MotoGP round 10 preview: Brno

The 2019 MotoGP season resumes after the traditional northern hemisphere summer break at the Czech Republic Grand Prix in Brno this weekend.

And, with Marc Marquez holding a commanding 58-point lead in the championship standings, rival riders are understandably eager to turn the tables for the second half of the season.
Ducati arrives at Brno with some confidence, having secured a 1-2 finish at the same circuit 12 months ago while Yamaha has been buoyed by Maverick Vinales’ recent form.

Even with Marquez’s commanding championship lead, anything can happen with 10 races remaining – and the 26-year-old is acutely aware of that factor.

“First part of the season has been interesting,” said Marquez. “In some tracks it was one manufacturer, in others it was another but the main thing is we were always there.

“We were always there to have a small chance of victory or second place and this will be the target for the rest of the season. Here we will see which rider and which manufacturer will be there, but our goal is to fight for the podium, try to fight for the victory until the end of the race and yeah this is the way. If it’s impossible then it’s time to survive and time to take points for the championship.”

One man who ended the first half of 2019 strong was Yamaha’s Vinales. The Spaniard beat Marquez in Assen and came second to him at the Sachsenring, and for a rider whose own confidence is critical to performance, Vinales is in a good place coming into round 10.

Vinales said he was eager to continue his mid-season purple patch at Brno.

“Yes, honestly it has been great really. I am full of energy because I finished the last two races in a good way,” commented an excitable Vinales.

“For me, this summer break was very long because I was waiting to be on the bike, the mood I had was really good. With the same mentality, we have nothing to lose and we will try to push at the maximum from the first lap on Friday. I feel good, calm and we need to keep trying to take the maximum from the bike, try and be at the front and understand and learn a lot.”

Vinales’ Yamaha teammate, Valentino Rossi, had a less memorable run into the break. But the Doctor is a huge fan of the Czech Republic circuit and hopes to use it as a launching pad for the remainder of 2019.

“For sure it’s a good chance to recharge the battery and take the right energy for the second half,” commented Rossi. “The last races of the first part were very tough and very difficult. We expected to be stronger, so we need to concentrate and work better to be stronger for this second part.

“In the last races, but also from Jerez, Quartararo and Maverick are very strong so this means the bike is competitive. We need to find another way to find the good feeling with the bike to ride at the limit…

“It’s a fantastic track, I think all the riders like because it very fun, wide and fast, especially with the MotoGP bike you enjoy very much and it’s always a pleasure to ride here in Brno.”

Australian Jack Miller will also take confidence from recent form. Speaking with bikesales.com.au while in Townsville during the mid-season break, the Ducati Pramac rider is happy with his recent form but believes there is more speed to come.

“The season has been pretty good,” he said. “The podium in Austin was probably the highlight, I loved that and it was an amazing achievement – something we’ve worked very hard for. I was hoping to get another one before the mid-season break but we weren’t quite able to. We’ve been close with Le Mans and in Mugello when I crashed out. We’ve been there most races, so that’s definitely given me some support and getting me closer to achieving that ultimate goal, winning another race.

“Being on the factory bike has played a big part with me being able to ride the front group and stay with them the whole race, I put that down to a lot of it but being a little more mature and being around the traps a bit longer and knowing how to ride these bikes more is definitely part of it to.”

Meantime in Moto2, Remy Gardner will be looking to get his season back on track after a forgettable run into the mid-year break.

Gardner started the 2019 campaign strongly, finishing with a podium, but crashes and inconsistency have rued his performances since. The SAG Team rider heads into round 10 11th in the Moto2 championship.

Watch all MotoGP action in Sunday’s Czech Republic Grand Prix live and free on 10 Bold from 9.30pm, or see practice, qualifying or the races on Fox Sports.