PETRONAS are fielding teams in MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 championships in 2019. The MotoGP team is formally called PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (PETRONAS Yamaha SRT), while the Moto2 and Moto3 teams are named PETRONAS Sprinta Racing Team (PETRONAS SRT). (more…)
For those waiting to see the 2019 Repsol Honda bike were surely disappointed as the livery remains unchanged.
Many had expected a new colour scheme as the Spanish petroleum giant and Honda celebrate the 25thanniversary of their collaboration. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the stale same-ol’-same-ol’ stripes.
However, there seem to be a few notable differences on Jorge Lorenzo’s bike (pictured above).
The launch was held at the Sentul circuit in Indonesia. Current riders Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo were joined by past Repsol Honda champions Mick Doohan and Alex Creville.
The Repsol-Honda partnership began in 1994 when Doohan won the first of his five world 500cc GP championship. Alex Creville won the 1999 championship when Doohan crashed heavily during qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez and retired.
Of course, both current riders spewed team savvy answers about how happy they are with the team, how they are confident in winning, yada, yada, yada.
Marc Marquez will be in action at the shakedown test from 1st to 3rd February prior to the first 2019 pre-season testing from 6th to 8th February. Both tests will be held at the Sepang International Circuit.
The factory Ducati Team launched the Ducati Desmosedici GP19 for the MotoGP 2019 season.
The launch was aired “live” from the Philip Morris Cube in Neuchâtel, Switzerland early this morning. Attendees at the launch were team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci. Factory and team luminaries including Claudio Domenicali, Paolo Ciabatti, Davide Tardozzi, Luigi Dall’Igna, among others.
The Desmosedici GP19 now sports a fully-red livery without white and grey stripes. The Mission Winnow sponsorship is actually part of Philip Morris International (PMI).
Apart from the livery, the GP19 looks similar to its Desmosedici GP18 predecessor. However, the giant air intake at the front of the fairing has more rounded edges, especially at the bottom. Our guess it to maintain a steady flow of intake air as rounder shapes promote better surface tension. Hence the airflow “sticks” together rather than turn “choppy.”
Besides that, there are “whisker” aerobodies on both sides of the upper fairing.
To those who asked if the “lunchbox” is still there, yes, it is still there underneath the tailsection.
Although the GP19 many look outwardly similar to the older bike, we suspect much underneath have evolved. Remember, MotoGP will use a unified (standard) IMU this year.
There are claims on the internet that the GP19 may produce as much as 300 bhp. It could very well be true as the GP17 and GP18 were already eputed to produce around 280 bhp.
Dovizioso finished as the bridesmaid for the last two seasons. He’s confident that the new bike will help him seal Ducati’s second MotoGP championship since Casey Stoner did so in 2007.
Jorge Lorenzo says the Honda RC213V suits him better than the Ducati Desmosedici.
The five-time World Champion shocked almost everyone when he announced his switch from the Ducati MotoGP team to the Repsol Honda beginning this year. He took over Dani Pedrosa’s reins in the team after the latter announced his retirement from competitive riding.
Lorenzo has since ridden the Honda RC213V during the Valencia and Jerez post-2018 season tests. However, this was the first time he spoke out as his contract with Ducati expired at the end of 2018.
“Last season I rode a completely different bike, that was very big and very tall,” Lorenzo said. “Maybe it was a little too big for me. The Honda suits me better in terms of its dimensions. It is more compact, a smaller and lower bike, with which I can lean over better.”
“I felt a little more confident when entering corners, because the closer you are to the ground, the more confidence you have. The first impression was positive and I saw a lot of potential there.”
“In those moments your expression speaks for itself. It’s all very exciting, very new and enjoyable. Also, if the initial feeling is good, you can tell even more from your expression.”
Honda made a number of modifications to the bike for Lorenzo by the second test in Jerez.
It included a grippy fuel tank, which was similar to the changes made to the Ducati Desmosedici GP18. He won the Italian MotoGP immediately following the modification.
“One of the things that impressed me most was the ability of the Repsol Honda Team to react, providing what you ask for,” he said. “I was quite clear, Honda took note of all my indications and within a few days they had everything ready and we had a fuel tank almost one hundred percent to my liking.”
Lorenzo knows he has joined the most successful MotoGP team and looks forward to the opportunities that lay ahead of him. Indeed, the Honda team had won 15 riders’ championships, including Marc Marquez’s last year.
“Repsol Honda may be the most successful team in history,” he said. “They have the most victories and titles.”
“To compare them with a football team, they would be a Barcelona or a Real Madrid. There is no team with more titles and more importance worldwide than this one.”
The rider and his new teammate Marc Marquez are set for the first 2019 Winter Test at the Sepang International Circuit from 1stto 3rdFebruary 2019.
Source: Crash.net
Aprilia Racing will have a new CEO following the migration of Ferrari F1 sporting director Massimo Rivola.
Incumbent Racing Manager Romano Albesiano will focus on the technical side of the RS-GP MotoGP racer. Hence, his official role will change to Technical Director.
Speaking to Crash.net, Albesiano said, “Personally, I would like to have more possibility to focus on the technical side,” Albesiano said at Valencia, when asked about more management support. “In our company I’m doing these two roles and for sure it is something that we have to fix for the future.”
The appointment of Rivola shows Aprilia’s commitment to MotoGP racing.
Rivola spent 21 years in Formula One. He started with Minardi/Toro Rosso where he spent twelve years, before joining Ferrari in 2009. That makes him the longest-serving sporting director in the Italian team.
He also headed the Ferrari Driver Academy for the last three years.
Aprilia Racing signed Andrea Iannone and retains Aleix Espargaro, in addition to Bradley Smith as test rider for the 2019. They have also signed two new crew chiefs Antonio Jimenez and Fabrizio Cecchini.
The Noale-based team were agonizingly close to sealing fourth place in the 2018 Teams’ Championship but was beaten to it by KTM in the final round.
The 2018 MotoGP season had just ended nary a week ago, but the MotoGP 2019 season has already begun.
The MotoGP field is now testing in Valencia. Certain riders have made the move to their new teams, new teams are formed, and new bikes have arrived. There are many changes for next year and it’s going to be another exciting season.
So, let’s take a look at the ten things to look forward to.
Hafizh Syahrin is retained by the Tech 3 team for the 2019 season. As we’ve reported earlier, Tech 3 made the move as KTM will supply the team with full factory bikes. There was no doubt that his performance in the second half of 2018 had been hampered by the 2017 Yamaha YZR-M1. Hafizh will certainly climb the rankings once he gets to grips with the RC16. Hafizh’s teammate is ex-Moto2 rider Miguel Oliveira. The KTMs will be developed by test rider Dani Pedrosa.
The Sepang International Circuit (SIC) announced their own MotoGP team in collaboration with Petronas and Yamaha. SIC had contracted the 2017 Moto2 Champion Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo as riders. More interestingly, however, is that Morbidelli will be riding the same A-Spec Yamaha YZR-M1 as Rossi and Vinalez.
It was a big surprise when five-time world champion Lorenzo announced his move to Repsol Honda to join nine-time world champion Marc Marquez. Honda had made it clear that they will not produce two different bikes to suit each rider, but will it be a compromise or will it still favour Marquez? Both riders have distinctively different riding styles, after all.
Two-time Moto2 Champion, MotoGP Rookie of the Year 2017 and top independent rider for two years running, Johann Zarco is promoted to the factory Red Bull KTM team for 2019. Zarco isn’t shy to run up front with the leaders and we hope he’ll do it again, besides securing his maiden MotoGP win.
Danilo Petrucci had proved himself well on the satellite Pramac Ducati since 2017. His efforts have been rewarded with a factory ride from next year, partnering Andrea Dovizioso. Will that elusive first MotoGP victory happen in 2019?
Jack “Jackass” Miller will relish his chances on the Ducati Desmosedici GP19, the same bike as factory riders Dovizioso and Petrucci. Miller is already a winner in the class and had qualified on pole position a number of times in 2018. Look out for this guy.
Unlike Formula 1, technical changes seem to have worked wonders for MotoGP. Racing is now much closer since the introduction of a standard ECU since 2016.
MotoGP is going further this year by supplying a standard IMU (inertial measurement unit).
The IMU measures the pitch, yaw and lean angle of the bike and sends the signal to the ECU to formulate precise traction control strategies. This technology is currently used on certain road bikes for the same purpose, plus Cornering ABS. But ABS is not allowed in MotoGP.
There’ve been concerns that there may be teams who are manipulating the signals from their own IMUs to trigger advantageous strategies from the ECU. The results are telling especially in terms of tyre wear. A standard IMU should close the gap between rival teams further.
CAN (Controller Area Network) bus connectors are the “middle men” between the sensors and ECU. Similarly, there is also suspicion that electronics are used inside the connectors to manipulate signals that are being sent to the ECU.
As such, MotoGP will also issue standard CAN bus connectors in 2019.
Let’s head over to Moto2. Triumph is the exclusive engine supplier beginning next year. The 765cc triple is based on the Street Triple RS. Riders who had tested the new engine loved it for its mix of torque and horsepower. It has even broken lap records before the start of the official testing season!
The two classes will see a new practice and qualifying format as MotoGP. The difference is the 14 fastest riders on combined times from FP1, FP2 and FP3 will automatically go through to Qualifying 2 (Q2). The 4 fastest riders in Q1 are promoted to Q2.
© Copyright – BikesRepublic.com 2023 Trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved
