motogp Archives

BREAKING: Miguel Oliveira, Raul Fernandez Joins RNF Aprilia

RNF Aprilia has officially announced Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez as the team riders for the 2023 season ahead of the the Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Rivieria di Rimini.

Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliveira joins Aprilia’s newest satelite team next season.
Both riders will ride onboard the Aprilia RS-GP.

The former KTM riders will join the newly formed team headed by Razlan Razali after agreeing a two-year deal.

According to the team official statement, both riders will ride on board the Aprilia RS-GP machine for the next season.

That said, the announcement completes team RNF Aprilia line-up for the 2023 and 2024 season.

Meanwhile, Razlan Razali expressed his excitement over the new recruitment while also looking forward to the new season.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Miguel Oliveira and Raúl Fernandez to the WithU RNF MotoGP Team from 2023.

“It has not been a simple process, but together with Aprilia we are very clear on the riders that we wanted.

“They are both young riders with a good combination of experience coming from Miguel and Raúl who I’m personally a fan of since he shocked the Moto2 category last year to become Vice Champion.

“To finally secure him, is fantastic. Both, Aprilia and we believe in the talent of both riders, so we can’t wait for them to ride for us next season!,” he said.

OFFICIAL: Ducati Picks Enea Bastianini Over Jorge Martin

The tribe has spoken.

Ducati Lenovo Team has picked 24-year-old Enea Bastianini over Jorge Martin as Francesco Bagnaia’s teammate for the 2023 MotoGP season.

Bastianini will ride alongside Bagnaia on the factory Ducati machinery for the 2023 season.
Bastianini replaced Jack Miller, who is on his way to KTM.

That said, Martin will continue riding with team Pramac Racing alongside Johann Zarco next year.

Ducati took some time to announce Bagnaia’s new teammate for the 2023 season ever since Jack Miller was confirmed to be moving to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for 2023.

Although Martin was heavily linked with a move to Ducati, especially since the Spaniard kicked start the season as 2021 Rookie of the Year, Bastianini began the 2022 calendar with a blast, winning the opening act at Qatar GP followed by his second win at Le Mans.

Just last week, the Italian rider took his first premier class pole at the Red Bull Ring but unfortunately had to retire early in the race after suffering from a puncture.

Nevertheless, Bastianini is thrilled to partner alongside Bagnaia next season in an all-Italian lineup.

“I am thrilled to be able to wear the colours of the official Ducati team starting next year. It was my dream, and now it has come true.

“In these two years in MotoGP, I have learned and grown a lot, and I believe that I can only improve with the engineers and men of the Ducati Lenovo Team!

“I want to thank Claudio, Gigi, Paolo and Davide for trusting me and giving me this incredible opportunity. Still, I also want to thank Nadia and the whole Gresini team for the great support I have received from them during this wonderful season together.

“I will try to close out this 2022 in the best possible way before tackling my new adventure as a factory Ducati rider with total commitment and the right team spirit,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ducati also confirmed that Martin and Johann Zarco will continue their partnership at Pramac’s ahead of the 2023 season.

Austrian GP: Bagnaia Claims First Three-Consecutive MotoGP Victory

Francesco Bagnaia ties Casey Stoner’s record as the only Ducati rider to win three MotoGP races in a row after claiming his fifth win of the season at the Red Bull Ring.

The Italian led into turn one after passing Gresini’s Enea Bastianini who started at pole position.

Keen to make a factory Ducati 1-2, Jack Miller went in front of Bastianini at Turn 3.

Bastianini lost another spot to Pramac’s Jorge Martin before retiring with the team confirmed that the Italian suffered a deflating front tyre.

Meanwhile, reigning champion, Fabio Quartararo begin to close in on Bagnaia, Miller and Martin.

Martin made a mistake after running wide on lap 17 and allow Quartararo to pass.

The Frenchman then produced the best overtaking of the season – at Turn 2(a)-Turn 2(b) – to grab second placed ahead of Miller.

However, the late charge from the world champion was not enough as Bagnaia managed to hold off Quartararo by half a second.

Meanwhile, Quartararo continue to lead the championship with 200 points, 32 points ahead of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro while race winner Bagnaia sits third with 156 points.

MotoGP will be back in action in September at the iconic Misano circuit, the home of Ducati.

Race results:

Francesco BAGNAIA
Fabio QUARTARARO
Jack MILLER
Luca MARINI
Johann ZARCO
Aleix ESPARGARO
Brad BINDER
Alex RINS
Marco BEZZECCHI
Jorge MARTIN
Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO
Miguel OLIVEIRA
Maverick VIÑALES
Alex MARQUEZ
Andrea DOVIZIOSO
Pol ESPARGARO
Stefan BRADL
Raul FERNANDEZ
Lorenzo SAVADORI
Remy GARDNER

MotoGP: Marc Marquez Aims To Race Again This Year

Marc Marquez hoped that he could return to racing this year after having surgery on his right arm in June.

Marc Marquez could make a surprise appearance on the grid this season.
The Repsol Honda rider is still the highest-placed Honda rider on the grid.

The six-time MotoGP world champion returns to the paddock for the first time since May and told reporters at the Austrian GP that he is optimistic despite yet to returned to full fitness.

The Spaniard is currently en route to recovery and is increasing his workload.

“My intention is to make some races this year.

“Next week I will have the answer if it will be possible or not.

“When I feel ready I will come back because it will be important to prepare for 2023,” he said.

Honda surely wants their star rider back on the grid as Marquez remains the highest-placed Honda rider in the championship – at 14th – despite missing six races so far.

“Then the next two weeks I started to move my arm, with the physio. The last four weeks I started to work a little bit with elastics. Now I start to increase a little bit the weight.

“If I need to wait one more week, I will wait. When I will feel 70 or 80%, when I feel I can ride a MotoGP bike in a more or less good way, I will come back.

“The last part of the rehabilitation, the best way, is to be on the bike. You cannot wait to be 100% before riding the bike,” he added.

MotoGP returns to action this weekend at the Red Bull Ring.

OFFICIAL: 2022 Petronas Grand Prix Of Malaysia Is Coming To You This October

The Malaysia MotoGP fever officially returns to Sepang International Circuit after a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sepang International Circuit (SIC) officially welcomes the 2022 Malaysia MotoGP after a two-year absence.
SIC announced Damok as the official ‘wildcard’ rider in Moto3.

This time around, Petronas – the new official title sponsor – welcomes all two-wheel racing enthusiasts across the country to witness the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia 2022 happening on the 21 – 23 October.

The 23rd edition of the Malaysian GP also marks Petronas’s official debut as the new title sponsor after successfully reaching an agreement with MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports earlier this year.

During the launch, Chief Executive Officer of Sepang International Circuit (SIC), Azhan Shafriman Hanif, also announced the ‘wildcard’ slot for the upcoming MotoGP Malaysia goes to FIM Junior GP rider Syarifuddin Azman @ Damok, who will race with team VisionTrack.

“This year marks the first year of PETRONAS as the title sponsor for the Grand Prix. SIC is set to #WelcomeHome all the local and international motorsports fans to Sepang after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“With no Malaysian riders competing full season in the championship, I believe Damok will be the pull factor for Malaysian to cheer fellow Malaysian on the grid,” said Azhan.

Also present is Petronas Senior General Manager of Group Strategic Communications, Datin Anita Azrina Abdul Aziz, who shares her excitement about the latest project.

“PETRONAS is excited to see the return of MotoGP to Malaysia, and it gives us great pride to headline the event, as the championship is synonymous with passion, innovation, pace and performance – values that resonate well with PETRONAS.

“As such, to celebrate the occasion, PETRONAS has lined up a series of thrilling family-friendly experiences on and off the track, including around KLCC which will be announced in due course.

“The Grand Prix title sponsorship offers an opportunity for PETRONAS brand to grow and help re-energise Malaysia’s sports tourism and provides a unique platform for us to showcase PETRONAS Primax – the Official Fuel for the Moto2 and Moto3 championships – to the world,” she said.

Meanwhile, the most exciting catch for this year is the #MalaysianGP2022 Mega Lucky Draw contest, whereby two lucky winners will walk away with Yamaha NVX and Y15ZR, which features limited-edition SIC livery worth RM22,000.

Tickets can be purchased at www.sepangcircuit.com.

Ex-MotoGP Andrea Iannone Vows Return To Racing After Doping Ban

Andrea Iannone wants to return to two-wheel racing after his doping ban ends in 2024.

Andrea Iannone’s doping ban will end in 16 months.
Iannone wants to return to competitive racing after facing a four-year ban.

The former MotoGP rider was handed a lengthy ban after testing positive for a banned substance during a routine drug test at the Malaysian GP in 2019.

FIM gave Iannone an 18 month-ban before World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed that the sanction was too lenient and requested a four-year ban.

The Italian rider took the case to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) to fight the sanction. However, a successful countercase from WADA resulted in Iannone’s four-year ban.

As a result, Iannone refrained from racing or testing until 16 December 2023.

Despite being sidelined since 2020, Iannone is ready to put himself in the market and hopes to secure a top-level seat for 2024.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 33-year-old is adamant about returning to the track once his ban is lifted.

“I’ll be back. I don’t know where, how and when, if in MotoGP or Superbike, but I guarantee it: I still can’t fill my life with things [other] than the bike or the speed.

“Dancing with the Stars was like a diversion and I’m spoiled for choice for everything that’s offered to me. If I get offers from TV it means that people are interested in me, but I guarantee you that I am focused on one thing: to get back to [riding]. And I will do it,” he said.

While his effort to get back to competitive riding is commendable, it seems unlikely that the former Ducati, Suzuki and Aprilia rider to make the MotoGP list for 2024.

The championship has changed drastically since the rider’s ban, and with every team vying for MotoGP’s glory, Iannone’s – who will turn 34 by 2024 – chance is slim.

However, there is still a window of opportunity for Iannone at the WorldSBK, especially since more privateer options are available.

That said, Iannone still needs to prove that he can still compete at the highest level.

MotoGP: Bagnaia Beat Vinales To Take British GP Win

The second half of the 2022 MotoGP season resumed in full action in Silverstone, with Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia taking his fourth win of the season.

Bagnaia took his fourth win of the season at Silverstone.
Vinales claimed his back-to-back podium with second place.
Quatararo continue to lead the championship with 180 points.

The Italian came out on top after overcoming a late surge from Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales.

Pramac’s Johann Zarco led the earlier part of the race after starting from pole in search of his first ever MotoGP race win.

However, the Frenchman could not hold his ground coming at Turn 8, crashing on lap five, leaving Ducati’s Jack Miller in the lead with continued pressure from Suzuki’s Alex Rins.

Bagnaia took some time to warm up, slowly passed his teammate Miller at lap seven for second place, and started chasing Rins. Bagnaia soon caught up with the Spanish rider at the end of the first ten laps, with Miller doing well to stick behind his mate.

An intense battle was going on for fourth with Vinales and Jorge Martin before the former broke through and pressured Rins to take third.

Vinales wasted no time to pass Miller for second and somehow managed to squeeze for more speed from the RS-GP 22 machine to close the gap with Bagnaia.

Vinales tried to take the lead from Bagnaia – at the same spot he passed Miller – however, the Italian easily shakedown the effort and continued to take the lead onto the final lap.

This is the Italian rider fourth win – second win in succession – of the season, putting him third in the championship standings with 131 points, just 22 points behind leader Fabio Quartararo.

Slyvain Guintoli Gets A One-Of-A-Kind Suzuki Hayabusa As A Parting Gift

Suzuki bids farewell to its motorsport programme after confirming it will exit the MotoGP and the Endurance World Championship at the end of the 2022 season.

Guintoli received a unique Suzuki Hayabusa for his effort in developing the GSX-RR.
The one-of-a-kind Hayabusa features red, black and blue livery inspired by the team SERT EWC GSX-R.

While it may come as a surprise for fans of the brand, the shutting down of its race department has more significant implications for team personnel – from riders to mechanics – who will face unemployment in a few months.

Also affected by the abrupt shutdown is Suzuki’s MotoGP development rider and EWC Champion, Sylvain Guintoli.

The ex-MotoGP, WorldSBK and BSB rider will now be out of a job despite representing the brand at the highest level, developing the GSX-RR and winning with EWC with team Yoshimura SERT.

To honour his contribution for all the years at Suzuki, the Hamamatsu factory has gifted Guintoli a special Hayabusa donned in the Yoshimura SERT Motul team livery.

The special Hayabusa features a red, blue and black livery inspired by Guintoli’s GSX-R race bike at the EWC.

While Suzuki won the 2020 MotoGP world title with Joan Mir, Guintoli is considered the backbone behind the Japanese firm’s shock run to the world championship.

His experience and input in developing the GSX-RR are often credited as the primary factor in the brand’s return to MotoGP royalty.

End Of The Road For The Suzuki GSX-R1000?

It’s official, Suzuki is quitting the MotoGP and Endurance World Championship at the end of the 2022 season.

Suzuki officially leaving MotoGP and EWC.
shutting down every motorsport programmes to focus on new sustainability effort.

Suzuki finally went public this week by confirming that they are leaving the MotoGP and EWC after the news broke out in May.

According to Suzuki president Toshihiro Suzuki, the decision to exit MotoGP and EWC was due to “the need to re-allocate resources on other initiatives for sustainability.”

While the decision to leave MotoGP signals a strong desire from the Japanese manufacturer to shift its focus towards the new goal, shutting down its official Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) could also spell the end for the Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike.

Shutting the motorsport programme means that there is no proper platform to test out the litre bike, thus raising the question if we will ever see the next-generation GSX-R1000.

Moreover, with the firm’s new commitment towards sustainability, developing a next-gen petrol-powered superbike seems irrelevant.

Suzuki could turn to develop a new technology that allows a “cleaner” GSX-R1000 to be built. Still, without any involvement in motorsport, there is no purpose for the Hamamatsu factory to push for it.

For other manufacturers, developing a new superbike makes sense because of their effort in MotoGP and WorldSBK.

A company like Ducati, although it has yet to offer any electric superbike for the masses, has the capacity to do so thanks to its partnership with Dorna as the official supplier for MotoE.

On the other hand, Suzuki’s current generation GSX-R1000 has not changed since 2017 except for minor updates.

Although the Gixxer is an iconic machine to every superbike fanboy, the motorcycle has been something of a hidden player in the sportsbike market over the last few years.

Despite achieving success at MotoGP with Joan Mir taking the world championship title in 2020, the company didn’t see an upturn in sales, which is a hard pill to swallow.

With Suzuki’s motorsport programme shuttered and the market slowly moving away from the company’s litre bike, the odds for the GSX-R1000 don’t look good.

Aprilia And SC-Project Extends Partnership

SC-Project will continue to supply exhaust for the Aprilia MotoGP team until 2024 after agreeing on a two-year extension.

SC-Project supplied Aprilia’s RS-GP exhaust system since 2021.
The Italian company becomes Aprilia’s Official Technical Partner.

Aprilia and SC-Project partnership began in 2021 with the Italian manufacturer developing the exhausts for Aprilia’s RS-GP machine.

Since then, Aprilia took its first MotoGP podium in 2021 before claiming the maiden MotoGP race win in 2022 and is currently fighting for the World Championship with Aleix Espargaro.

That said, SC-Project has become an integral part of Aprilia’s climb to world championship glory.

“A solid and ambitious project like ours needs partners who share our same values.

“The one with SC-Project is a natural bond: two great Italian companies, technological leaders in their segments, with a sporty and innovative DNA.

“This is why we are proud to announce the continuation of our relationship, a path of common growth that, I have no doubt, will lead Made in Italy to excel on tracks all over the world,” said Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola.

Also, the two-year extension will now see SC-Project become the Official Technical Partner of Aprilia MotoGP. The SC-Project exhaust will be found in Aprilia’s production race bike department, including the RS660 Trofeo and the RS250 SP.

Meanwhile, Aprilia Racing Technical Director Romano Albesiano is relishing the extended partnership.

“The exhaust system is a key element of our new V4 engine, which is proving to be one of the most competitive in MotoGP.

This is also thanks to the technical synergy with SC-Project, a dynamic and competent company with whom we have established a profitable relationship. In a championship where it is the details that make the real difference, it is essential to be able to count on a supplier that has the technology and expertise to contribute to the development of our RS-GP project,” he said.

Francesco Bagnaia Involved In A Car Crash, Failed Alcohol Test

Ducati MotoGP rider Francesco Bagnaia might have taken his Dutch GP win a bit too far as the rider was involved in a car crash in Ibiza, Spain.

Bagnaia failed his breathalyzer test after scoring higher than the allowed limit.
the Ducati rider went out partying until 3am in the morning.

The Italian won the Dutch GP last month before the season went into a five-week summer break.

After attending a party with his friend to celebrate his third win of the season, he left at around 3 am while driving. However, at a roundabout, he crashed his car into a ditch.

When the police arrived, he was required to undergo a breathalyzer test; local media outlet Periodico de Ibiza y Formentera reported that he failed the test after recording 0.87 – the legal limit in Spain is 0.5.

The Italian issued a statement via his social media regarding the incident.

“As I was leaving the disco at 3am, I was facing a roundabout when I ended up with the front wheels in a ditch without involving other vehicles or people.

“However, the alcohol test carried out by the police found that the blood alcohol level was higher than what is allowed by Spanish law.

“I am sorry for what happened; I am practically a non-drinker, and it was a serious carelessness that should not have happened. I apologize to everyone, and I can assure you that I have learned my lesson. Never get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. Thank you.”

While Bagnaia might regret his action, the rider might face severe repercussions from the law as the act of driving under the influence is a serious offence in country.

Dutch GP: Francesco Bagnaia Wins As Fabio Quartararo Crashes Twice

Francesco Bagnaia is back to winning ways after claiming a sensational win at the Dutch GP, while Fabio Quartararo crashes twice at Turn 5 on the M1.

Bagnaia handed Ducati first win at the Dutch GP since Casey Stoner in 2008.
Quartararo crashses twice at Turn 5 before retiring after suffering a violent highside.

Unlike a week ago, Bagnaia managed to fend off Quartararo on the run to turn one.

Quartararo was then pushed to third by a charging Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, while Bagnaia took the opportunity to widen the gap.

Later on, Quartararo made his first blunder of the season as he crashed into Espargaro at Turn 5 in a rash attempt to regain the time lost to Bagnaia.

The mistake cost him dearly as he was then pushed at the way into last place while Espargaro – who was running second behind Bagnaia – had to make the climb from fifteenth.

However, it wasn’t a ‘down and out’ storyline for the Aprilia rider, as he began lapping five-tenths quicker than the leaders. Espargaro quickly reeled off Alex Marquez and Alex Rins.

Quartararo then made his way to the pit lane before deciding to continue on. However, the Frenchman’s dreadful run comes to an end when his M1 viciously high-sided on the exit of Turn 5.

It was a poor day for Yamaha as three out of four of their riders resulted in a DNF, with Franco Morbidelli and Darryn Binder (RNF Racing) also suffering a crash.

Meanwhile, Marco Bezzechi, who started fourth, took second place with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales and claimed his first podium of the season on board the RS-GP 22.

Nevertheless, the rider of the day award went to (Aleix) Espargaro, who managed to climb all the way to seventh before making it fourth on the final lap.

The Spaniard produced one of the best overtakes, if not the best of the season when he overtook both Brad Binder and Jack Miller at the final corner.

On the other hand, Quartararo leads the championship with 172 points, followed by Espargaro (151 pts) and Johann Zarco (114 pts). Bagnaia is backed in contention with 106 pts, followed by fellow Ducati Enea Bastianini (105pts).

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RNF Aprilia has officially announced Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez as the team riders for the 2023 season ahead of the the Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino e della Rivieria di Rimini.

The tribe has spoken.

Ducati Lenovo Team has picked 24-year-old Enea Bastianini over Jorge Martin as Francesco Bagnaia’s teammate for the 2023 MotoGP season.

Francesco Bagnaia ties Casey Stoner’s record as the only Ducati rider to win three MotoGP races in a row after claiming his fifth win of the season at the Red Bull Ring.

Marc Marquez hoped that he could return to racing this year after having surgery on his right arm in June.

The Malaysia MotoGP fever officially returns to Sepang International Circuit after a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Andrea Iannone wants to return to two-wheel racing after his doping ban ends in 2024.

The second half of the 2022 MotoGP season resumed in full action in Silverstone, with Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia taking his fourth win of the season.

Suzuki bids farewell to its motorsport programme after confirming it will exit the MotoGP and the Endurance World Championship at the end of the 2022 season.

It’s official, Suzuki is quitting the MotoGP and Endurance World Championship at the end of the 2022 season.

Suzuki officially leaving MotoGP and EWC.

shutting down every motorsport programmes to focus on new sustainability effort.

SC-Project will continue to supply exhaust for the Aprilia MotoGP team until 2024 after agreeing on a two-year extension.

Ducati MotoGP rider Francesco Bagnaia might have taken his Dutch GP win a bit too far as the rider was involved in a car crash in Ibiza, Spain.

Francesco Bagnaia is back to winning ways after claiming a sensational win at the Dutch GP, while Fabio Quartararo crashes twice at Turn 5 on the M1.

Bagnaia handed Ducati first win at the Dutch GP since Casey Stoner in 2008.

Quartararo crashses twice at Turn 5 before retiring after suffering a violent highside.

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