Fabio Quartararo shed some light on his decision to throw in the towel despite leading the first half of the race at the Spanish GP.
The factory Yamaha rider led the race ahead of Ducati’s Jack Miller before slowing down and losing his grip in the front row.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for the 21-year-old Frenchman, who was brilliant at the early stage of the race, cruising his way ahead before succumbing to 13th place due to physical problems.
“I had a big issue with the arm. I suffered for six laps with pain, then I couldn’t do any more.
“I’m so sad for what happened because I was feeling really easy in front, I was P4, and I could overtake them.
“I was comfortable with the pace. We had an amazing pace this weekend and just had no more power in the arm,” he explained.
The arm-pump problem was not new for the rider, as Quartararo had to undergo surgery in 2019 when he was still with Petronas Sepang Racing Team.
“It was dangerous for me to ride for half a race, but I didn’t want to stop because I knew that maybe one or two points can be really important for the championship.
“I gave it all, and unfortunately, I had this issue,” said Quartararo.
Fabio Quartararo recorded his second pole position of the season after setting the fastest time in Jerez ahead of former teammate Franco Morbidelli.
The 21-year-old continued his quest for his third win of the season after dominating the last two race in Qatar and Portimao.
Now leading the championship with 61 points, Quartararo set the best lap of the weekend with 1 minute 36.755s improving his already impressive 1m 36.8s earlier in Q2.
It was an exciting battle for pole as Quartararo had to battle it out with Morbidelli, who advanced from Q1.
Ducati’s Jack Miller complete the front row after edging out teammate Francesco Bagnaia.
This is the Australian first front-row start of the season in an effort to grab his first podium after three rounds despite showing amazing speed during the pre-season test.
Takaaki Nakagami was the surprise package this weekend after clinching P5, making him the fastest Honda rider on the RC213V ahead of Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez, who will start at P13 and P14, respectively.
Bekas pelumba Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso, bakal menjadi pelumba uji Aprilia di Jerez pada 12-14 April ini.
Meskipun ketika ini persetujuan hanyalah untuk satu ujian namun Aprilia mengharapkan ujian itu akan membawa kepada kesepakatan untuk menjadikan Dovizioso selaku pelumba uji rasmi.
Sementara itu, pelumba Itali itu turut berkongi rasa teruja dengan peluang diberikan Aprilia.
“Saya berbesar hati dengan jemputan oleh Aprilia. Ketika kami berbincang mengenai perkara ini, saya menerima pelawaaan ini dengan hati terbuka kerana dapat kembali menunggang jentera MotoGP di samping menyalurkan maklum balas kepada jurutera.
“Saya mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Aprilia Racing atas peluang ini,” jelasnya.
Prinsipal Aprilia Racing, Massimo Rivola, turut menyambut baik bantuan yang bakal dihulur Dovizioso.
“Kami berpeluang untuk mengenali satu sama lain semasa di Jerez nanti,” katanya.
Dovizioso meninggalkan Ducati selepas karier 8 tahun bersama pasukan itu.
Sementara itu, pengambilan sementara untuk satu sesi ujian di Jerez nanti dilihat sebagai langkah untuk Aprilia menjadikan Dovizioso sebagai pelumba uji rasmi musim ini.
Langkah itu dilihat penting bagi pembangunan RS-GP menuju ke musim 2022 tatkala Aprilia bakal bergerak sebagai pasukan factory penuh.
MotoGP merancang untuk mengadakan dua perlumbaan berturut-turut di Litar Jerez dalam percubaan untuk menyelamatkan musim 2020.
Difahamkan, Dorna merancang dua perlumbaan tersebut berlangsung pada 17-19 Julai dan 24-26 Julai.
Perancangan bangkit selepas sesi perbincangan video di antara Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Dorna, Carmelo Ezpeleta bersama wakil kerajaan Andalusia dan datuk bandar Jerez.
Bagaimanapun, perancangan tersebut bergantung kepada sekatan pergerakan yang dikuatkuasakan kerajaan Sepanyol ketika ini.
Sementara itu, kedua-dua perlumbaan tersebut dijangka akan dilaksanakan secara tertutup tanpa sebarang penonton kecuali kakitangan perlu sahaja.
Terbaru, GP Jerman, Belanda dan Finland telah pun dibatalkan termasuk aksi pembukaan GP Qatar sementara GP Perancis, Catalunya dan Itali telah ditunda ke tarikh lain.
Dorna dijangka akan melakukan perubahan jadual bergantung kepada situasi semasa pandemik Covid-19 dalam usaha menghidupkan semula musim 2020.
The folks from Dorna are looking at every possible option in their effort to start the 2020 MotoGP season as soon as possible. Their recent discussion with the Andalusian and Spanish government plus Jerez council is proposing to organise two back-to-back rounds at the legendary Jerez circuit this coming July. (more…)
Pertahan juara, Marc Marquez, mendominasi perlumbaan di Litar Jerez sekaligus merekodkan kemenangan keduanya musim ini.
Marquez bangkit daripada kekecewaan di GP Amerika dua minggu lalu apabila gagal menamatkan perlumbaan ekoran kemalangan.
Pelumba Sepanyol itu berjaya memintas dua wakil Petronas Yamaha, Franco Morbidelli dan Fabio Quartararo sebaik perlumbaan dilepaskan untuk menduduki petak pertama.
Pelumba Repsol Honda itu kemudiannya mudah meninggalkan Franco Morbidelli dan Quartararo untuk mendahului perlumbaan sehingga ke pusingan terakhir.
Quartararo kemudiannya terpaksa bersara di pusingan ke-14 apabila jenteranya mengalami masalah gear.
Ketika itu, wakil Suzuki, Alex Rins – yang memenangi GP Amerika sebelum ini – memecut laju dari kedudukan ke sembilan untuk menduduki tempat kedua. Keputusan tersebut menyaksikan Rins kini hanya satu mata dibelakang Marquez dalam kedudukan kejuaraan keseluruhan.
Tempat ketiga menjadi milik seorang lagi wakil Sepanyol, Maverick Vinales dari pasukan Yamaha.
Pelumba veteran, Valentino Rossi – yang memulakan perlumbaan di kedudukan ke-13 – menghabiskan kebanyakkan masa perlumbaan di belakang Jack Miller namun berjaya memperbaiki kedudukan ke tempat ke-6 sebaik berjaya memintas wakil Pramac Ducati itu.
Sementara itu, Morbidelli – meskipun memulakan perlumbaan di kedudukan kedua – hilang lima kedudukan sekaligus menamatkan perlumbaan di tempat ke-7 di hadapan dua wakil LCR Honda, Cal Crutchlow dan Takaaki Nakagami.
Wildcard Honda, Stefan Bradl turut membuat kejutan menamatkan perlumbaan di tempat ke-10 di hadapan rakan sepasukan Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo yang menduduki tempat ke-12.
Dalam perkembangan sama, wakil tunggal negara, Hafizh Syahrin menamatkan perlumbaan di kedudukan terakhir (ke-19).
Keputusan penuh:
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda)
2. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) +1.654secs
3. Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha) +2.443s
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) +2.804s
5. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) +4.748s
6. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha) +7.547s
7. Franco Morbidelli (Movistar Yamaha) +8.228s
8. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) +10.052s
9. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) +10.274s
10. Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda) +13.402s
11. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +15.431s
12. Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda) +18.473s
13. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) +20.156s
14. Johann Zarco (KTM) +26.706s
15. Tito Rabat (Ducati) +28.513s
Kedudukan kejuaraan:
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 70
2. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) 69 (-1)
3. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 67 (-3)
4. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha) 61 (-9)
5. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) 41 (-29)
Rookie Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli qualified 1st and 2nd for today’s Spanish MotoGP. It was the first 1-2 qualifying result for the new Petronas Yamaha SRT outfit.
The results gave the fledgling team much to cheer about in just their fourth race. Both riders had been strong through the practice sessions, with Quartararo setting the leading pace.
In doing so, it was the first pole position in MotoGP for the youngster. Additionally, it reset the records as the youngest rider to achieve the feat, which was formerly held by Marc Marquez.ni
Speaking to MotoGP.com, Quartararo said that he had improved his braking from being his weakest point to his strongest.
The Petronas Yamaha SRT team is using the same 2019 Yamaha YZR-M1 as the Monster Energy Yamaha factory team, but they are the B-spec bikes with lower rev limits.
Quartararo’s time of 1:36.880s was almost 8/10 quicker than the old record 1:37.653s set by Cal Crutchlow in 2018.
Morbidelli put in his fastest lap of 1:36.962s, followed by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) at 1:36.970s, just 0.008s behind to round out the Top 3.
Andrea Doviziso (Mission Winnow Ducati) did well to qualify in 4th with a time of 1:37.018s despite the Ducati Desmosedici’s traditional dislike of the Jerez Circuit’s layout.
Maverick Viñalez (Monster Energy Yamaha) had struggled throughout the first three practice sessions but managed to qualify 5th. The M1 still displaying a sensitivity to changing conditions. Qualifying was carried in cooler temperatures which benefitted the tyres.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda), Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar), Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati).
The first 16 riders qualified faster than the previous year’s lap record, showing how far MotoGP progresses by the year.
It was only last week when the Jerez circuit was full of action from both the MotoGP and WorldSBK teams testing out their latest machines for the 2018 season. The last day of the testing sessions concluded last Friday and the results are quite astonishing. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR set the fast time at 1:37.986. (more…)
Zulfahmi Khairuddin completes first WSSP pre-season tests in Spain with Orelac Racing. (more…)
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