Kellie Buckley•17 Jul 2020

NEWS

10 things you need to know ahead of MotoGP opener

The wait for MotoGP is over. This is what you missed

With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the world, it was unclear whether MotoGP would go ahead in 2020. Moto2 and Moto3 completed one round at Qatar before the season was put on hold in March, but strict quarantine regulations meant the MotoGP class would wait to get its start.

Thanks to the hard work of the teams and organisers, we finally have a season to look forward to, with action set to get underway in Jerez this weekend. Here is everything you need to know before the lights go out on Sunday.

1. The shortened season will be harder, not easier

Before you think that a shortened season is somehow an easier-fought championship, there are certain factors which are going to make the race to the title trophy more difficult, more complex and far more intriguing. With 13 races in just 18 weeks, remaining fit and healthy between now and the current season finale in Valencia in November will be crucial.

Without the weeks between races to recover like in past seasons, it’ll be a case of risk over reward when it comes to pushing towards the limit as riders strive for pole position or the last podium spot on the final lap of a grand prix. But with fewer opportunities to gather the points needed to win the prize, those risks will be all the more important.

2. The top-10 are covered by six-tenths of a second

Maverick Vinales is running up the pointy end

Four months off hasn’t separated the field any with the top separated by 0.6 seconds at the end yesterday’s pre-race test in Jerez. Marc Marquez took the least amount of time to get up to speed and was the quickest out of the gates in the morning, but it was the two Yamahas of future teammates Maverick Vinales (Monster Yamaha) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who topped the timesheets ahead of the reigning world champ by the end of the afternoon session.

In searing hot temperatures, where the ambient temperature was 40ºC and track temperatures in the high 50s – and with even hotter conditions expected for Sunday’s race – 10 of the 22 riders were able to post a faster time in the heat of the afternoon session which only bodes well for this weekend’s race.

3. Fabio Quartararo is in a bit of strife, but not as much as Andrea Iannone

Fabio Quartararo landed himself in hot water

Caught out by ignorance rather than wrong intentions, Fabio Quartararo is facing a 20-minute time penalty for Friday’s FP1 session after he was found in breach of testing regulations during lockdown. The Frenchman posted pictures himself riding a French SBK-spec YZF-R1 at the Paul Ricard Circuit, but according to the rulebook, non-concession race riders are only allowed to train on stock roadbikes. The rules state that software and performance modifications – like those on a domestic championship superbike – are forbidden. Moto3 rider Sergio Garcia has been slapped with the same penalty, and Quartararo has appealed the ruling.

Meanwhile, alleged drug cheat Andrea Iannone is waiting on a decision after he appealed his 18-month competition ban, but the World Anti-Doping Agency lodged an appeal of its own to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asking for Iannone’s ban to be extended from 18 months to four years.

4. Pol Espargaro will be Marc Marquez’s teammate next year

Marc Marquez will have a new teammate in 2021

Despite not having yet turned a wheel in anger on the Repsol-liveried RC213V, and despite having one of the most influential names of the sport as both a brother and a teammate, Alex Marquez has been defected to the LCR Honda squad for the 2021 season. Pol Espargaro, who has lead KTM’s development campaign since the Austrian factory entered the premier class in 2017, has been named as his replacement. And while it may seem like an odd move, it makes good sense.

By putting the rookie Marquez in the satellite team but with full-factory support, it takes the pressure of the reigning Moto2 champ to perform at Marc’s ability. But more importantly, if Marc Marquez is going to continue his domination in a field which is fast improving as the new generation of MotoGP riders gain experience and maturity, he’s going to need a rider who can put himself between him and his rivals. The Honda is a notoriously difficult machine to manhandle and Pol has proved he’s capable of the challenge with his superhuman feats on the equally difficult KTM.

The switch puts Cal Crutchlow out of a job and, revealing he’s no longer considering retirement, all indications point him towards Aprilia, which will be his fourth manufacturer in the premier class.

5. Jack Miller was the quickest Ducati in yesterday’s test

Aussie Jack Miller is proving his 2021 Ducati deal is no fluke

With a freshly inked factory deal for 2021 and despite running out of time to put a soft tyre in for a time attack, Australian star Jack Miller was the top Ducati in yesterday’s test. The Aussie finished eighth quickest, just 0.555s slower than Vinales’, after admitting it took a bit of time to get back up to speed.

“I felt a little rusty at the start, but I soon worked that off,” said Miller. “The main thing now is getting the thing set up for the race on Sunday. I feel a big improvement from last year’s bike already, we’ve got a good package.” And if Ducati’s history at the Jerez Ciruit is anything to go by, he’ll need all the help he can get. The last time the Bologna factory celebrated on the top step of the podium in Jerez was with Loris Capirossi in 2006.

6. Andrea Dovizioso may sit out the 2021 season

Miller signing with Ducati could spell trouble for Dovi

While Jack Miller’s place has been confirmed in the official Team Ducati squad for the 2021 season, veteran Desmosedici rider Andrea Dovizioso’s has not. There’s a stand-off in terms of negotiations, it seems, with Ducati reportedly offering the 34-year-old a reduced salary. Dovizioso, who has been the only rider capable of consistently challenging the dominance of Marc Marquez in recent years, feels he is worthy of more.

Whether it’s merely bluff calling and game playing is yet to be seen, but Dovizioso’s manager has spoken publicly of Dovi’s willingness to take a 12-month sabbatical from the sport, which has prompted the retired Jorge Lorenzo’s name to be linked with the seat.

It’s very likely Dovizioso and Ducati will eventually reach an agreement, but the broken collarbone the Italian picked up in a motocross crash three weeks ago will not be helping his cause. Dovi ended the test in 12th place, 0.986 seconds from the top.

7. Valentino Rossi will switch to the Petronas team

Rossi's career could be extended to 2022

With no place left for him in the factory Yamaha squad, Valentino Rossi will continue his evergreen racing campaign in the Petronas Yamaha SRT squad. The deal is for 2021 with an option for 2022, by which time the veteran Italian will be 43-years old. Rossi finished fifth in the test’s combined times, just 0.429s off his teammate.

Rossi’s friend and protégé Franco Morbidelli has re-signed with the Petronas squad until the end of the 2022 season, while other signings have been Danilo Petrucci to the Tech3 KTM squad in place of Migiuel Oliveira who has been promoted to the factory squad alongside Brad Binder.

Moto2 front runner Jorge Martin has been confirmed to take the seat left by Miller in the Pramac Ducati squad, but current Pramac rider Pecco Bagnaia has yet to be confirmed as his teammate.

8. Joan Mir will be a dark horse

Joan Mir wants to make up for his injury-plagued 2019 season

With a year’s experience under his belt, a return to full fitness and the best Suzuki yet underneath him, Joan Mir will be fighting for the podium on regular occasions this year. With his 2019 rookie season plagued by injury, the 22-year-old flew under the radar as his more experienced teammate took the headlines with two race wins and fourth in the title chase.

Alex Rins will cause havoc for the front-runners

Alex Rins, who will also be a formidable force during the 2020 season, finished the test in fourth place and four tenths down on Vinales. Mir, who has proved in both his Moto3 and Moto2 campaigns that he has the patience and intelligence to play the long game, finished ninth, 0.587s from the top.

9. Aprilia has made some impressive gains

Despite an oil leak from Aleix Espargaro’s bike which lead to Danilo Petrucci (Team Ducati) suffering a frighteningly fast crash at the start of the afternoon session, Aprilia’s work over the winter is paying dividends.

Test rider turned racer Bradley Smith revealed the 2020 RS-GP has very few parts in common with the 2019 machine and a happy Espargaro said the bike’s biggest strength was its race pace. The oil leak suggests reliability will be the team’s biggest concern during the season ahead, most notably in the extreme conditions forecasted for this Sunday’s race. Espargaro ended the test in sixth place and less than half a second off the pace.

10. Remy Gardner will be strong in 2020 and Josh Hook is back for his second MotoE season

Remy Gardner is ready to take the next step

Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG) took his time getting back up to speed in the Jerez test, going from 16th in morning session to eighth quickest in the blisteringly hot afternoon run. He ended the day half a second off KTM’s Jorge Martin but will be looking to improve on his strong fifth-place finish in the opening round in Qatar when the lights go out on Sunday’s race.

Meanwhile, Australia’s 2017-2018 Endurance World Champion Josh Hook is back for his second tilt at the MotoE World Cup in Pramac colours. He was fifth fastest in the first session, three tenths from class rookie Dominque Aegerter’s quickest time. He lost his way in the second, finishing 2.5 seconds down and third from the bottom, before regaining composure in the final session for sixth place and 1.326s from the Swiss rider. Scottish rider John McPhee topped the Moto3 timesheets.