The British Grand Prix formed the second round of the 2021 MXGP and the spectacular sprawl of the Matterley Basin circuit saw Tony Cairoli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing claim his first victory of the season.

The rough, sticky ground at Matterley Basin provided a quick and technical challenge for the three MXGP riders and three MX2 riders of Red Bull KTM for the first of six Grands Prix to be held over the next seven weeks. A cool, cloudy and rainy climate blanketed the southern England venue, drawing 4,000 noisy spectators to the facility.

MXGP

Timed practice saw a Red Bull KTM 1-2 with Tony Cairoli setting the fastest lap just ahead of Jeffrey Herlings, securing two KTM 450 SX-Fs first in the starting grid. Jorge Prado, 6th, seized the first holeshot but was overtaken by Cairoli in the first lap. With Herlings pushing for 3rd place at the halfway point (and keeping world champion Tim Gajser in his perch), Red Bull KTM went 1-2-3 with Cairoli winning his first checkered flag of the season. and his first since his triumph over at home last summer.

The second race provided fantastic entertainment with up to five riders vying for the lead and the overall podium. Cairoli secured 3rd place to ensure his overall triumph and Herlings finished 4th after being cautious when rains created slippery conditions around English soil. The Dutchman finished 3rd of the day for this second consecutive trophy. Jorge Prado was part of the group, but a poor assessment of his set-up forced him to return to 7th. The Spaniard finished the GP in 5th position, which means all three Red Bull KTM athletes have occupied the top five places in the UK.

Tony Cairoli: “In fact, I enjoyed the second run more because there were a lot of overtaking and it was nice to be back in this type of battle. The track was getting nice and it was a good race.

“I had two quick starts today. The first victory was nice, especially after the disappointment of being so close in Russia two weeks ago. We lost a lot of points back then, but today it was positive and I had a great time. I can’t wait to race in Italy now.

Jeffrey Herling: “Our goal this year is to get on the podium as much as possible. It has been proven in the past that if you do this almost every weekend you will be there or around the end of the season for the Championship.

“Both bikes were okay, nothing too impressive.

“I don’t have the speed yet. I can do it in the morning for one lap but I haven’t got it for the whole race yet. I’m not far off though and there are some good leads for me ahead.

Jorge Prado: “Today was good in some ways, but a bit negative with this second race. I had been struggling with the trail since morning and how flat it was. I knew the start would be important to me. I got the hole but I made a small mistake and Tony walked past. It was pretty good because he was driving very well: I could stay behind him and he led me.

“Physically, I felt strong in the second heat, which is positive for the next races, but I didn’t have the feeling with the bike or the settings. It was too difficult for me to turn, turn on the gas and go with the others when they were full. I was too slow, even taking a few risks. So, we have to look at this.

“We will continue to work. It will come. I am in the right place.

MX2

MX2 rookie Mattia Guadagnini was Britain’s top finisher. The Italian made his way to fourth in race one in an entertaining fight for the podium places. He then controlled the second race from the front. Guadagnini not only won what was only his fourth Grand Prix race, but also stepped onto the general stand in his second MX2 appearance in Red Bull KTM Factory Racing colors.

René Hofer finished ninth overall in a day of contrasting fortunes. The Austrian made a mistake at the start of the first heat and ended up riding with the leaders but with one lap late. He finished 30th and out of points. In the second heat, the 19-year-old was blazingly fast and fought for the podium, ultimately taking third place for a valuable 20 points.

MX2 world champion Tom Vialle attempted free practice but the pain in his right hand was too much for the Frenchman to consider both races at Matterley Basin. Vialle had suffered an abnormal and irreproachable training accident just five days before and will now be aiming for the third round for a return to action.

Mattia Gaudagnini: “I am so, so happy. I knew from Russia that I was driving well. My starts were good and I felt good with the bike and on the track during the first round. I had a lot of fun fighting for P2. My goal was to be at the forefront of the second race and I succeeded. I did my own race. I focused on the race like I was training and tried not to think about the GP. I couldn’t be happier than now.

René Hofer: “It was a bittersweet day. I missed the start of the first run and had a small crash on the second lap. Unfortunately, I was not able to restart the bike quickly. I still finished the race but all chances of getting on the podium have of course disappeared. It was a shame because I felt really good and I love Matterley. So for the second run I was really motivated and got a good start. I was in P2 for a long time and I had very good fights with the French. The track was amazing and had a lot of line choices so it was super fun and with P3 I took second in the top three of my career. I ended the day on a good note and that is why we will go with great confidence to the next round at Maggiora. Thanks to the team for all the effort: it’s good that we bounced back in the second round!

Tom Vialle: “I had a training crash on Wednesday with another driver who hit me hard. I’m pissed off because it wasn’t my fault. I’m a little hurt but it’s not that bad. I think I need a few more days. I was in pain and we wanted to play it safe. It was better to miss today and think of Italy instead.

The MXGP of Italy will see the World Championship rumble around the Maggiora Hills for the first time in five years with the third round of the series next weekend.

More from Matterley Basin

Published on: 08/09/2021 – 17:36

Spielberg (Austria) (AFP)

MotoGP circuit riders, including world champion Joan Mir and seven-time champion Valentino Rossi, called the Red Bull Ring “dangerous” after another serious crash on the track at the Styrian GP on Sunday.

Mir and Rossi both criticized Turn 3 in particular, the site of Sunday’s crash which saw a red flag roll out for the third consecutive race at the Red Bull Ring.

The track will also host the Austrian GP next Sunday.

“T3 is critical, really dangerous, especially in the wet,†said Mir, who finished second in Sunday’s race.

“What is also very dangerous on this track are the T1 and T3 because at the exit of these turns there is a climb then it goes down. And if something happens there, you don’t see it. . “

On lap three, KTM rider Dani Pedrosa fell into turn 3. Several riders just missed him before Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori hit his bike.

The bikes came to a stop in the middle of the track and caught fire.

Pedrosa, back in MotoGP after two years as a test rider, has moved away but Savadori has been removed on a stretcher and will be operated on Monday for a fractured right ankle.

The hot fuel spilled onto the runway before the marshals extinguished the fire. They then had to clean up the debris and extinguishing fluid and dry the track before the race resumed.

The crash was reminiscent of the crashes at two races last year, which once again saw the Styrian and Austrian GPs compete.

In the premiere, Franco Morbidelli collided at high speed with Johann Zarco at turn 2.

Their unmanned bikes ripped through the course and nearly collided with Rossi and Maverick Vinales on the next turn.

Then, a week later, Vinales’ Yamaha crashed into the safety barriers following a brake problem.

“What happened today could have happened anywhere,” Rossi said on Sunday.

“This track has three or four wild braking points. The most dangerous is turn 3. It’s dangerous for the brakes too.

“That explains what Maverick got last year. I don’t know what we can do.”

– ‘Nothing happens’ –

While the drivers, who will be back on the same track for the Austrian GP on Sunday, may be grateful that no serious injuries have occurred, there is frustration that their complaints have so far remained in the limelight. deaf ear.

“We say we have to change a few things over the past three years, but nothing is happening,†said Aleix Espargaro.

“It’s disappointing that nothing has been done. You can’t imagine how far we’ve pushed.”

In Moto2, on Sunday, there was another accident when the Italian Enea Bastianini lost control of his motorcycle at the exit of the first corner and collided with Hafizh Syahrin.

“There are critical points, but for sure turn 3 is critical because normally that’s where we always have accidents or they have to stop,” MotoGP winner Jorge Martin said on Sunday. , which took a slightly more optimistic note.

“It looks like in the future the layout will be different, so I think they will solve that problem because we come at a very high speed in this corner and there is also a climb afterwards, when you open the throttle.

“You can’t see and maybe that’s why Savadori crashed. So I think in the future everything will be fine.”

Faced with their protests this weekend, the Red Bull Ring again promised changes but the circuit did not respond to AFP’s request for comment on Sunday night.

© 2021 AFP

It quickly became clear at the start of the year that Mercedes would not have an easy road to the title in 2021.

After seven years of no serious competition for the drivers ‘or constructors’ title, the reigning world champions suddenly found themselves in the background. Red Bull emerged as the team to beat in pre-season testing as Mercedes struggled to adapt its 2020 car to regulatory changes aimed at slowing down the entire peloton to protect Pirelli’s tires.

The rule changes clearly impacted Mercedes’ design concept more than its rivals, but it had the benefit of creating one of the most competitive seasons to date, as Red Bull finally got its mark. car and engine together from the first race.

Hamilton strikes the first shots

Despite Mercedes’ early struggles, Hamilton still won the opening race in Bahrain before the two championship contenders began trading wins in the first third of the season. Hamilton’s biggest points advantage came after a dominant victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, but it was his last win in 11 races and was followed by his worst performance of the year in Monaco, where he finished disappointing seventh despite teammate Valtteri Bottas running in the top three before a pitstop problem.

A decisive point for both drivers came at the Azerbaijani Grand Prix in Baku. Verstappen looked set for a comfortable victory for most of the race until his right rear tire exploded to over 200 mph with just five laps remaining. The crash forced him to retire and resulted in the race being suspended as track workers cleaned up the mess, presenting a direct fight between Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Hamilton for the win.

Hamilton escaped better on the restart, but left his car in the wrong brake setting before the first corner and deep into the second lap, dropping him to the back of the field. Just as Verstappen saw 25 points disappear in the blink of an eye with his tire failure, Hamilton did on restart, with Perez winning the race.

Verstappen quickly put Baku’s disappointment behind him and then gained momentum with a victory against the tide at the French Grand Prix and two dominant performances at the local Red Bull circuit in Austria. It looked like Verstappen and Red Bull had finally created the momentum to take a decisive lead in the championship, but that was when the British Grand Prix came at Silverstone.

The first major flash point

The battle between Verstappen and Hamilton was so close that it seemed inevitable that they would collide at some point in the season. The two had come close to clashing in Italy (Imola), Portugal and Spain, but Hamilton always backed up at the last minute to avoid a last-minute collision.

At Silverstone, Hamilton was the aggressor, coming from behind and having to make a move to stop Verstappen’s championship momentum. After the two fought for position for the first two-thirds of the lap, it became increasingly clear that the battle should be decided before or in the Copse Corner at 190 mph. The wide right-hand turn is just wide enough to accommodate two cars driving behind the wheel, but it requires impeccable judgment on the part of both drivers as well as a willingness to make room for space.

As Hamilton put his car inside, Verstappen showed no desire to give it more room and as the front of Hamilton’s car was wide on a tighter angle, the cars got tangled. In a split second, Verstappen’s car was in a four-wheel slip and on its way to a horrific accident.

The car came to a stop so suddenly against the barriers that 51 times the force of gravity was applied to both man and machine from 190 mph. Verstappen was fortunate enough to make it unaided, but he followed the circuit doctor’s advice to go straight to the hospital for further check-ups. Hamilton, meanwhile, continued on track and, despite a 10-second penalty for causing the crash, won the race.

From that point on, the nature of the championship battle changed. Hamilton won a much-needed 25-point swing in his favor in the standings, but Verstappen seemed more determined than ever to claim the title.

Collision two at Monza

The next time the two riders found themselves in a wheel-to-wheel battle it was in the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix at the Roggia chicane. Fighting for second, Verstappen again left Hamilton no room, forcing the Mercedes through the second lap and leaving Hamilton at the bottom of the order.

A slow pit stop for Verstappen later in the race put them back on a collision course at the first chicane on lap 26, but this time no driver was willing to give in. Hamilton, who had just come out of his own pit stop, appeared to have claimed the position, but Verstappen let his car’s nose into the turn and the two made contact, throwing the Red Bull over the Mercedes.

Verstappen’s right rear tire made contact with Hamilton’s helmet as he passed over the Mercedes and only the halo shield of Hamilton’s car cockpit kept his head from being crushed. Both pilots withdrew from the race following the collision and, once again, the battle lines were dug deeper thanks to media comments.

Hamilton eventually claimed his 100th Grand Prix victory at the Russian Grand Prix at the end of September, regaining the championship lead while Verstappen finished second despite starting from the back of the grid due to an engine penalty. Hamilton took his own engine in Turkey, losing it by 10 grid places, but was only able to come back to fifth place as Verstappen took second behind Bottas.

Hamilton comes back from the brink

But just as Mercedes looked set for a resurgence, Verstappen responded with back-to-back wins in the United States and Mexico. The victory in Mexico was particularly dominant and seemed to put Verstappen on the path to title glory, with the form guide suggesting he would make it a hat-trick in the next round in Brazil.

Verstappen’s chances only seemed to strengthen when the rear wing of Hamilton’s car failed a routine test after the session in Friday’s qualifying and he was sent to the back of the grid for the sprint race Saturday. But the disqualification seemed to start a fire under Hamilton, and armed with another fresh engine, he pushed his way through the field in both the sprint race and the grand prix to clinch a momentous victory on Sunday.

Chaos in Arabia

Hamilton gained momentum with a dominant victory in Qatar, taking him to the penultimate round in Saudi Arabia with the possibility of leveling the points with Verstappen if he wins the race ahead of Red Bull. This is exactly what happened, but the way the two pilots got there was almost unbelievable. In a two-man battle for the head in which Verstappen twice jumped Turn 2 trying to defend his position and was twice told to surrender the position, Hamilton ultimately came out on top, but only after another controversial collision.

This one was the weirder of the three this season, as Verstappen slowed down to let Hamilton pass only for the Mercedes driver to slow down behind him for fear of giving Verstappen the DRS advantage in the next straight. The collision damaged Hamilton’s front wing, and Verstappen was later blamed by flight attendants after it appeared he had braked just ahead of Hamilton.

The result left them level on points heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but this remarkable season had yet one final twist in history.

An incredible finish

The first lap sparked controversy when Verstappen forced Hamilton to turn 6 to briefly take the lead, before Hamilton cut through turn 7 and rejoined the track in the first place. Red Bull was furious, calling on Hamilton to surrender the position, but the commissioners determined no investigation was necessary as any advantage Verstappen had gained by pushing Hamilton away was nullified by Hamilton skipping the second part of the chicane .

The Mercedes driver then extended his lead midway through the race, with Verstappen’s chances fading as he struggled to keep pace with Mercedes. Hamilton appeared to be chasing an eighth world title before things turned around on lap 53, when Nicholas Latifi crashed his Williams under the W hotel at turn 14.

The crash knocked out the safety car, allowing Verstappen to pit for new tires while Hamilton stayed on track. Red Bull had nothing to lose by making the late pit stop, while Hamilton risked giving up the lead when it was not yet clear whether the race would end under the Safety Car.

Latifi’s car was fully cleared on the penultimate lap, allowing the race to continue for a final lap. However, there were five overtaken cars on the route between Hamilton and Verstappen following the Verstappen pit stop and there was little time for the entire peloton to run according to normal car restart rules. security.

Under pressure from Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, race director Michael Masi agreed to let the five cars come undone while the rest of the field had to stay in position. The decision was hugely controversial and unprecedented, leading Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff to vent his frustration on Masi via the team’s FIA radio.

Despite Mercedes’ anger at the way the restart was handled, the race resumed with one lap remaining and Verstappen used his cooler tires to pass Hamilton for the lead in Turn 5. Hamilton fired back at Turn 6. , 7 and 8 but did not have quite the speed to attempt a move around the outside at Turn 9.

Verstappen won the race and, with it, his first world title. It remains to be seen whether the debate over the safety car period will end with the checkered flag, which means the longest season in F1 history may not be over yet.

01.10.2021 |
Christina bulpett |
MotoGP

Red Bull KTM’s Raul Fernandez put in a stunning performance in the Southern States after securing the Moto2 standings in Friday’s practice in Austin.

It was Ajo’s lockdown again at the top of times as Remy Gardner joined his teammate in second, Sam Lowes rounding out the top three with Jake Dixon finishing eighth after the day’s two 40-minute sessions.

Blue skies but a still wet track sent the Moto2 riders on wet tires as Friday’s practice began. The middle class is expected to trade in for some dry Dunlop rubber after the first few rounds of exploration as the Texas heat soars. Stefano Manzi was forced out of the entire race on Friday after being deemed to have broken the practice rules by replacing Andy Verdoïa at GMT94 Yamaha for the WorldSSP round in Jerez last weekend.

Tony Arbolino was in the lead at the start of the session, Marco Bezzecchi and local man Cameron Beaubier occupied second and third places before new Speed ​​Up recruit Fermín Aldeguer came out on top with a time of 2 ’26 .982. Liqui rider Moly Intact improved again, by 0.064 seconds, Augusto Fernandez having fun in third place next time around.

Joe Roberts waited until his home track was adapted to slicks before heading out for his FP1 laps, with the American taking to the track with 25 minutes remaining on the Italtrans Kalex – his future now confirmed with the team throughout. run through the 2022 season alongside Lorenzo Dalla Porta, while Tetsuta Nagashima sees the rest of 2021 for the injured Italian.

Lowes entered the top three halfway, the Briton setting a 2’22.397 to sit two seconds ahead of the next best effort, before Hafizh Syahrin and Roberts joined him on either side in the top. five. In the lead, Marcos Ramirez and Somkiat Chantra fought for the lead, with the American Racing driver winning with 17 minutes remaining.

The final 10 minutes found the pace improved to 2’16.777, Syahrin in charge of Ramirez, Chantra, Marcel Schrotter and Lowes with Roberts and Dixon circulating sixth and seventh. Lowes fought for the lead with his 10th effort of the morning before Syahrin fired again, with the NTS runner scoring the first 2’15 of the day.

Ramirez regained control in his team’s home round with five minutes to go, the 2’14.8 Spaniard being improved next time by Schrotter as Fernandez and Gardner finally came in, second and third, after a Unusually moderate opening session for Red Bull. riders.

The late charges from Dixon and Aron Canet saw the duo shoot to the top of the times as the standings began to change. The penultimate minute demoted Gardner to seventh place while Jorge Navarro retired his Speed ​​Up in the last corner.

Times were on fire when the flag came out, with Fernandez denying Ramirez in the dying seconds with a 2’13.589 before Bo Bendsneyder drove another demotion as he claimed second place. Schrotter led Augusto Fernandez, Dixon and Beaubier in the top seven, the last Marc VDS of Lowes ending the morning in 14th position.

The afternoon brought blue skies and southern heat, with air temperatures reaching 30C as the track warmed up in the 1940s.

Gardner took matters into his own right from the start, 2’12.424 the new time to beat, and with the screens flashing red in all areas, it wouldn’t be too far.

Lowes challenged Bezzecchi to the top next time around before Fernandez’s second KTM improved them both. Navarro suffered his third stop of the day in the third sector on his fourth lap before returning to the pits.

Fernandez honed his time on his fourth FP2 effort, setting a stunning 2’10.876 seven-tenths ahead of Arbolino and Lowes on his second visit to the Texan track while still sailing on his fractured hand.

Dixon was back in the top 10 as the session continued, with the Briton just over a second behind the best in KTM and vying for a midterm promotion. Roberts was in a similar position from 13th while Gardner found himself just adrift, 15th after struggling with the tough circuit and his Ajo machine in need of extensive repairs.

Ramirez returned to his morning prowess with second place as the afternoon rolled by, Bendsneyder taking third with 11 minutes remaining and half a second separating the top four, back to Lowes, in the stages. finals.

Augusto Fernandez was riding in sixth position before the second Marc VDS machine, and Bezzecchi improved to overtake the Briton and take the third and fourth. Lowes, however, was far from done. Reaching the top with a 2’10.534 from Canet, before the KTM rookie improved again. Dixon was the next to shine, in fourth place, before being also reduced to seventh place with five minutes remaining.

The KTM charge was back in force as the session neared its climax, Fernandez dominating with a 2’09.880 with Gardner two tenths behind for second and Lowes coming back for third.

American Racing put in a strong performance at home as Ramirez and Beaubier ran in 10th and 12th while Roberts finished the session in 20th.

Click here for timetables

2022_JEREZ_MotoGP____TEST_OFFICIEL_classification_2

2022_JEREZ_MotoGP ____ TEST_OFFICIEL_sessions_combinée_2

More, from a press release released by Dorna:

# 2022Loading: Bagnaia hits back, Honda continues to make headlines in Jerez

Ducati returns to the top of the timesheets as Pecco clears away, but there is a lot more to see in the pit lane on Day 2

Friday, November 19, 2021

Less than half a second from the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto lap record, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished the two days of the official MotoGP â„¢ Jerez 2022 test at the top of the timesheets, as we could see. ‘expect it based on the recent form of Italian. Pecco’s 1: 36.872 saw him beat Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in the overall standings by four tenths, with 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) third. But the timesheets were far from the whole story …

Straight out of the blocks on Friday, driving a 2022 prototype Рthe new engine, front fairing, air intake and more РBagnaia only broke the all-time lap record by 0.3 seconds of Maverick Vi̱ales, apparently a sign that Ducati entered 2022 tests carrying the momentum with which they ended the season.

As for the engine, a big topic of discussion at all factories for the Jerez test and beyond, Ducati won’t be deciding on its specs until Mandalika’s test in February. In addition to the front fairing and air intake, the second biggest difference seen at the Ducatis factory was the new, much longer exhaust. Pecco and his teammate Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) were using it on days 1 and 2, it will be interesting to see if he makes an appearance in the Sepang and Mandalika tests next year.

And at the end of the two days, Pecco finished 0.4 seconds ahead after 42 more laps on the second day, adding to his 68 from Thursday, and was very satisfied with the work done in Jerez. Johann Zarco’s opening day (Pramac Racing) sees the Frenchman sit P4 on the combined timesheets, the second fastest Ducati, and he completed 65 more laps on Day 2. After 78 already completed on Thursday, Zarco was one of the busiest drivers in the Jerez test in terms of laps.

Miller and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) were busy testing the 2022 parts over the two days, the Australian was 9th on Friday and 10th overall, while Martin was 18th out of both. Luca Marini (VR46 Racing Team) is the other driver in the Desmosedici ranks who will be on the last spec machines in 2022, and the Italian was 14th on the timesheets after completing 56 laps on day 2. The old one Teammate Enea Bastianini (Team Gresini Racing MotoGP) finished both days in P5 overall as the double first class podium tackled her GP21.

Ducati has two rookies in its line for 2022, both driving GP21s, and the fastest rookie over the two days was Fabio Di Giannantonio (Team Gresini Racing MotoGP). The Italian had an impressive 1.6 second lead over Bagnaia after completing 45 laps on Day 2, seeing the 2021 race winner Jerez Moto2 â„¢ do 93 total times. Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Racing Team) finished 2.4 seconds behind his good friend Bagnaia after two days on the bike, a mad effort from the Italian, who got 115 laps before further practice next year.

As has been well documented, Honda has a brand new bike for 2022. It is the only machine being tested that looks completely new, with all other manufacturers having variations and adaptations from what we did. saw in 2021. Engine, chassis, aero, air intake, exhaust position… you name it. HRC have worked tirelessly to bring a new RC213V look to the grille, and at first glance things seem to be going well.

The absence of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) at the Jerez Test was bad news but the presence of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) was very good news, the number 44 back despite his highside Turn 13 in Valencia. On Day 1 Pol Espargaro admitted he was riding – unsurprisingly – with rib and wrist pain, with Nakagami and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) doing all the work on the new bike on Thursday. LCR boss Lucio Cecchinello also said that at one point there were six bikes in the LCR garage for Nakagami and Marquez.

However, on day 2 Pol Espargaro got his hands on the 2022 prototype. Pitlane reporter Simon Crafar confirmed that the Spaniard now has better rear grip, and the number 44 has tried different packages as well. aerodynamics with the new bike. Nakagami finished second overall and seventh on Friday, while Pol Espargaro set his fastest time in practice on the new bike to finish fourth on Friday and seventh overall. Alex Marquez also went faster on Day 2 as the three Honda riders head into winter with a really good idea of ​​what the 2022 bike needs to be faster. Overall, it appears to be a positive test for HRC.

The new Yamaha chassis from Day 1 underwent some modifications on Friday, and despite testing and a new fairing, as well as further engine testing, Quartararo said it was struggling to find a clear positive step: time. the ride with the motorcycle was too similar to the old specification. He’s looking for better power, less wheeling and more rear grip for next year. He finished second on Friday and third overall, while Nakagami ranks second on the combined Thursday-Friday timesheets.

Quartararo’s teammate Franco Morbidelli also had a new front fairing, with the same “fenders†but a different and more rounded fairing. The side fairing was also different, likely to aid cooling – a purpose apparently similar to Suzuki’s.

Andrea Dovizioso (WithU RNF Yamaha MotoGP) is now on the Yamaha 2022, but not quite the same as the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP lineup. The Italian was positive about his ride in the afternoon, although he said it was not yet instinctive, and reported that the new bike had better braking, allowing the riders to brake harder, and a little more power but the same DNA.

His teammate Darryn Binder, barring a lap accident that slowed progress somewhat, was also positive about his test. The South African rookie started working on different tires, electronics and traction control as he settled down.

Word on Suzuki Street was almost singular from top to bottom of the pit lane: their 2022 engine would have been decided, although Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was more timid in her debriefing. The 2020 champion said the focus is on electronics with this new engine and work has continued on the chassis side.

Aerodynamic updates were also presented on Day 2, as promised, with various side fairings breaking the cover for Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), although Mir said he tried them on Day 1 as well. swing arm was put to the test. more not too.

Rins finished the day in third position after 59 laps, and sixth in the general classification. Mir was sixth on Friday after 73 laps, and ninth overall. Test driver Sylvain Guintoli added 56 more to Hamamatsu’s lap count on Friday as well.

Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team) was the fastest Aprilia again, placing fifth in Day 2 and P8 overall. He was trying on a new fuel tank cover and working on the body position to be more comfortable. 82 laps later, and after trying a different chassis than the Valencia GP, number 12 said he had a clear direction. Viñales also said that the new exhaust spotted at Aprilia was a similar feeling, which he said was also positive after being tested back to back with the previous version.

Viñales’ teammate Aleix Espargaro also completed 55 laps on Friday, and the aero remained visible to Aprilia overall. Test pilot Lorenzo Savadori had another set of new look “wings” that was even different, making three aero sets presented by Noale. Their 2022 global package would not be finalized until the Mandalika test.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira were back with a new aero package, but slightly different from the one seen on Day 1. Both have spent a lot of time on it, as well as the MotoGP â„¢ test rider. Legend and KTM. Dani Pedrosa was also back – and also used the aero.

The Austrian factory was the most timid of all. “Positives and negatives†have been reported by both Brad Binder and Oliveira, and they expect more testing to be done in Sepang. Binder finished 11th Friday and 13th overall, Oliveira 14th Friday and 16th overall.

Under the watchful eye of Tech3 KTM Factory Racing rookies, Raul Fernandez kept the lead over new Moto2 ™ world champion Remy Gardner… by just 0.037. Diggia clinched the two fastest rookie titles at the end of the test, Fernandez 0.163 behind the Italian. Number 25 finished the test in 20th place on Friday and overall, and number 87 in P22 as well.

Here’s a preview of the first preview for next season… but we’re not going anywhere! Stay up to date with everything happening during the winter break and the 2022 preseason on motogp.com!

26.09.2021 |
Christina bulpett |
GlobalSBK

Kawasaki’s Michele Fabrizio has opted out of Sunday’s WorldSSP action in Jerez due to the death of WorldSSP300 rider Dean Berta Viñales.

The 37-year-old Italian, however, has completely ended her motorcycle career in protest against FIM’s handling of this year’s tragic deaths – Berta Viñales being the third teenage girl to be killed at a FIM event in 2021.

In a scathing open letter on social media from Fabrizio, the former WorldSBK mainstay and four-time race winner did not hold back his thoughts on the world which saw him rack up 247 world championship starts.

“Tomorrow I will refuse to run out of respect for human life,†Fabrizio wrote on Saturday evening.

“And I am retiring. It is time to say enough. Today I witnessed a bad day, the loss of a runner of only 15 years old. Races like this I’ve seen a lot in this class, and every time we finished we could sigh in relief because it had gone well. But unfortunately it doesn’t always go well and today the unpredictable has happened or maybe what we knew would happen.

“I have been lying on my hotel bed for more than 5 hours staring at the ceiling, remembering the beautiful moments that this sport gave me.

“But coming back after 6 years, I saw this world change. I saw indifference on the part of the International Federation: deploying 42 children in the Yamaha Cup (luckily everything went well in 2021) and 42 others in World 300.

“Too many, too many runners with little or even very little experience, and this does not happen only in the world championship, but also in national championships, where to earn money you take everything, up to the last available place.

“Valentino Rossi years ago when Marquez entered MotoGP they were critical, saying he complained about Marquez’s ‘incorrect’ maneuvers. He must be right. Marc has become a benchmark: these young people imitate his exploits, overtaking too many times, leaning on their opponent, risking every inch.

“Let us add that I am withdrawing from the world of racing to send a strong protest message! So that the rules change to save human lives. The problem is in Moto3, the Talent Cup and the National Championships! In addition to that, we must also review the tracks which must offer better escape spaces!

“See the fall of Valentino, who almost died from a bad lead. See the Red Bull Ring, where riders fall and stay in the middle of the line! All this depends on the FIM which does not play a role of guard against life but simply prefers business! It is time for the politics of each nation to intervene!

“The first to send a strong message was Ayrton Senna, who said some leads were dangerous, and it wasn’t until after his death that there was an intervention. To date, there are fewer deaths in Formula 1, but lately there has been a massacre on motorcycles!

A flawless performance from sensational and true driver of the day Max Verstappen, compounded by Mercedes’ slip into race day pace, leaves the defending champions with a mountain to climb before the next stage of the Red Bull Ring doubles program on Sunday.

Let’s see the numbers and see what really happened at Speilberg on Sunday.

Below I have assembled “Best Case Race Pace” for the Styrian GP. I extracted each driver’s best lap for laps between 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 …… .65-71. I then averaged these times in a single time to compare the delta between the pilots ultimately representing the lap time relationship of each pilot.

* Full disclosure, Lewis Hamilton 71^st round was ignored in order to provide an accurate comparison with Max Verstappen.

The leaders

Red Bull took full championship form as Max Verstappen won his 14^e career victory with his most dominant performance to date, and a dream is made. Red Bull currently leads Mercedes by 40 points in the constructors’ championship as Verstappen extended their lead over Hamilton to 18 points.

Today not only marked Red Bull’s strongest race in many years, but more importantly, it was Mercedes’ biggest deficit in terms of actual race pace compared to any other competitor at any time. during the current era of the hybrid powertrain that began in 2014.

According to the graph above, Max Verstappen was the fastest car today on average with just under two tenths, essentially a continuation of what was seen in qualifying between the two rivals. Lewis just couldn’t keep pace with Verstappen at any point in the race, especially towards the end of the race in particular.

The sore spot that was the first pit stop cycle for Mercedes was cleaned up today by Mercedes and Hamilton. Verstappen had the fastest combined time of the entry and exit laps, but those times include the pitstop.

Hamilton spent 0.283 s more in the pit lane than Verstappen, but was only 0.177 s slower on the combined entry and exit lap time, so there is nothing to say here as he was practically dead even and it is commonly known how quickly the Red Bull pit team services their drivers.

Valtteri Bottas appropriately recovered to complete a Mercedes double podium, a marginal reduction in damage from Mercedes’ recent points loss against Red Bull.

It should be noted that Sergio Perez was on his way to the last place on the podium, but a slow, recurring left rear tire change was just enough to help Bottas steal the position instead.

The relative pace among the top four is shown in the graph below.

The rest

Lando Norris again scored as the best of the others finishing fifth and, interestingly, one lap behind the leader. Lando Norris managed to maintain his fourth place in the championship, behind Perez by ten points and ahead of Bottas by eight.

Daniel Riccardo regained his pace in the previous race in France but lost it again by finishing a devastating 13^e today, surprisingly four tenths per lap slower than teammate Lando Norris.

The result for McLaren amounts to a net loss of four constructors’ points to Ferrari. Despite a somewhat poor qualifying session by Ferrari on Saturday, the seventh and twelfth^e for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, respectively, and damage to the front wing for Leclerc in the first lap, the two pilots of the Italian formation recovered to score what should be interpreted as maximum points given the circumstances .

Charles Leclerc made a bizarre contact just after turn 1 on the first lap of the race with Pierre Gasly, resulting in an unnecessary stop for Leclerc to repair his front wing, and gasly abandoning the track. Charles Leclerc would find his feet and deliver an epic run up front midfielder, and received the F1 Driver of the Day award for his hard work.

Behind McLaren’s third-place constructors’ fight against Ferrari was the Lance Stroll battle led by AlphaTauri, Aston Martin and Alpine. Gasly retired on lap one after a punctured tire caused suspension failure just as he was able to bring his AT02 challenger AlphaTauri back to the pit lane for maintenance.

Gasly was in the top ten but despite this AlphaTauri remains two points behind Aston Martin in the constructors’ championship. Alpine continues to lag behind as she struggled to bring her two cars home for points on a consistent basis.

Alpine is currently 15 points behind AlphaTauri and is in seventh place in the constructors’ championship.

Alfa Romeo continues to lead the last three teams with two points without anyone scoring again today, but it was tight. George Russell appeared to be in contention for Williams’ first points this season today, unfortunately his race ended with a powertrain problem.

Kimi Raikkonen quietly had a successful run, charging 18^e on the grid to almost score a point at the end of what was the Easter Egg of the race.

Easter egg

While the focus was on the head battle, there was a silent killer in midfield, and that was the first hard tire / relay strategy.

The whole midfielder missed him and that was the key to Raikkonen’s strong run of 18^e to 11^e. Most notably, it played an obvious role in Leclerc’s impressive recovery, possibly saving him from a train of soft tire strategy. Raikkonen and Leclerc ran the hard tire for an equal length of 36 laps, and especially much longer in the race than the main midfield drivers could with their soft and medium first stint tires.

Triple Header Closure

A discussion with a regular GP247 contributor aknit helped to highlight the importance of tire selection, as Pirelli’s original post in February for the tire allocation for the upcoming Austrian GP was the tire line that was instead used today for the Styrian GP. Second stage of the double, the Austrian GP next Sunday will present a range of softer tires reminiscent of the double at Silverstone last year.

The current weather forecast appears to be a close replica of this weekend’s race with an ambient air temperature of 27C currently displayed for Sunday.

With a shift to the softer tire lineup, it seems obvious that we could mostly see the hard tires rolling in Q2 as they will effectively be the average tires this week. Or will we see a whole new strategic format with teams going to two stops because not a single driver has gone to the softs in his second stint today?

Binotto said Ferrari had no choice but to fight for the 2022 world title.

See the pictures

Binotto believes all the ingredients are in place for Ferrari to contend for the title next year

Cool and calculating Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto put on the glove and proclaimed that fighting for the 2022 World Championship is not a choice but a must for the legendary Italian team. Ferrari has been out of contention for the World Championship for two years since it was hampered by FIA technical guidelines at the end of the 2019 season which drastically reduced its engine power. For 2021, Ferrari has developed a new engine which has improved things alongside redesigned aerodynamics, however, its engine still lags behind Mercedes and Honda. It performed well despite limited development opportunities thanks to the pandemic and has now steadily become the third fastest car on the grid. Its engine could still improve this year thanks to the non deployment of homologated parts, however, the broader ambition to relaunch the Scuderia which has not won a constructor title since 2008 when it had as drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.

It’s not a secret. Fighting for the title next year is a must, “said the Ferrari team boss whose job could be on the line if the team fails to compete favorably.” If we don’t, we would have done everything wrong, â€the Swiss Italian added.

But Binotto remains quietly confident that Ferrari can go back to their winning ways based on what he’s seen this year. Ferrari was impressive with 0.7 seconds of gain and the team spirit between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr worked well. Ferrari has also surprised the grid with two pole positions and twice its drivers have reached P2 during the season. With more upgrades coming to its 2021 car, it could get closer to Red Bull and Mercedes.

“We are the team that has scored the most points compared to last year, the team that has improved the most overall. It shows that we are going in the right direction and that we are working well together.” Binotto added.

Ferrari also has a new state-of-the-art driving simulator and this could give the team an advantage next season when sweeping changes are made to technical regulations, the most important in 40 years. He also has more CFD and wind tunnel development time thanks to his incredibly poor 2020 where he finished 6th in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

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Considering that the Ferrari brand is closely linked to its success in F1 and the fact that it will soon have a new CEO, Binotto’s job could be in jeopardy if Ferrari does not win the world title in 2022.

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