Pirro convinced that soon everyone will also copy Ducati’s front lowering device

LOSAIL – For the moment, no one has fired up their engines in Losail yet. The pit garages are ready, the bikes are all lined up, someone has been taking usual final photos on the pit straight.

“I need two RS-GPs in the pit lane – orders Paolo Pezzini, the head of Aprilia’s PR team, who adds – if you bring only one, remember to take two front fairings”. For the obvious reason of the race numbers of Aleix Espargarò and Maverick Vinales.

The atmosphere is already warm, for all three categories because the wait after the winter break is always long and the tests always fail to recreate that atmosphere of waiting for a Grand Prix.

It is an extended family reuniting again, that of MotoGP which meets again for the first time of the year in Qatar. As always, a lot of things have changed, which is why it is a continuous coming and going of technicians, mechanics and managers who meet in the back of the pit lane to exchange wishes and feelings, perhaps, for a new job position, as was the case of Francesco Guidotti for example, who has moved from Ducati to KTM and Livio Soupo, who returns to the track with Suzuki after his sabbatical years at the helm of Thok, his e-bike company.

There is talk of the first Grand Prix, but also of the first problems.

“Having the Indonesian GP with a one-week gap after Qatar is a bit of a problem because it forces us all to go home – says Maio Meregalli, Yamaha team manager – on the other hand, there were obvious logistical concerns about moving all the material to Mandalika”.

There are also questions about the conditions of the track and the decision to have the race run at six in the afternoon, Losail time, four in Italy.

“We will have virtually only FP1 to find the set-up, then the riders will have to up the ante already in FP2 to get through the trap of Q1 – continues Maio – because in FP3 it is likely that the track won’t be as fast. And we hope the asphalt is clean”.

“The track is in the best possible condition, taking into account that we are in the desert – says Loris Capirossi – they sent the cleaning machines out. Logistics problems must be prevented and in any case the conditions, as always, are the same for everyone”.

The former world champion has definitely dropped into the role, and he expects an extremely hard-fought championship.

“From what we saw during the tests they are all within a second. I saw the Ducati very strong, as usual but, in my opinion, more in place at the moment with the GP21 than with the new GP22. And then Honda and Suzuki took a big step forward, especially the engine Suzuki”.

Capirossi: ” Marquez looks good, but he will have to get used to riding differently”

Among the protagonists the most awaited is obviously Marc Marquez.

“He looks good, but he has to, he will have to get used to riding a little differently, after the physical problems he had in the last two years. However, if a rider likes Mattia Pasini, despite his arm problems, got used to racing again, Marc will too”.

in the meantime A BMW 730 U arrives with Carmelo Ezpeleta inside, who was recently the subject of a video interview and the appearance of the Dorna boss, who manages in addition to MotoGP, i.e. Superbike and MotoE, shifts the attention to a series that will not race in Qatar but will make its first appearance in Jerez, Spain – MotoE. Thanks to the presence of Michele Pirro, we managed to find out some details of the new project involving Ducati, which recently tested in Vallelunga with Alex De Angelis.

Pirro: “With the Ducati MotoE two laps at Nardò at an average speed of 240 km/h”

“We did two full laps of the Nardò ring at full power, we aim to do a couple of laps more than the current race length. We were also able to reduce the weight.”

How much? Michele remains buttoned up, there is talk of about 25 kg and Manuel Poggiali, former world champion in 125 and 250, today coach in the Gresini team declares: “that’s worth three seconds alone”.

There is no logical connection between one topic and another, so Pirro wonders out loud as a kind of provocation: “In your opinion, how long will it take our opponents to copy the front lowering device? I know it’s inevitable, but they will. At the same time, however, they complain… if they want to copy they should do it, but in silence: I worked on that system for a year”.

It is the destiny of the best to be copied and in any case racing is like this: continuously catching up. Gigi Dall’Igna is the Adrian Newey – the designer of the F1 Red Bull – of motorcycling: he doesn’t just improve, he innovates.

A thousand topics intertwine in the back of the pit lane. One more day of chit-chat, then from Friday, finally, it’s time to let the stopwatch do all the talking. The only judge of everyone’s work.

2021 MotoGP season was an extended rookie campaign

All of MotoGP’s 2020 rookies had their first seasons in the premier class completely upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the campaign to start in July and take in just nine tracks across 14 races.

Binder proved one of the breakout stars of 2020, scoring a sensational maiden win for himself and KTM in just his third start in last year’s Czech Grand Prix.

He scored another win in 2021 after a heroic gamble to stay on slicks on a wet track at the end of the flag-to-flag Austrian GP, ​​but that was the only highlight of a largely difficult year on an inconsistent KTM package.

Despite only qualifying five times inside the top 10, Binder’s race craft meant he salvaged 11 top 10 results to end the year sixth in the standings.

“This season has been a massive challenge,” Binder began. “We’ve had some ups and downs this season, but in general it’s been a lot tougher than what we thought we’d have.

“The way we finished last season, we expected to come into this year feeling a lot more prepared and a lot more ready.

“But the reality was we were just a tiny bit slower than we needed to be.

“That really made life a lot more difficult going forward. I think we’ve done the best job we could have and we’re ready to make improvements.”

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When asked if felt this year was basically an extension of his rookie season, he added: “In a way, I think so because not just new tracks.

“But if you look at it, I only really had six months on the MotoGP bike last year and it’s not enough really.

“I felt at the beginning of this season I wasn’t riding as well as I wanted to and was still making a lot of mistakes, whereas the second half of the year – even though it’s been a little bit more difficult – I feel my riding has been much better and I’ve always been bringing home the maximum possible on the day.

“So, I’m happy with the steps we’ve made.

“We had such big expectations for ourselves before arrived to Qatar, and as things fell short of our expectations it was difficult to really understand why and what’s going on.

“But I think we did a good job in the second half of this year in finding out where we need to improve, what our weak and what our strong points are.”

SA’s Brad Binder starts 2022 MotoGP season with a stellar performance, takes 2nd place

Brad Binder of South Africa and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rides during the MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar at Losail Circuit on March 04, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.

Photo by Steve Wobser/Getty Images

South Africa’s MotoGP hero Brad Binder opened the Qatar season-opening race with a terrific performance. The local rider finished the race in second place behind Enea Bastianini.

Binder started the season’s qualifying session on Friday with the fastest time and then qualified to start seventh on the grid for Sunday’s race.

Binder got off the line in great form, going straight to third place from the start in seventh from the grid. He took second place fairly early in the race and managed to keep his position throughout the race until the last few laps and slipped back to third.

Pol Espargaro lost his second place with just a few laps to go, handing the place back to Binder, his brother Aleix Espargaro was fourth behind Binder.

Marc Marquez stayed on Binder’s tail in fourth place during the race, but slipped down to fifth at the end of the race. Joan Mir in sixth. Alex Rin finished seventh.

Jack Muller retired from the race Alex Marquez, Miguel Olivera crashed out in separate incidents.

Pecco Bagnaia fell while in Turn 1 during the 12th lap and took himself out of the race along with Jorge Martin.

Darryn Binder, who started his debut premium class race at the back of the grid in 24th place worked his way up to 16th place with a great effort.

This is a developing story…

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Espargaro and new Honda RC213V power to podium in Qatar

Pol Espargaro showed off the incredible potential of the new Repsol Honda Team RC213V with a brilliant third place finish ahead of Marc Marquez, who with a fifth place finish sees the Repsol Honda Team leading the Teams’ World Championship. Leading most of the race with Marquez close behind, Espargaro proved the potential of himself and the new package from Honda HRC. The Qatar weekend as a whole has been hugely positive and productive for both sides of the Repsol Honda Team garage as Espargaro and Marquez consistently ran with front-running pace.

There was no missing the power and precision of the Repsol Honda Team RC213V off the line as Pol Espargaro rocketed forward to lead from sixth on the grid, teammate Marc Marquez, who has started third, tucking in just behind him after the first corner. The pair settled into a steady rhythm in the opening laps as the MotoGP field fought behind them.

Espargaro’s pace didn’t relent as he steadily worked his way further forward, opening up an advantage of a full second towards the middle of the race. On lap 11 of 22, the #44 set his fastest lap of the race as he tried to maintain his lead. Expecting another kind of race all together, Espargaro spent the closing stages of the Qatar GP managing his tires and fuel and soon found himself with Enea Bastianini for company. As the young Italian passed on the start of lap 18, the extra speed from his slipstream sent Espargaro wide at the first corner – ending his challenge for victory and seeing Espargaro hold steady for third.

This is Espargaro’s second podium finish with the Repsol Honda Team. Having led 17 laps today, Espargaro more than doubles the amount of race laps led in his MotoGP career. This is Espargaro’s best result in Qatar and his first podium finish at the opening round.

After his lightning start, Marquez held strong as the likes of Brad Binder, Joan Mir and Bastianini piled on the pressure in the opening laps. Wanting more from the front tyre, the #93 lapped in the high 1’54s for most of the race as he defended his position in the top three. Taking home a safe fifth place when the flag came out of positions Marquez well for the rest of the year, the eight-time World Champion knowing full well that seasons aren’t won at the first race.

Now the MotoGP World Championship prepares to head back to the Mandalika circuit in Indonesia for Round Two on March 20. The race will see MotoGP return to Indonesia for the first time since 1997, when Tadyuki Okada won the 500cc race on his NSR500 from Repsol Honda Team teammate Mick Doohan and Alex Criville.

SBK, Vierge: “I improved in Portimao with the Honda CBR RR-R”

Honda has demonstrated that it wants to do things big in 2022, and they amazed everyone in the MotoGP by presenting a completely new RC213V, which proved to be clearly superior in the tests than the bike that preceded. Now they have to figure out if the CBR 1000 RR-R will allow rookies like the Lecuona and Vierge to establish themselves in the SBK.

HRC concluded two days of tests in Portimão, strictly behind closed doors. This allowed the riders and team to focus solely on the track and on the work that needed to be done. Although it’s a bike with already two seasons of racing behind it, the CBR is still a young project that needs to be explored to the fullest before it can express its potential and, according to the two riders, the direction they’re taking seems to be the right one. The next stop for the team will be Jerez, where Lecuona and Vierge will return February 22nd and 23rd in order to better prepare for the season.

“I’m really happy with my sensations on the Honda on this track,” Vierge said, “since we only tested in Jerez so far. At first, I felt like I had never ridden on this track. Lap after lap, I started to get used to the sensationsto gain confidence and better understand the style and speed required.”

As a rookie in the category, Vierge has already started working on defining a set-up that will let him be completely at ease on the bike.
“I really enjoyed it. We started testing several different parts and set-ups, focusing on the electronics and geometry of the bike. A very positive thing is that we were able to improve with every ride, without problems and without delays. Today’s temperatures were a bit colder than we expected after yesterday’s perfect weather, but we completed a long run, and it was very useful for me and the team to see how it went and how I felt.”

In short, the outcome was positive for Xavi.
“During these two days, we completed a lot of laps and collected a lot of information that will help the technicians prepare for the next test. We have to continue like this, because we’re working well and in the right direction.”

Iker Lecuona expressed the same satisfaction. He’s probably the rider everyone is most eager to see, given his experience in the MotoGP with KTM. Iker seems to have a clear idea of ​​the direction to follow in developing the CBR.

“I’m really happy because we improved a lot these two days,” Iker said, “both in terms of my feeling on the bike and the overall performance of the CBR. We worked on the tires on Thursday and also tested some new parts, making good progress and lapping very steadily. The weather wasn’t that great today. It was colder and windy, and the asphalt was also much colder than yesterday. But we made progress anyway, and that’s good news.”

They used the word “feeling” often because no rider is able to take a bike to its limit without it.
“I’m also happy that my feeling with the bike was similar both here and in Jerez. Two very different tracks. The strengths and the ones we need to improve are essentially the same on both circuits, which means that our direction is clear. Now we have to think about Jerez, because we need to continue working in this direction.”

REV’IT! Supporting Three MotoAmerica Riders For 2022 Season – MotoAmerica

Petrucci in REV’IT! leathers during preseason testing at Portimao. Photo courtesy of GPone.com.

REV’IT! Sport International, makers of technical motorcycle apparel, has announced that it is approaching 2022 with a renewed focus on riders competing in professional motorcycle racing at the national level, and that includes the Auto Parts 4 Less MotoAmerica series.

The company, with headquarters in Oss, Netherlands, and offices in Denver, Colorado, is supporting Medallia Superbike riders Danilo Petrucci and PJ Jacobsen, as well as YUASA Stock 1000 rider Gene Buonomo. Petrucci, Jacobsen, and Buonomo will wear Tech-Air-compatible REV’IT! one-piece leather racing suits, along with a combination of in-house-developed, CE-certified SEEFLEX, SEESOFT, and SEESMART protection.

Jacobsen in REV’IT! leathers during preseason testing at Roebling Road Raceway. Photo courtesy of Tytlers Cycle Racing.

While Petrucci and Jacobsen are outfitted in custom-tailored REV’IT! suits, Buonomo is wearing a production-ready Scorpio suit, which is a direct descendant of the leathers that Petrucci wore when he raced in the MotoGP World Championship. All three riders will also wear top-of-the-line REV’IT! Jerez 3 gloves.

In January, and after a decade in MotoGP where he earned 10 podiums and two race wins, 31-year-old Petrucci wowed Dakar Rally competitors and fans alike with his stunning victory in the fifth stage of the grueling off-road endurance event. Now, the Italian will focus on MotoAmerica’s Medallia Superbike class where he will race the #9 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V4 R.

Jacobsen also is racing in MotoAmerica’s premier class. He’ll be aboard the #66 BMW M 1000 RR as a member of the new Tytlers Cycle Racing team. The 28-year-old New Yorker has raced at the highest level in production-bike competition and finished second overall in the 2015 FIM Supersport World Championship. Returning to the U.S., Jacobsen competed in MotoAmerica Supersport in 2019 (finishing as runner-up in the championship) followed by MotoAmerica Stock 1000 in 2020.

Buonomo in REV’IT! leathers during the 2022 Daytona 200. Photo courtesy of Gene Buonomo.

Three-time American Sportbike Racing Association GTU Team Challenge Champion Buonomo will race the #197 Generosa Motorsports Kawasaki ZX-10R this year in YUASA Stock 1000. The New Jersey-based rider also competed in last month’s Daytona 200.

About REV’IT! Sport International
REV’IT! Sport International is an industry leader in technical motorcycle apparel, expanding the boundaries of function and style for more than 25 years. The company continues its tradition of design, innovation and performance to improve standards of safety for the global riding community and to inspire motorcyclists everywhere to explore the world. Learn more at revitsport.com.

For the full 2022 MotoAmerica schedule and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, click HERE

For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, click HERE

Aragon WorldSBK: Michael Van Der Mark in race against time to be fit | World Superbikes

Van Der Mark, who suffered the accident a few weeks ago, missed last week’s crucial two-day test in Catalunya.

With most of the grid in attendance it was an opportunity to see where each team stacked up relative to its competition, however, Van Der Mark, who is the second most experienced BMW rider behind Eugene Laverty, is yet to ride his M 1000 RR at any 2022 pre-season test.

Van Der Mark was instead replaced by Ukrainian rider Ilya Michalchik who competes for BMW in EWC (Endurance World Championship), which will once again be the case during the lone official WorldSBK pre-season test at Aragon on April 4-5.

Although Michalchik did a solid job on his WorldSBK debut, the German manufacturer was way off the pace across both its teams, highlighting the need for Van Der Mark’s ability, but also valuable experience on the M 1000 RR.

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A machine that’s set for its second competitive season of world championship racing, the M 1000 RR was expected to make considerable improvements compared to 2021, but at this early stage that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Getting Van Der Mark back will go a long way in evaluating the bike’s true performance, something that may have to wait until after the opening round.

Speaking about when he could be back, Van Der Mark is hopeful of making it in time for next weekend’s race, although the Dutchman says ‘we need to be more realistic’.

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“The incident with my mountain bike has happened just over two weeks ago now and luckily, I had a surgery last week with which the recovery started,” added Van Der Mark.

“That makes you a bit happier mentally although you know it’s a long way to go, but I am making good progress day by day.

“My goal is to be back on the bike as soon as possible, but we have to be realistic. I know that for the Aragon test that Ilya will be on my bike but for the Aragón race, we will decide.

“Of course, I want to ride my bike. I miss my bike; I miss working with the guys so I want race but we have to be sure that if I do that I will not be in trouble for the rest of the year.

“So, Aragon is my goal but maybe the closer we get, we need to be more realistic. As a rider, you want to ride your bike. I try to improve every day so I look at the situation day by day and I think we will decide close to the first race.”

Are BMW suffering similar problems to that of Aprilia and KTM during their early years in MotoGP?

Until two seasons ago, Aprilia and KTM remained a considerable way off the likes of Honda, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki.

And while the gap has now completely closed – any of the six current manufacturers in MotoGP can win on any given weekend – the development struggles it took to reach those heights didn’t go unnoticed.

Starting from scratch, both Aprilia and KTM had to build prototype bikes from the ground up, therefore experience was also keeping them a step behind.

Aprilia joined the premier class in 2015 but were unable to claim a podium until last season, while KTM joined MotoGP in 2017 and managed just one rostrum in its first three seasons, courtesy of Pol Espargaro at Valencia 2018.

BMW introduced its M 1000 RR due to the previous S 1000 RR model failing to reach the required level, and while it was a machine that excited many, a lack of consistent pace has been very evident, that’s despite clinching a race win in Portimao.

That victory came in wet conditions as Van Der Mark produced a brilliant performance, one that wasn’t necessarily showing the bike’s strengths, but rather his ability.

It goes without saying that BMW has the rider line-up to win as all four of its riders have won in WorldSBK – the only manufacturer who can say that – but at the same time pre-season testing has suggested them to be last in terms of bike performance.