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2018 motogp

Saingan MotoGP kembali ke Indonesia dengan Litar Mandalika menjadi tuan rumah terbaru selepas 25 tahun.

Aksi di kelas premier menyaksikan pelumba KTM, Miguel Oliveira muncul juara diikuti Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) kedua dan Johann Zarco (Pramac) ketiga.

Meskipun perlumbaan kali ini berjalan dengan penuh aksi apabila pelumba terpaksa menempuh litar yang basah kuyup namun senario yang berlaku sebelum perlumbaan paling mencuri tumpuan.

Ini kerana seorang bomoh hujan telah dipanggil dalam usaha menolak hujan lebat yang menimpa Litar Mandalika pada Ahad sekaligus menjejaskan perlumbaan.

Bomoh wanita tersebut telah dirakam berjalan di kawasan pit dan menuju ke grid sambil memegang mangkuk sewaktu menjalankan ritual tolak hujan.

Ini kerana keadaan hujan lebat telah memaksa perlumbaan kelas premier tergendala lebih satu jam.

Memetik laporan berita Indonesia, bomoh hujan dikenali dengan nama Rara Istiani Wulandri itu memaklumkan bahawa dia sering mengawasi acara besar di negara itu.

“Saya merupakan pawang hujan yang disyorkan oleh Erick Thohir (Menteri Badan Usaha Milik Negara) dan sering mengawasi acara Presiden Jokowi, bersama-sama pasukan penyelaras lapangan untuk mengubah suai cuaca dengan kuasa doa.

“Di sini, saya telah diminta untuk turunkan suhu agar lembap dan sejuk dengan sedikit hujan.

“Kita di Indonesia sudah biasa dengan iklim tropika, tetapi pelumba dari luar negara minta cuaca sejuk. Saya minta sokongan untuk semua berjalan dengan baik,” jelasnya.

Bagaimanapun, hujan di Lombok tidak berhenti seperti diharapkan namun cukup untuk membolehkan perlumbaan berlangsung dan menyaksikan Oliveira merekodkan kemenangan pertama musim ini.

Difahamkan, Rara juga terlibat memanggil hujan pada 9 hingga 11 Mac lalu bagi membantu menyejukan trek selepas Litar Mandalika diturap kali kedua sempena pusingan kedua MotoGP. – Awani

  • Hafizh Syahrin was back to scoring points at the Buriram International Circuit in Thailand.

  • It was the Malaysian rider’s first scoring performance since Brno, Czech Republic in August.

  • Hafizh now needs to beat Franco Morbidelli who is leading the rookie’s by 5 points.

Malaysian MotoGP rider, Hafizh Syahrin rode a steady race to score points in the Thai MotoGP round at the Buriram International Circuit.

Hafizh had started the race in 18th place but worked his way up to 12th at finish.

The result meant that he finished two places ahead of this nearest Rookie of the Year challenger, Franco Morbidelli. Hafizh took 2 points away from Morbidelli over the weekend, closing the gap to 5 points. Morbidelli still leads the rookie hunt with 33 points to Hafizh’s 28.

But it was not an easy race as Hafizh revealed later, “I was working really hard with the team and they believed in me, which is what I needed. My bike was overheating in the beginning of the race.”

“The oil temperature was too hot, and I didn’t feel the power of the bike. I decided not to slipstream (other riders) because the bike was so hot,” he continued. “I first passed Takaaki Nakagami and thought I could catch up with Morbidelli. I managed to pass Morbidelli and then tried to keep the rhythm.”

“I still need to work hard in the next rounds and try to get closer to Morbidelli again. We gained two points on him. There’s still five points to go, so we have to try to be in front of him for the rest of the season,” he added.

Hafizh’s performance in Thailand scored his first points since the race in Brno, Czech Republic back in August. The unfortunate showing was due to Yamaha’s inability to solve issues with the bikes. As evidence, the problems had also affected Hafizh’s Monster Tech 3 Yamaha teammate Johann Zarco, and the factory Yamaha pairing of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinalez.

  • Jorge Lorenzo puts on another masterclass in riding to win the Catalan GP.
  • Marc Marquez led the race briefly before his 2019 teammate won back the lead.
  • Valentino Rossi finishes the race in third place for the third time in a row.

Jorge Lorenzo once again gave Ducati something to regret about after he won the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya in flawless style. The Spaniard won the race by over four seconds to secure his second consecutive win.

Marc Marquez came home in second place to extend his championship lead, while Valentino Rossi secured third place for the third race in a row.

It was not all smooth for Lorenzo, he messed up the start which let Marquez take the lead into the first corner. Andrea Iannone of Suzuki Ecstar too made a fantastic start and slotted into second place on the opening laps, pushing Lorenzo back to third place.

Lorenzo had pace and grace and kept his composure to get past Iannone and Marquez into turn one on the second lap. From there on he simply disappeared ahead and opened a comfortable lead.

His Ducati team mate Andrea Dovizioso found himself in a comfortable third place behind Marquez, but the Italian ran out of luck and crashed out on lap nine – his third DNF of the season which put another massive dent in his title aspirations.

Rossi inherited third place after Dovizioso crashed out, but by then the leaders had already opened up a 3.2 second gap. The gap between the two up ahead though remained under one second for most of the race but Lorenzo looked impervious, setting 1:40.0 second lap after lap. In the end though, Marquez simply could not respond and eventually finished 4.479 seconds behind from Lorenzo, who now draws level on points with teammate Dovizioso in the championship standings.

Rossi came home in a lonely third place but made it yet another podium finish to remain second in the standings, with Cal Crutchlow of LCR Honda Castrol enjoying a fantastic ride to finish as top independent rider in fourth place. The Brit was locked in a battle with Dani Pedrosa but got the better of the Spaniard. Dani rounded out the top five.

Maverick Vinales opening lap woes continued, with the rider finishing the first lap down in P10 after starting fourth. The Spaniard later managed to salvage sixth at the end of the race, holding off Johann Zarco, but the two traded blows throughout the race.

Danilo Petrucci crossed the line in eight place, with fellow Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista finishing seven seconds further back in ninth place.

Despite a brilliant start, Iannone slipped back and the Italian came home in tenth place. Pol Espargaro picking up his fourth straight P11 finish, with Scot Reding and Karel Abraham were the only other riders to finish the race in P12 and P13 respectively.

Bradley Smith went up to as high as eight place on the opening laps of the race, but was taken out by Takaaki Nakagami on lap 14, both riders are okay.

Mika Kallio of Red bull KTM Factory Racing, Tom Luthi and Aleix Espargaro and Xavier Simeon also crashed out early in the race. All riders are okay.

Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin was enjoying a good race and looked like he could earn a top 10 finish, but he crashed on the exit of turn four.

Alex Rins difficult weekend continued in the race, and the Spaniard retired on lap 12. Jack Miller and Tito Rabat both had to retire their bikes too with Rabat’s Ducati catching fire.

The next race in the calendar is set to take place at the classic Assen circuit, where Lorenzo will be looking to extend his championship points and Marquez will be looking to keep Rossi at bay. Rossi is currently in second place in the standings, but the Doctor has often been the master of the TT Circuit Assen.

Image credits: MotoGP.com

  • There are many speculations on how Hafizh Syahrin was picked to ride for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in MotoGP.

  • Team principal, Herve Poncharal revealed what happened in an interview with MotoGP.

  • Hope his revelation puts all skepticism to rest.

This may sound like a bad sector in your laptop’s hard disk: It keeps playing back a certain track. That’s how it probably sounds like when it comes to Hafizh Syahrin, patriotism notwithsanding.

Specifically though, it’s about many – some Malaysians included, unfortunately – who still call Hafizh Syahrin’s viability as not only as a MotoGP rider (click here for our report when the news broke), but a MotoGP rider in arguably the top satellite team apart from Alma Pramac Ducati. There were vicious hissings on social media that some Malaysian governing body or SIC had “paid for his seat.”

YBhg. Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Ahmad Razali, Chief Executive Officer of Sepang International Circuit (SIC), had dispelled the rumours during the official announcement of Hafizh been contracted by Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (click here for our coverage of the event).

Now Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s boss, Herve Poncharal put the record straight during an interview with MotoGP.

Poncharal said, “I met (Dato’ Ahmad Razlan) Ahmad Razali, the CEO of Sepang and talking to him I had a crazy idea. I asked him, ‘What about Syahin in MotoGP?’ He thought I was joking.”

He continued, “The sponsors and suppliers were asking me who I was talking about; the’d never heard of him. From then on I had to convince everyone that he was a good rider. And I would have continued even if there had been more resistance. We’re here to enjoy ourselves.”

But what prompted Poncharal to consider Hafizh. For starters, we knew that Yonny Hernandez didn’t impress during his test at SIC. To be brutally honest, the Columbian had campaigned in MotoGP for many years so that wasn’t his first outing on a MotoGP bike. Additionally and probably the deciding factor was because he had already signed on with a WSBK team. Poncharal had himself iterated that he isn’t interested in a rider who’s already contracted to others.

His answer was, “When you choose a rider, there is always an element of risk. I like people who take risks and I do it too. In competition, you have to like the challenge – if you don’t, you’re in the wrong place.”

It was also fortunate for Haifzh and us Malaysians as Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team is a non-factory team, to see Pescao 55 get his big break, as it meant that Poncharal could make his own decisions, “Team Managers of the official factories can choose the best riders because they have more money to pay them… Instead of signing a top rider, because I can’t, I prefer to take a risk on something that could turn out exciting.”

What is Poncharal’s thoughts about Hafizh now? “Now I’m really happy. I’m not saying he’s going to be the fastest but he’s doing well.”

So, it was the Frenchman who sought out Hafizh Syahrin, not the other way around, and he likes taking risks. Compris? Oui? Très bien!

The next Grand Prix round takes place at the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit in Argentina, from 6th to 8th April. Stay tuned for the latest news and race reports.

  • Andrea Dovizioso beat Marc Marquez at the last corner to win the first 2018 MotoGP race.

  • Pole sitter Johann Zarco had to contend with 8th place.

  • Valentino Rossi fought hard and finished 3rd.

Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso made it count when it matters by winning 2018’s opening MotoGP race at the very last corner.

It had looked like France will have her first premier class winner since Regis Laconi in 1999 but the other riders had other plans. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider and pole sitter Johann Zarco had taken the holeshot from the start and held on tenaciously, fighting off the intentions of first Marc Marquez on the Repsol Honda, then Valentino Rossi on the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP.

Johann Zarco – from MotoGP.com

Rossi then followed Zarco around for a great number of laps until 10 laps to go when he decided to pass Zarco into Turn 1. Unbeknownst to him, however, was Marc Marquez slipstreaming up the inside. When both Zarco and Rossi overbraked into Turn 1, Marquez capitalized and overtook Rossi.

Valentino Rossi – from MotoGP.com

Rossi then either lost his rhythm or made further mistakes and got kicked back to as far as 5th, where he had to battle hard against Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Alex Rins (ECSTAR Suzuki), Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda).

Alex Rins – from MotoGP.com

Dovizioso had fought all the way to the front soon, passing Marquez but couldn’t find a way past Zarco for a few laps, until 5 laps to go when got into the perfect slipstream position. Dovizioso outbraked Zarco into Turn 1. Marquez was smart to tag behind Dovizioso, counting on the Ducati’s speed to also blast past Zarco.

Dovizioso held an small gap going into the last lap, but Marquez pushed hard to get back onto the back of the Ducati within three corners. As the pair braked for the final turn, Marquez went wide at the exit and Doviziso had a better drive to the finish line.

Marc Marquez – from MotoGP.com

By now it was visible that Zarco’s tyres were cooked as he started fading backwards. Rossi retook third and finished in that position.

Cal Crutchlow had been fast, fought with everyone in the group and held on to fourth at the flag.

Cal Crutchlow – from MotoGP.com

Danilo Petrucci, who had been equally as impressive as the top guys all weekend couldn’t find a way up higher than 3rd and ended in 5th.

Danilo Petrucci – from MotoGP.com

Dani Pedrosa looked promising at the start but fell behind in quick succession by midpoint to come home in 7th.

Dani Pedrosa – from MotoGP.com

Poor Johann Zarco who had worked so hard was packed all the way back in 8th.

The biggest comeback, however, belonged to Maverick Vinalez (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) on the factory Yamaha. He had a difficult weekend, only managing to qualify in 12th, where he pushed all the way back into 6th.

Maverick Vinalez – from MotoGP.com

Hafizh Syahrin had a great start to the season as he finished 14th in his first MotoGP race to earn Malaysia’s first two points in the class.

Hafizh Syahrin – from MotoGP.com

Pos. Points Rider Nation Team Bike Time/Gap
1 25 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 42’34.654
2 20 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda +0.027
3 16 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha +0.797
4 13 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR LCR Honda CASTROL Honda +2.881
5 11 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Alma Pramac Racing Ducati +3.821
6 10 Maverick VIÑALES SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha +3.888
7 9 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda +4.621
8 8 Johann ZARCO FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +7.112
9 7 Andrea IANNONE ITA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki +12.957
10 6 Jack MILLER AUS Alma Pramac Racing Ducati +14.594

 

  • Jorge Martin wins the first Moto3 race of the 2018 MotoGP season.

  • Unlike last year’s race where as many as 17 riders fought for victory, the leading duo broke away from the chasing pack.

  • The Malaysian Petronas Sprinta Racing riders finished 8th and 11th.

Jorge Martin held on to edge out compatriot Aaron Canet to the line, to win the first Moto3 race of the year.

The pair had broken away from the pursuing group from early on to establish a two-horse race. The Losail International Circuit has the longest front straight of any circuit on the GP calendar and Canet had trailed Martin out of the last corner to set up a slipstream pass. But Canet could only show his front wheel alongside Martin just as the latter crossed the line first.

Aaron Canet – Pic from MotoGP.com

The real spectacle, however was the manic battle for third among those in a group of ten riders, including eventual third-placed finisher Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Niccolo Antonelli, Ayumu Sasaki, John McPhee, among others. Gentlemanly racing soon gave way to argy-bargy and paint-swapping hard moves with two laps to go, John McPhee was among the casualties. It was heartbreak for the Scotsman having fought up through the field into the fight for the final podium position.

Ayumu Sasaki – Pic from MotoGP.com

Ayumu Sasaki of the Petronas Sprinta Racing team fought tooth and nail to come away eighth at the checkered flag, having gone as high as fifth. He had lost the slipstream to the group midway through the race but had managed to fight back into the group. Adam Norrodin languished in the 15th to 16th positions all days, but crashes up ahead promoted him up to 11th at the finish.

Adam Norrodin (#7) – Pic from MotoGP.com

Pos. Points Rider Nation Team Bike Time/Gap
1 25 Jorge MARTIN SPA Del Conca Gresini Moto3 Honda 38’18.207
2 20 Aron CANET SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda +0.023
3 16 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA ITA Leopard Racing Honda +6.746
4 13 Niccolò ANTONELLI ITA SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda +6.791
5 11 Gabriel RODRIGO ARG RBA BOE Skull Rider KTM +6.850
6 10 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO ITA Del Conca Gresini Moto3 Honda +6.916
7 9 Kaito TOBA JPN Honda Team Asia Honda +6.946
8 8 Ayumu SASAKI JPN Petronas Sprinta Racing Honda +6.998
9 7 Jakub KORNFEIL CZE Redox PruestelGP KTM +7.156
10 6 Andrea MIGNO ITA Angel Nieto Team Moto3 KTM +7.699

  • Johann Zarco captures Pole Position for the 2018 Qatar Grand Prix.

  • Him, Marc Marquez and Danilo Petrucci all broke the old record to qualify in the Top 3.

  • The previous record had stood for ten years.

We had been expecting a thrilling 2018 Qatar Grand Prix Q2 final qualifying session, but we had no idea it was THIS exciting that we forgot to breathe! And this was only the first MotoGP round of the season.

It all came down to the last 2 minutes when Jorge Lorenzo went out onto the track. He had posted the fastest times through the first three sectors but somehow lost time to qualify 4th fastest, up from 9th. He had a troubled weekend and was seen stomping into the Ducati pit on many an occasion.

Pic from MotoGP.com

But the real action was behind him as Zarco, Marquez, Rins, Petrucci, Rossi ran in a tight group to gain some advantage by slipstreaming their rivals. Zarco managed to break away and posted 0.382 second faster than his previous best as he passed Sector 3. Meanwhile, Marquez, stuck behind Alex Rins and Danilo Petrucci who was some ways behind the group had also went some 0.300 second under their earlier times.

Pic from MotoGP.com

The TV commenters went rabid like the speakers at a political ceramah as Zarco crossed the line with a time of 1’53.680”, smashing the outright fastest qualifying lap of 1’53.927” held by Jorge Lorenzo since 2008 when he was on a Yamaha, during the time when Michelin supplied supersoft qualifying tyres that sacrificed their lives in two laps.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Marquez slingshot past Rins to end up second fastest, 0.202s behind at 1’59.882” while Petrucci recorded his fastest time of 1’59.887”, a mere 0.005s behind.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Yes, the Top 3 went under Lorenzo’s record.

Cal Cructhlow rode clear of traffic to finish fourth, 0.392s adrift of Zarco at 1’54.072”.

Pic from MotoGP.com

What about Andrea Dovizioso who had led the way into Q2? He had actually bested his FP2 time, recording 1’54.074” but the extremely hot pace set by the front four meant he will start from fifth.

Pic from MotoGP.com

It was a similar scenario for the impressive Alex Rins, who had been posting the third fastest times through most of the practice sessions up to FP4. He found himself blocked by slower traffic in the early part of the session and was then hounded by Marc Marquez in the closing moments, pushing him to ride defensively and ending Q2 in sixth.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Dani Pedrosa had a quiet weekend so far, qualifying seventh fastest.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Valentino Rossi had consistently posted the eighth and ninth fastest times and there’s where he finished, in eighth. It’s evident that Yamaha couldn’t solve the issue with lack of rear end grip on their factory bikes.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Lorenzo may have thought that he had fourth in the bag but was kicked all the way down back to ninth in the very next lap.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Jack Miller had been promoted to Q2 after posting the fastest time in Q1 but was visibly disappointed to end up in tenth with a time of 1’54.449”.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Andrea Ianone on the second Suzuki had traded fastest times with his teammate during the opening part of Q2 but was relegated all the way back to eleventh.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Rossi’s teammate and winner of the 2017 Qatar Grand Prix, Maverick Vinalez, had also complained incessantly about lack of rear grip, putting him in Q1, after FP2, prompting his team to shift his bike’s chassis balance to put more weight to the rear tyre. The adjustment saw immediate benefits as he was one of the quickest riders during the untimed FP4. He had initially gone fastest in Q1 but was upstaged by Miller at the end. Vinalez finished in a forlorn twelfth position with a time of 1’54.707”.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Zarco was emotional when interviewed after his record pole time. As if there’s no end to the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 saga, rumours had started circulating that Honda is after him to replace Dani Pedrosa, who had been in the team since 2006. There were also other rumours that said he could be going to the KTM factory team. Zarco had been the strongest contender to Rossi’s factory Yamaha seat should the latter retires, but Rossi had just announced the renewal of his contract for another two years. Zarco had also crashed heavily in FP4 and was fortunate to walk away unharmed.

Pic from MotoGP.com

It is also good news for us Malaysians as Hafizh Syahrin impressed many to qualify 15th fastest in his very first MotoGP qualifying, one spot behind Franco Morbidelli as the second fastest rookie rider.

Pic from MotoGP.com

As the clock strikes 2am on this Sunday morning, all we could say is that the qualifying sessions were worth staying up for. If the qualifying had been so competitive, we hope it’ll carry on to the race tomorrow, and the whole season.

  • Andrea “Desmo” Dovizioso was the fastest man in both FP1 and FP2.

  • Danilo “Petrux” Petrucci was second fastest after being 0.006 second behind Dovizioso.

  • Biggest surprise were the Suzukis in 3rd and 5th.

  • Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Cal Cruthlow and Valentino Rossi were 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th separated by just 0.001 second from each other.

  • First to fourteenth spots were covered by less than 1 second.

The 2018 MotoGP season is underway with Round 1 at the Grand Prix of Qatar, held at the Losail International Circuit.

Pic from MotoGP.com

The Ducati Team must be elated with the Dovi’s performance as the Italian hadn’t posted many quick times in pre-season testing (although he was consistent with his lap times) except in Sepang, Malaysia. Dovi had been quickest in the earlier FP1 with 1’55.366” for an average speed of 167.8 km/h and hitting a top speed of 348.8 km/h, before improving to record 1’54.361” for an average speed of 169.3 km/h and top speed of 350.7 km/h.

Interviewed by Dorna, the soft-spoken Dovizioso said, “It’s really good, and we’ve confirmed the good feeling from the test, which I’m really happy about. The speed is there but we need to manage the tyre in the best way, it’s the key to manage it for 22 laps.”

Pic from MotoGP.com

Temperatures have been hotter than usual in Qatar, as the race had been moved forward to make way for the additional round in Buriram, Thailand later this year. The air was 31o C, while the track was 39o C during FP1, before cooling down to 25o C and 27o C respectively in FP2. Did Michelin bring tyres that are more suited to lower temperatures? Well see.

Dovizioso continued, “The tyre worked well, like in the test. I’m not too worried, but in every race, you have to work on the details as there are a lot of riders with good pace.”

Pic from MotoGP.com

Danilo Petrucci, riding for the Alma Pramac Racing team, had been a revelation in 2017, coming close to winning his first MotoGP a number of times before having to settle second in the closing stages. His performance had impressed the Ducati factory that he is riding the same GP18 bike as the factory riders Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo. “Petrux” as he’s popularly called finished 9th in FP1 with a time of 1’56.265”, 0.079 second behind Dovizioso. He improved in FP2 to record 1’54.367”, a mere 0.006 second behind.

The time surprised even Petrux himself, “I didn’t think I could do a lap time like this, but we are here and happy.”

Pic from MotoGP.com

Even bigger surprise perhaps was Suzuki. Both riders had been showing impressive form throughout the off-season tests and it was again the returning Alex Rins who showed the way. It was the opposite in FP1 when Andrea Ianone went 4th fastest with a time of 1’55.816”, 0.450 second off Dovizioso’s pace, while Rins was in 8th with 1’59.557”, 0.631 second from the front.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Then Rins turned the tables on his teammate in FP2 by recording a blistering time of 1’54.458”, now just 0.097 second behind Dovi, and 0.373 second in front of the second factory Ducati of Jorge Lorenzo. That’s a massive 5 seconds improvement! Ianone still did well put himself in fifth, by also improving his fastest lap time to 1’54.841”.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Now that we know who are in the Top 5, where are the rest of the usual suspects?

The three top Hondas were locked together. Defending 2017 champion and Repsol Honda rider, Marc Marquez was third fastest in FP1 but found himself kicked down to sixth in FP2 despite having gone faster with a time of 1’54.850”.

Pic from MotoGP.com

His teammate Dani Pedrosa also suffered the same fate, recording the seventh fastest time. The “Little Samurai” went faster in FP2, finishing 0.001 second behind Marquez in 1’54.851”.

Pic from MotoGP.com

LCR Honda Castrol rider Cal Crutchlow was eighth after clocking his fastest time of 1’54.852” – again, 0.0001 second behind the man in front of him.

Pic from MotoGP.com

As with the Hondas, Yamahas were running together, too. Valentino Rossi of the factory Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team had been second quicket in FP1 but finished ninth in FP2; his fastest time was 1’52.853”.

Pic from MotoGP.com

0.059 second behind him was Johann Zarco on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bike. The Frenchman still holds the fastest race lap record last year when he led the field, before crashing out.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Last year’s winner at Qatar, Maverick Vinalez seems to be struggling (purportedly due to tyres), going only eleventh quickest in both sessions. His improved time in FP2 was 1’55.195 – a massive 0.854 second off Dovi’s and 0.283 second behind Zarco’s.

Pic from MotoGP.com

To illustrate how competitive the times were in FP2, the fastest (Dovi) to fourteenth fastest (Jack “Jackass” Miller) were covered by less than 1 second.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Positions fifteenth to twenty-fourth consisted of the five MotoGP rookies, led by Takaagi Nakagami.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Our Malaysian hero, Hafizh Syahrin and new teammate to Johann Zarco rode steadily in FP1 to finish in an impressive fifteenth fastest with a time of 1’56.544” which was 1.178 seconds behind Dovi. That’s a truly commendable achievement (not because we’re being biased) as he had been consistently 2 seconds slower in the two tests first at Buriram and then at Qatar. He improved on his time slightly in FP2 to 1’56.454” and was relegated to twenty-second position. While detractors may say that wasn’t a significant improvement, Hafizh is being consistent with his times as he unlocks the secrets of his bike and equipment.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Without going into too much of the technical stuff, it could be said that FP1 was a fimiliarisation run by the riders and teams, as reflected by the lap times that were “everywhere.” The times are “combined” from FP1, FP2 and FP3; meaning the fastest lap from any one of those sessions will be used to determine the spots in final qualifying.

Pic from MotoGP.com

Thus, the riders and teams need be on their best game to qualify as the Top 10 to automatically make it into Q2, as the 11th through to 24th fastest need to run in Q1 much like a “last chance shootout” for final grid spots 13th to 24th. The fastest two riders in Q1 will be promoted to Q2 where the times will determine grids positions from Pole Position to 12th. Needing to contest in Q1 means especially the eventual 11th and 12th fastest riders will burn through another set of tyres, hence there’s talk of Dorna allocating an extra set of tyres to those two riders. But it also means their bikes have to go through some extra “torture.”

The final timed Free Practice 3 (FP3) will begin at 7.35pm, while Qualifying 1 (Q1) starts at 12.20am (midnight Sunday), followed by Q2 at 12:45am. All quoted times are Malaysian times.

So, prepare your dinner and supper early. It’s time for the 2018 MotoGP season.

Pic from MotoGP.com

  • Sky Sports broke the news of Hafizh Syahrin stepping up to MotoGP.

  • He will replace Jonas Folger in the Monster Yamaha Tech3.

  • Sepang Racing Team signs on Zulfahmi Kharuddin in place of Hafizh for Moto2.

In what seems like the convulated plot of twist of a Hollywood movie ã la Memento, Hafizh “Pescao” Syahrin goes into MotoGP for 2018.

Plot Twist #1

In an earlier news we reported that SIC Racing Team will run a Moto2 team with Hafizh Syahrin as the contracted rider, after the affable rider was unceremoniously dropped first by Petronas Raceline and then Petronas Sprinta.

Petronas will NOT sponsor Hafizh Syahrin for Moto2 2018

That had almost ruled Hafizh out of the 2018 Moto2 Championship, until SIC’s Chief Executive Officer, YBhg Dato’ Ahmad Razlan Ahmad Razali threw in a lifeline by providing Hafizh a seat on the newly formed SIC Racing Team Moto2 bike.

Plot Twist #2

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider, Jonas Folger was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Gilbert’s syndrome, and had to be ruled out from this year’s MotoGP championship, which left the team boss, Herve Poncharal scrambling to locate a replacement.

Jonas Folger

Yonny Hernandez who was axed by the now Alma Pramac Ducati for 2018 got the tap and tested out the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bike during the 2018 Sepang Official MotoGP Test just a few days ago.

Yonny Hernandez. Picture from MotoGP.com

That seemed like somewhat of a contradiction to what Poncharal said about being not keen to offer the seat to already contracted riders, after all, and Hernandez had already inked a deal with Pedercini Kawasaki to compete in the World Superbike Championship.

Consequently, the rumours circulated incessantly in the paddock that Monster Yamaha Tech 3 is still on the lookout for a rider during then entire duration of the Winter Test at SIC, and Hafizh’s name was mentioned.

MOTOGP: Hafizh Syahrin to ride for Monster Yamaha Tech 3?

In fact, Poncharal was sitting just a metre away from us in the Media Centre and had mentioned to his crew about his concerns regarding Hernandez. (He was speaking in French but with Hernandez’s name being mentioned amongst sighs kinda paints the picture.)

But, but, but, Hafizh Syahrin is already signed to SIC Racing Team, right? RIGHT?

Plot Twist #3

So ok, Hafizh Syahrin already has a confirmed seat in Moto2 this year.

Think again! Sky Sports MotoGP broke the news of Hafizh being signed on by Monster Yamaha Tech 3 and the internet went bananas.

SIC then announced a couple of hours ago that another Malaysian GP legend, Zulfahmi Khairuddin will ride for the team. He is already slated to start the Moto2 pre-season testing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain beginning 6th February.


Zullfahmi had raced in the 125cc GP from 2009 to 2011, and in Moto3 afterwards from 2012 to 2015, before moving to the Supersports World Championships for 2016 and 2017, riding a Kawasaki ZX-6R. His new team feels that he has the experience on 600cc racing machinery.

While SIC Racing Team didn’t exactly shed light about Hafizh Syahrin’s future, YBhg. Dato’ Ahmad Razlan had said before that he hopes Hafizh will eventually make the jump to the premiere class.

There’s no official word from Hafizh, either. Will there be a Plot Twist #4?

 

  • Ujian musim sejuk Sepang MotoGP 2018 menyaksikan Jorge Lorenzo dari pasukan Ducati menetapkan catatan masa terpantas dengan 1:58.830.
  • Dani Pedrosa dari Repsol Honda mengekori rapat di belakang di atas jentera Honda RC213V-nya dengan catatan masa 1:59.009.
  • Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda CASTROL) melengkapkan tiga teratas dengan catatan masa 1:59.052.

(more…)

  • Jorge Lorenzo smashes lap record in the morning session.

  • Dani Pedrosa also broke his old record.

  • Cal Crutchlow continues to do well.

The previous outright lap record of 1:59.053 set by Dani Pedrosa in 2015 has finally been broken, during this third day of the 2018 Sepang Official MotoGP Test.

While as many as eleven riders broke into the 1:59 minute time bracket just before midday, it was Jorge Lorenzo who holds the distinction as the first rider to record a time below 1:59 minutes, with an ultra-fast 1:58.830, after a superb display of riding smoothness and speed.

Picture form MotoGP.com

Former record Dani Pedrosa also broke his own record by posting a time of 1:59.009 which earned him the second fastest spot.

Picture form MotoGP.com

Cal Crutchlow continues his impressive run with a 1:59.052 lap.

Picture form MotoGP.com

Lorenzo’s Ducati Team teammate, Andrea Doviziso posted the fourth fastest time of 1:59.169.

Picture form MotoGP.com

Jack Miller is also continuing his impressive form in fifth with 1:59.346.

Picture form MotoGP.com

One rider who had been going about his business quietly is Alex Rins of Team Suzuki Ecstar. He had been posting impressive times consistently for the past two days, before posting his fastest lap yet at 1:59.348.

Picture form MotoGP.com

Marc Marquez completed the morning session in seventh after clocking 1:59.382.

Picture form MotoGP.com

Both Marquez and Crutchlow are testing the 2018 bike with the new aerodynamic package. The former remarked yesterday that the team needed to make other adjustments to bike for a better balance.

Although the second through to the thirteenth position seem far apart, the riders were separated by just 0.8 second. Those positions consisted of a good mix of bikes too. If all teams are as competitive throughout the year as what we witness now, we’re in for another exciting season ahead.

Hold on tight as we bring you the conclusion of 2018 Sepang Test later today.

 

  • Day Two closed with both factory Yamahas leading the pack.

  • The factory Ducatis and Hondas finished lower down the field.

  • The times from first to fifth are faster than last year’s race qualifying time.

Yamaha MotoGP fans’ concerns about the team’s performance is allayed at the end of Day Two of the 2018 Sepang Official MotoGP Test, when both riders Maverick Vinalez and Valentino Rossi clocked the fasted times of the weekend so far.

It was another mad dash with about an hour to go for the day, when almost all the riders went on track for one final session. Andrea Davizioso had held on to his fastest time from just after midday with Rossi in second and Marquez in third. The trio were the only riders who cracked the 2:00 minute mark of the day and were separated by less than 0.2 second.

Picture from MotoGP.com

It was Marquez who first went faster by just 0.002 second ahead of Dovizioso, followed by Johann Zarco (1:59.702), then Cal Crutchlow (1:59.443). But just as everyone was looking to see if they could better their times, Rossi went ahead and posted the (then) fastest lap of 1:59.390.

Picture from MotoGP.com

But the Italian’s teammate Maverick Vinalez had other plans, as he overhauled Rossi with a superfast 1:59.355 time.

Looking at the sector times of both Yamahas, they were close to each other’s, which could either mean that we could see their characteristics, or that they were both running similar settings. They seemed to have picked up some power too, as both bikes’ top speeds were close to Doviziso’s. Besides that, word in the paddock has it that the Yamahas were running on the medium compound tyres, which means that they could go even faster on the softs in qualifying trim.

Jack Miller is having a superb time of the Alma Pramac Racing Ducati as he claimed fifth fastest with a time of 1:59.509. That time is already faster than the 2017 pole position time for the 2017 Malaysian MotoGP.

Although there are still many variables in play during any test session, the times recorded so far from first to fifth have beaten last year’s pole position time.

There’s a much better mix of bikes and teams within today’s Top Five, compared to yesterday’s: There are the two factory Yamahas on top, a satellite Honda team (Crutchlow) in third, a factory Ducati in fourth (Lorenzo 1;59.498), and a satellite Ducati in fifth (Miller).

Defending champ, Marquez ended the day in seventh (1:59.730). As he had revealed yesterday, he had been testing the 2017 bike with different engine’s yesterday and the 2018 bike today.

Dovizioso went out again during the last session but couldn’t improve on his earlier time of 1:59.732 and was relegated to eighth.

Danilo Petrucci, who’s riding the Ducati GP18 and Jack Miller’s teammate, finished in ninth after clocking his best time of 1:59.747.

In tenth is Andrea Ianone from Team Suzuki Ecstar. He clocked a best time of 1:59.917.

Rain had stayed away throughout the day. Track temperatures climbed into the lower 40 oC, before hovering in the high thirties due to the strong breeze.

We can’t wait for tomorrow’s testing, and they’ll definitely go faster!

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