we both understand the situation, but Race Direction not. But anyway, rookie – easy [to give a penalty].”

Johann Zarco stakes claim on Honda seat for 2020

After a positive maiden outing in Australia – albeit hampered by a lack of track time due to a disrupted timetable – Zarco was priming for a big performance in Sepang a year after he scored a podium from pole position on Yamaha machinery.

While the result didn’t ultimately come his way, it did give a strong hint of what he is capable of on Honda machinery.

More importantly, it is quicker than Jorge Lorenzo has looked all season on his factory Repsol Honda, once again raising the prospect a change in rider policy if things don’t improve in the Spaniard’s camp. He now has only one race to prove he can step up in 2020, but Zarco will see it as a prime opportunity to hammer home his message.

Video: Going To A MotoAmerica Event & Getting A 2-Up Superbike Ride

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Qatar MotoGP: Brad Binder leaves it late to top FP1, Bagnaia crashes | MotoGP

Brad Binder left it late to secure top spot in FP1 for the Qatar MotoGP, while world champion Fabio Quartararo could only manage 11th.

The first practice session of 2022 got underway with immediate issues for Brad’s brother Darryn Binder as part of the South African rider’s left-sided fairing came undone.

Aleix Espargaro was the early pacesetter for Aprilia Racing, while Alex Rins continued his impressive pre-season form to slot into second. The fastest ever rider around the Sepang International Circuit, Enea Bastianini was third following the opening flurry of laps.

While Espargaro continued to improve and therefore keep hold of top spot, Marc Marquez went second fastest aboard the completely revamped RC213V Repsol Honda.

Espargaro momentarily built up a four tenth advantage over Marquez before the Spaniard and Pol Espargaro reduced it to just over one tenth.

While most of the expected 2022 title contenders were running inside the top ten, Joan Mir was the big name who spent considerable amounts of time languishing down the pecking order.

That all changed with just under half of FP1 to go as the Suzuki rider went fifth, one place behind team-mate Rins.

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As was the case for much of pre-season testing, Raul Fernandez was the top rookie throughout FP1.

Following a clean Moto3 and Moto2 FP1 with regards to crashes, Fabio Di Giannantonio became the first faller of the new season. The Italian crashed at turn 3 but was unhurt and back on his feet immediately.

After spending more than 35 minutes on top, Espargaro was relegated to second by Mir with six minutes to go, which was just moments before Francesco Bagnaia suffered a surprising crash at turn 6.

The Ducati rider lost the front end very early on, but like Di Giannantonio he was back on his feet quickly.

Mir’s stint at the top was very short-lived as team-mate Rins went quickest after becoming the first rider to fit the soft rear tyre.

However, in typical free practice fashion a late surge of laps saw the leaderboard change drastically as Binder went fastest from Takaaki Nakagami and Marquez.

The KTM rider eventually held on from Nakagami and Rins in third, while Pol Espargaro moved up to fourth to pip team-mate Marquez.

Sixth was Morbidelli, while Mir, A. Espargaro, Alex Marquez and Miguel Oliveira rounded out the top ten. Quartararo was the first rider to miss out on a top ten finish.

Ducati’s slow start during the early part of FP1 continued until the checkered flag dropped as Martin secured a best of 12th for the Italian manufacturer.

Why Pedro Acosta is giving KTM and its MotoGP riders a …

KTM boss Pit Beirer says the manufacturer will do all it can to convince teenage sensation Pedro Acosta to stay within its ranks… so why does his meteoric rise from Moto3 to Moto2 pose such a problem for the manufacturer going forward?

There is little denying KTM has a keen eye when it comes to spotting fresh talent. Having leaned on experienced racers during its initial MotoGP years – Pol Espargaro, Bradley Smith and Johann Zarco – to accelerate its ‘new from the ground up’ MotoGP effort, it has enjoyed its most notable successes with its own proteges.

While Espargaro was arguably the lynchpin of the project – a rider whom KTM was desperately disappointed to lose to Honda – between current factory riders Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, it has now achieved five victories over the past two seasons.

It’s a level of faith and development that KTM has good reason to be proud of and it should be noted this season will be its first with all four seats – Factory and Tech 3 – filled by riders from its own development program in Oliveira, Binder, Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez.

However, the rise has to stop somewhere and with now four of its own nurtured riders at the top, what happens now to those coming up behind them?

It’s a bottlenecked dilemma that is being emphasized by the rapid emergence of Acosta, the 17-year old breaking several records en route to the 2021 Moto3 World Championship in his rookie campaign.

While one can’t fault Acosta for being so impressive out of the box, it does present an issue for KTM’s future plans.

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Not that it wasn’t prepared to do so, if anything KTM might have considered giving Acosta a second season in Moto3 to put some space between this headache, but it has instead taken a chance in promoting him to its Moto2 team, also run by Ajo Motorsport.

While it would be a big ask for Acosta to reel off another title in his first season of Moto2 as well, KTM recognizes that even a top five overall will confirm him as a veritable MotoGP star-in-waiting,

In short, he is a KTM rider will be relieved to have under a contract with its logo on the letterhead, even if it does manifest a headache as to what to do with him should he exceed expectations again.

While Acosta is about to begin a two-year deal with KTM, it won’t stop rival vultures from circling if he impresses again in 2022 and the manufacturer isn’t in a position to promote him to MotoGP. However, KTM is confident it can dodge this hypothetical as long as it lays out a long-term plan for him.

“We do a great job with young people and that’s why we bring up great riders,” KTM boss Pit Beirer told GPOne. “Pedro is very talented, he has a contract with us for a couple of years.

“I hope he wants to stay because he sees KTM as a good partner, we’ll see who will try to take him next year, we can’t force him to stay but we want to convince him with the job.”

Pressure on KTM’s MotoGP riders for 2022

Not that KTM would make it easy for rivals to buy him out of his contract.

Last year, Yamaha showed a keen interest in Fernandez, so much so that the Spaniard himself indicated a great desire to switch allegiance. However, a hefty ‘get out’ price tag of a reported €500,000 was placed on his defection, turning Yamaha off and prompting some pointed remarks from Fernandez himself.

Indeed, KTM has been here before. The late start to the 2020 MotoGP season helped null-and-void the performance clause in Jorge Martin’s contract and opened the door for Ducati to swoop in and snap him up for 2021, much to KTM’s chagrin.

Moreover, the case of Fernandez sets the tone for KTM’s potential future issues. While Remy Gardner was always expected to mount a title bid – in fact, anything less would have been seen as a disappointment – Fernandez threw his two-year plan out of the window by proving quick straight away, forcing KTM to offer him a MotoGP seat for 2022 or risk losing him altogether.

It’s a scenario – positive though it may be – KTM fears will be repeated by Acosta, because whereas with Fernandez it wasn’t shooting itself in the foot in the knowledge its Tech 3 riders – Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona – had no specific ties to KTM, that isn’t the case in 2022.

That’s not to say KTM ‘has’ to show loyalty to its own nurtured quartet and, if anything, the added pressure might give the likes of Oliveira and Binder the proverbial kick up the backside for better results, but should Acosta – or even Fernandez and Gardner – start performing well, let’s just say KTM might not block any interest from rival teams.

Could KTM increase its MotoGP footprint?

Trouble is for KTM, short of putting a stop to its development program, it’s an issue that will keep surfacing in the future potentially.

One way around this would be to increase the number of RC16s on the MotoGP grid. Having responded with some irritation to Dorna allowing Ducati to dominate the 2022 MotoGP entry list with eight bikes, KTM has intimated that it would be prepared to add a third team.

This would likely come in the form of a de facto manufacturer entry under the GASGAS banner, a move that would no doubt please Dorna given its Spanish nationality.

The MX and Enduro experts made a successful short track debut in 2021 in Moto3, so much so it has expanded to Moto2 this season. While KTM might prefer to focus on results for 2022 than direct resources towards getting GASGAS on the MotoGP grid for 2023, it’s worth noting that behind the name is the well-sorted and experienced ex-MotoGP outfit Aspar.

Much will likely depend on how Acosta acquits himself in Moto2, which alone puts a lot of pressure on his shoulders in what should be remembered is only his second season in the GP ranks.

Call it an embarrassment of riches for KTM. It’s not a bad situation to be in, but it’s a welcome scenario that could still leave it with an unwelcome outcome if it doesn’t strategize now.

Beaubier Seventh In Malaysian Grand Prix – MotoAmerica

American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier finished seventh in the Grand Prix of Malaysia on Sunday. Photo by American Racing

American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier fought back from the turn-two incident ahead of him on the opening lap of the Grand Prix of Malaysia to finish seventh on Sunday at the Sepang International Circuit.

With Pedro Acosta and Somkiat Chantra crashing in front of him in the second corner of the Grand Prix, Beaubier almost came to a dead stop to avoid the melee. The incident cost the Californian at least five spots and he finished the opening lap in 13^th place. From there he fought forward until settling into eighth in the final laps. On the last lap, however, drama unfolded ahead of him with then World Championship leader Ai Ogura crashing out of the lead on the final lap. Ogura’s miscue moved Beaubier up to seventh at the finish.

Italtrans Racing’s Joe Roberts, meanwhile, had a Grand Prix to forget as his Kalex had issues from the start. Roberts finished lap one in eighth but was 14^th at the end of lap two. It got worse from there and Roberts was forced out of the race on the eighth lap.

Beaubier’s teammate Sean Dylan Kelly finished a lonely 18^th.

The race was won by Elf Marc VDS Racing’s Tony Arbolino, the Italian battling with Ogura in the closing laps after being caught by the Japanese rider. On the final lap, however, Ogura dove up the inside of Arbolino, lost the front of his IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex and crashed out of the race.

Inde GASGAS Aspar Team’s Jake Dixon inherited third place with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez finishing an all-important fourth.

With just the Valencia round remaining, Fernandez is now 9.5 points clear of Ogura in the battle for the Moto2 World Championship, 251.5-242. Aron Canet, eighth in Malaysia, is third with 200 points.

Roberts sits ninth in the World Championship with Beaubier 15^th. A good race in Spain could lift Beaubier to 13^th in the title chase in his second and final season of Grand Prix racing.

Honda chassis snubs a clear hint of Espargaro’s MotoGP future

Pol Espargaro may have dropped the biggest hint yet that he’s on the way out of the Repsol Honda MotoGP team at the end of this season.

He has further fueled speculation that Honda is close to putting pen to paper with Suzuki refugee Joan Mir by admitting that new development parts originally set for him have instead been diverted to Honda satellite rider Taka Nakagami at this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix, in what comes across as a clear sign of how Honda regards Espargaro’s future with it.

Marc Marquez first trialled a new chassis and swing arm last weekend at the Italian Grand Prix, devoting the weekend at Mugello to development work once he knew that he was about to enter an absence from the sport due to his latest operation, which took place today in the United States.

“We are trying to understand the way to turn better,” said Marquez of the inspiration behind the mid-season changes.

“It’s true that as soon as you improve in some points you lose in another, but we are trying to understand the way to turn better, to better understand the front tyre, the way to turn in a shorter time.

“In MotoGP, if you turn in a long time you cannot use the power, cannot use the torque, so you are then missing tenths. We need to understand that and we are working on that area.”

It seems that those experiments have been at least somewhat successful, too, with the new chassis and swing arm continuing to Montmelo this weekend – but not in the hands of Marquez’s team-mate Espargaro or even with his replacement, test rider Stefan Bradl.

Instead, it’s been handed over to LCR Honda rider Nakagami, in what is hard to read as anything but a snub towards Espargaro – who admitted that he’s keen to try out as many new parts as possible in his attempts to make the RC213V better.

“Yeah, 100%,” he said when asked if he would have preferred to have been on the new chassis and frame. “I like to try new things and I like to improve the situation. To improve the situation, the only way to do it is to try new stuff, to improve the bike, to improve the results. If you don’t try anything, you don’t improve.

“But even like that, I’m going to keep pushing like I have always done, and let’s see if this weekend something changes and we can be faster.

“I asked for Marc’s bike, but I didn’t get it. [Why] is not my concern. I ask for the best things, for the new things, for the last evolution of the bike – but I’m not the guy who chooses if I’m going to have it or not.

“I’m a guy who gets paid to ride the bike as fast as possible and that’s what I’m going to try to do this weekend.”

Switching development parts away from riders who are set to leave a team’s project is a well-established tactic of most factory teams, meaning that the decision adds very much fuel to the fire that Espargaro won’t be a part of Honda next year.

Though Nakagami’s future in a Honda MotoGP race seat is even more uncertain, he still looks likely to be part of the fold – perhaps in World Superbikes.

Moto2 frontrunner Ai Ogura believed to be destined for the LCR seat while Nakagami is moved aside to concentrate on superbike projects like the Suzuka 8 Hour, arguably the single most important race of the year for Honda.

However, while it might be the case that something has already been communicated to Espargaro about his future (a rumor he denied last month as ‘fake news’), 2020 world champion Mir says that it doesn’t mean that he’s yet put pen to paper with anyone else, and instead is still trying to find a solution to the mess he was put in when Suzuki unexpectedly announced that it would pull out of MotoGP at the end of 2022.

“I don’t know,” Mir insisted. “I would like to have news soon but I don’t know when it will be.

“I’m being completely transparent with you. But more than myself, I think nobody wants to explain where I will be.

“It’s difficult. This year was especially difficult for many reasons and we just have to continue like this for many reasons.”

Quartararo, Mir evaluating post-MotoGP season surgery – Motorsport Week

Fabio Quartararo is set to undergo corrective surgery following the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix to fix the fractured finger he sustained in the Malaysian GP last weekend.

The reigning MotoGP world champion crashed his Yamaha in the fourth practice session just ahead of qualifying on Saturday at the Sepang International Circuit, a spill that saw him sustain a significant impact on the tarmac with his left hand – thus causing a fracture in his middle finger on the affected hand.

He is set to undergo a procedure to fix his fractured digit ahead of 2023 according to Sky Sports Italia, with Yamaha having confirmed the news to the broadcaster.

The Frenchman managed to ride through the pain barrier on Sunday to recover from 12th on the grid to close out the podium finishers in third, and is set to complete the campaign curtain-closing Valencia GP with the injury as he looks to try and keep hold of his title – though with a 23 point deficit to recover with only 25 to play for, his quest looks tough.

Mir to try and rectify arm pump woes

Joan Mir meanwhile is set to join fellow premier class world champion Quartararo in going under the knife following the Valencia GP, the Spaniard having suffered with a severe bout of arm pump in the closing stages of the Malaysian GP.

The Suzuki rider was running well inside the top six in the early laps of the encounter, though after his arm pump set in he quickly plummeted down the field to an eventual finishing position of 19th.

Mir says he is looking at undergoing the routine procedure to make sure he staves away any other issues in 2023, where he will join Marc Marquez at the factory Honda outfit.

“I think that it can be a good option,” said Mir of potentially undergoing arm pump corrective surgery.

“Honestly, if you put everything together, and we think about why we had this problem, we changed a front lever at the beginning of the weekend, because I suggested it.

“Normally, during the season I do a lot of motocross, dirt track, I am able to train with a lot of bikes. In previous months, I wasn’t able to train even with the motorbike, this for sure maybe create a bit the problem.”

Joan Mir: MotoGP’s Jekyll and Hyde

The 2020 MotoGP world championship is the year of the new kid on the block, with three first-time winners so far and a title challenger who only scored his first MotoGP podium last month.

Joan Mir’s stellar performances at the last four races – two seconds, a third and fourth – mark him out as the only rider with any real consistency and therefore the current title favorite in this topsiest-turviest of seasons, especially considering the fact that Suzuki had marked the Red Bull Ring and Misano as its bogey tracks of the truncated championship

Watching Mir and his Suzuki GSX-RR sweeping around a racetrack reminds me of something – 250 GP bikes.

In my opinion, the final decade of 250 GPs produced the finest racing motorcycles known to man. Those sublime two-stroke twins had 100 horsepower and weighed 100 kilos, so they were perfectly balanced and they allowed riders to do things they wouldn’t dare with other motorcycles.

At some circuits the 250s got close to the fastest 500 times, just because they could get into and through the corners so much faster than the doubly powerful 500s: rapier blades against battle axes.

Mir looks like he’s riding a 250 when he’s aboard the GSX-RR, not a 280-horsepower, 160-kilo four-stroke. He appears to be sat inside the bike, not on top of it, and he attacks corners with the kind of speed and commitment that made 250s so special. He is razor-sharp especially on corner entry, which is where he makes easy meat of his rivals.

I’m not the only one who sees the GSX-RR as a kind of MotoGP 250. That’s exactly what Aleix Espargaró thought when he rode the bike in its first two seasons, 2015 and 2016.

“The chassis is unbelievable!” the Spaniard told me back in 2016. “It’s like a 250: you can go as fast as you want into a corner and the bike turns more and more. It lets you turn where you want, lets you brake really late and lets you ride really aggressively.”

KTM rider Pol Espargaró, who passed Mir in the closing stages of Sunday’s race, is also impressed by the Suzuki, which is so rider-friendly that it allows riders to constantly flirt with the limit, a huge advantage over race distance.

“When I ride behind that bike – f**k! – it’s incredible the amount of mistakes those guys can make and still come back on line and still be able to play with the motorcycle. That’s really hard on a V4 – you make one mistake and you suffer for the next two corners.”

World championship leader Andrea Dovizioso sees the GSX-RR as the polar opposite of his Ducati Desmosedici.

“That bike is so balanced,” said the Italian at Misano. “From the outside it looks like it’s a bit easier compared to the other bikes to be consistent for the whole race, so at the end of races they are really fast because they use the tire a bit less, so they can keep their speed. And for sure Mir is a very big talent,”

Mir with crew chief Frankie Carchedi

Suzuki

Ever since 2015 Suzuki has kept the faith in creating a finely balanced, rider-friendly inline-four that has what it takes to beat the fire-breathing V4s, using superior cornering performance to overcome superior straight-line performance.

Mir’s ride on Sunday was spectacular. He started on the fourth row and spent the first laps slicing his way through the pack. By half-distance he was fifth, 7.1sec behind the race leader. By the end he was second, 2.4sec behind the leader, so if he hadn’t lost so much time in the early stages he would’ve had something for Maverick Viñales and Pecco Bagnaia.

He had it all: speed, commitment, consistency and that razor-sharp blade for attacking other riders.

In other words, all he needs to do is improve his speed in qualifying.

Last month at Red Bull Ring, Mir qualified on the second and first rows and was in the lead group in both races. And he is confident he can get closer to the front of the grid this weekend at Barcelona.

The only problem Mir and his GSX-RR have is too much rear grip, which of course is at its worst in qualifying, with new tires. Too much grip at the rear creates a traction imbalance with the front, which causes difficulties in corner entry and exit.

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Vinales says Aprilia test ‘happiest’ he’s ever been in MotoGP

The nine-time MotoGP race-winner was ousted from the factory Yamaha squad earlier this month following a suspension by the team after he deliberately tried to damage his bike in the Styrian Grand Prix.

Vinales had already made the decision to quit Yamaha a year earlier than his current contract period was due to expire as the relationship between himself and the marque deteriorated dramatically across 2021, with Aprilia signing the Spaniard for next season.

He made his debut on the Aprilia at a two-day test at Misano on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and will make his race debut on the bike at Aragon next weekend.

When asked by Motorsport.com if his test on the Aprilia was the happiest he’s been this year in MotoGP, Vinales replied: “Probably my life, [I’ve never had] a time when I am more happy because after five years [at Yamaha] there have been ups and downs and I didn’t understand many things.

“At the end I said, ‘what is going on’, but as soon as I jumped to Aprilia I know my potential, I know what I’m able to do even more and it was nice to jump quick because I have the opportunity to do six races.

“This is much better than to do just five days of testing, and I will try to prepare well with Aleix [Espargaro] the 2022 [bike]which is very important for me.”

Maverick Vinales, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Photo by: Aprilia Racing

Vinales admitted on Wednesday he was “nervous” about his Aprilia debut, particularly because the RS-GP’s engine is completely different from what he rode at Suzuki and at Yamaha since 2015.

The Spaniard says he was surprised at how quickly he was able to adapt to the V4-powered Aprilia, while admitting his test and race plans were not expected so soon.

“Honestly, I expected to be at home until November waiting to ride the bike at the test,” he said.

“But this opportunity is made first of all because I leave [Yamaha]and because Aprilia gave me the opportunity.

“Basically, what makes me happy is all the guys are working really hard, their enthusiasm is really strong.

“And also coming from a podium [at Silverstone with Espargaro]it’s the best time to join the team, to try to give them the feedback.

“For sure Aleix and [Lorenzo] Savadori did an amazing job because they were very fast and the bike is working well.

“So, I was quite surprised because the adaptation to the bike has been quite fast.”

He added: “Basically what I need to change is the way of braking, it’s a bit different.

“This is a big learning process because the way you can brake with the Aprilia is totally different [to the Yamaha].

“So, I will need laps and also Aleix is ​​a very hard braker, so I will need to learn a little bit from him how he does this strong braking, but I think this will come with confidence.”

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Vinales went on to say that he knew he wanted to race the Aprilia at Aragon “as soon as I did three runs with the bike” on Tuesday.

During his first media debrief as an Aprilia rider, Vinales was not allowed to speak about his Yamaha split, but did say it was “fair” for the marque to let him join the team as soon as he has in 2021 because “everybody has to have the opportunity to leave things in the past”.

Emilia-Romagna MotoGP: Honda’s 1st 1-2 in five years a ‘great reward’ – Puig | MotoGP

Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro secured Repsol Honda’s first MotoGP 1-2 in over five years during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

After both Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia suffered turn 15 crashes ahead, Marquez went on to take a dominant third win of the year, while Espargaro converted his second best qualifying of 2021 into a best ever result with Honda.

The last time two Honda riders took such a result was when Marquez took victory ahead of former long-time team-mate Dani Pedrosa in Aragon 2017.

The win for Marquez is his second in succession, which is also Honda’s first back-to-back victories since 2019.

Speaking after the weekend, Team Manager Alberto Puig added: “We approached this weekend wanting to compare this race with the first in Misano to see our progress, to walk away with this result is great.

“A 1-2 is never easy, even when you are in your best condition and this is not our best moment. But we have still managed to get this fantastic result.

“I think it’s down to a combination of factors; a big effort from our riders, the continued work from Honda, great support from Repsol and all our other sponsors and of course the hard work of our team members.

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“We clearly showed that we will never give up or give in. This result is a great feeling, a great reward, for everyone involved in this project.”

While Marquez winning his first race at a right-handed circuit since Motegi 2019 is a big moment in his recovery and potential aspirations heading into 2022, so was Espargaro’s maiden podium for the team.

Espargaro has endured a very challenging debut season for the Japanese team, one that looked unlikely to produce a podium.

However, a qualifying of fourth on Saturday already showed that Espargaro’s improvements in last month’s test at Misano were carried into the weekend, before going on to not only take his first podium for Honda, but his best ever MotoGP finish.

“Pol Espargaró has been enduring a very difficult season where there were great expectations. We know it’s not been easy, but the positive point is that he never gives up,” added Puig when talking about Espargaro’s podium.

“He is always trying to find a solution, as is his team – his group shares his never give up attitude.

“So finally, yesterday was like a gift, he deserves it, but it was also a gift for the team and for Honda because we are all helping him as much as we can.

“We are very happy for him and the fact he has achieved his best ever position for Honda, with his first podium in these colours, shows the potential.

“Now we hope his confidence continues to build and he can keep taking the bike to the limit.”

Malaysian GP Finish Prompts Joan Mir To Consider Arm Pump Surgery

The 2022 MotoGP season just keeps getting worse for Joan Mir. The 2020 MotoGP champion has struggled for form throughout the year, crashing out of six races and failing to stand atop the podium even once.

Suzuki dealt the Spanish rider a psychological blow when they abruptly announced that the brand would cease Grand Prix operations following the 2022 season. Months later, fate would deliver Mir a physical blow when he high-sided at the first turn of the Austrian Grand Prix, sustaining a fractured right ankle as a result.

After nursing his wounds for several rounds, Mir returned to the MotoGP grid for the Australian Grand Prix. However, the Suzuki rider wasn’t anywhere near full strength, finishing in 18th place and more than 23 seconds off the race-winner. To add insult to Mir’s lingering injury, his teammate, Alex Rins, won the Australian round.

Things didn’t get any better at the Malaysian Grand Prix, where Mir finished nearly 42 seconds off the winning pace in 19th place. Still, the situation only worsens, as number 36 revealed that arm pump issues impeded his progress at the Sepang International Circuit.

“Well, looks like I had an episode of arm pump,” Mir divulged. “In the previous years here is a track that normally you can have a little bit because it’s quite demanding. But not like this. I couldn’t understand the pressure I was [applying] and I lost all the strength on the right arm.”

Commonly referred to as “arm pump”, chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) occurs when increased blood flow causes pressure in highly exerted muscle tissues. The condition may recede after the muscles return to rest, but it quickly resurfaces when the rider goes back into action.

For this reason, many MotoGP riders have undergone arm pump surgery in the past few years. It looks like Mir may join those ranks soon.

“I want to see the doctor to avoid it happening again because I can’t allow this to happen to me again. It can’t be a reason to finish the weekend like this,” the 25-year-old rider conceded. ” Yes, seriously I think [surgery] can be a good option.”

Mir has yet to confirm his participation in the final 2022 MotoGP round at the Valencia Grand Prix on November 6, 2022. Regardless of his race status for the finale, we hope the 2020 premier class champ can return to form (and fortune) in 2023 .

Vinales interview: Yamaha is great but I was ‘going crazy’

Maverick Vinales has admitted to The Race in an exclusive interview that he believes that the factory Monster Energy Yamaha team wasn’t the right challenge for him, and that his dramatic mid-season move out of the team and into Aprilia was the correct decision to make not just for his career but for his happiness.

It’s no secret that Vinales hadn’t been a particularly happy Yamaha rider for quite some time before his exit – with his anger at the team reaching a simmering point early in the 2021 season despite his dominant victory in the opening race of the year in Qatar .

Almost throughout the opening half of the year on occasion, he was nonetheless plagued with inconsistency, an issue that came to a head at the Red Bull Ring in August, when he was dismissed by his team amid accusations of deliberately trying to blow up the engine of his M1 during the Austrian race.

With Vinales immediately suspended and departing shortly thereafter, it was a relationship that ended about as badly as it could have – but despite the potential for bad blood between the pair, the 26-year-old says that he bears no ill feeling towards Yamaha.

“I just want to say good words about them,” he told The Race, “because I don’t have anything bad to say. In the end you can see the bike is on a great level, and I always said that the bike was fantastic.

“We didn’t know exactly why we couldn’t make it work, because sometimes I felt unbeatable and others I was last. I was going crazy.

“But the bike was on an amazing level. You can see that right away, it was fantastic. But anyway, it wasn’t my challenge, so I took the real challenge.”

A large part of that desire for new challenges seems to originate from the huge life changes that Vinales has experienced over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. He got married and soon became a father, when he and wife Raquel welcomed baby Nina into the world in May.

And, speaking candidly about those huge changes, he admitted that they’ve changed his focus in life – and made the decision to seek out a new professional challenge an easier one.

“I’ve changed my priorities a lot,” he conceded. “When you have a family, you don’t think about tomorrow – you think about the long term. You can’t just think day by day. Before I thought a lot like this, living the life as it was, without thinking too much about the future or how I would realize my reality.

“It’s nice to win, but I want to feel something more. I want to feel a team around me, and that’s why I moved. I moved to have all that atmosphere, that passion, and especially because I think when you go to a place where everyone is hungry, it makes you go even harder.”

It seems like he’s found that at Aprilia, too, with the different atmosphere of a passionate and emotional Italian team adding something to the mix for him.

“An Italian team is very different to a Japanese team,” the Spaniard explained. “Honestly, I always had a great relationship with the Japanese team, because I love the food, the culture, the places, how they are – calm, systematic. It makes you the same. But apart from that, I needed a little more fire around me. A little more support on the bike and off it. In the end, I want to show a lot of things and it was difficult there.”

While the decision to head to back-of-the-grid Aprilia might have come as a surprise to many, it’s one that says he was in part aided by having a close confidant inside the team – former Suzuki team-mate, Andorran neighbor and good friend Aleix Espargaro, who team boss Massimo Rivola has already admitted was a key middleman in bringing Vinales’ signing together.

“Aleix was important in making it happen,” said Vinales, “because I have a good relationship with him and we talk quite a lot when we fly together. But I think the thing that made me decide was more the ambience and the passion. They’re a brand that are quite new – not new in the history of racing, but new to improving in MotoGP.

“Somehow, I want to have this process, to bring again a factory to the top, like we did in the past. It motivates me a lot. It’s a different challenge but it’s one that motivates me. I want to be a champion, but also I want to make something special, not do what the others do.

And, with the former Suzuki team-mates reunited on a bike that harks back to their 2015 and 2016 seasons together developing the GSX-RR into a race-winning package, that too has made Vinales reflect on both the past and the future.

“I don’t want to talk too much about the past,” he added, “because it’s clear that I made a mistake [leaving Suzuki]. In the end we created a really good team, but in that moment the Yamaha was a winning bike and I chose that way. Wrong or not, I don’t know, because in the end you make your own decisions.

“But it has brought me to a place where I’m very happy. I’m coming to races excited again, when before I wasn’t arriving sad, but without the energy I needed. There are good moments to come and this is a very nice feeling.

“I’m really happy, honestly, because somehow I regained the motivation, the passion for the bikes, which is very important. At the end, it’s the fuel that gives you the energy to continue. I think I still have a lot to give and a lot that I haven’t given, so it’s very important for me. Right now I’m taking this challenge at what I think is the right moment to take it, to wake up and to keep pushing.”