Action from the #SpanishGP

Race 1: Full House

 Ducati’s Davies takes victory from pole and smashes lap record

A stunning performance from Aruba.it rider Chaz Davies saw him take a comfortable victory in Race 1 at Imola, as Kawasaki pairing Rea and Sykes were left to fight it out for the other podium positions.

It was Davies and Rea who got the best starts from the front row of the grid, with the biggest loser off the line proving Davide Giugliano as his teammate and the KRT riders got past him at the start of the race. With Davies leading the charge to escape, it was left to Rea, the only man seeming able to stay in touch with the Ducati rider, to try and chase him down.

With ten laps remaining, the reigning Champion ran wide at Turn 1 and the gap to teammate Sykes suddenly closed, with the KRT riders facing another inter-team battle as the Yorkshireman tried to stay in touch. Rea, cool under pressure as ever, managed to recover his rhythm and hold off his teammate to the line to minimize the damage in the Championship after a close challenge on the last lap.

Jordi Torres, who scored his first WorldSBK podium at Imola in 2015, had a stunning run for P4 on his Althea BMW machine at the team’s home race, ahead of second Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider Davide Giugliano. Leon Camier, after a race of some ups and downs, crossed the line in sixth for another fantastic haul of points for home manufacturer MV Agusta.

Lorenzo Savadori on the Aprilia ran in the top 5 throughout the first part of the race, before the rookie succumbed to the pressure of riders behind. Michael van der Mark, after a difficult Superpole 2, was the winner of the battle for P7 and headed Savadori over the line, who saw the chequered flag in P8 just ahead of Imola rookie Nicky Hayden on the second Honda. Xavi Forés made up ground in the Race on his Barni Racing Team Ducati to lock out the top ten, just ahead of Alex Lowes after a difficult weekend for the Pata Yamaha squad.

Baiocco, Reiterberger, Brookes and DeAngelis completed the points scoring positions, with DeAngelis still suffering with an injury to his left hand at the Round closest to home for the San Marinese rider.

After losing some ground to Davies in Race 1, Jonathan Rea will be aiming for victory number 6 at Imola on Sunday in Race 2, where he has another chance to overtake Carlos Checa as most successful at the Italian track. Davies and Ducati are sure to put up at fight as the lights go out at 13:00 local time (GMT +2).

Sylvain Guintoli: Update

 

Pata Yamaha rider being treated and assessed after crash in Tissot-Superpole 2

2014 WorldSBK Champion Sylvain Guintoli suffered a highside crash during the Superpole 2 qualifying session on Saturday at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. The Frenchman has been declared unfit to race throughout the weekend and after medical checks on site was transferred to Imola Hospital for further examination.

The Yamaha rider reported concussion at the circuit and during further assessments prior to his transferal to Imola Hospital, the Medical Center at the track diagnosed concussion, multiple contusions and a fracture of the left ankle.

After transferal, further checks at the hospital confirmed these diagnoses and all other medical assessments done at this time have been negative, with no other injuries found.

Paul Denning: "Our first thoughts today have to immediately turn to Sylvain and the incredible high-side he had in Superpole this morning. Luckily his injuries, while still to be determined in fine-detail, are not serious and after such a frightening accident we can all be thankful for that. As we currently speak he is still in Imola hospital receiving good care and undergoing checks,  we hope that he will be released tomorrow and we can announce some detailed news regarding his recovery and when he will be able to re-join the team".
Further information will be published when available.

 

Yamaha Superbike Temple Opens Near Imola

Pata Yamaha riders take a walk through history at the Collezione Moto Poggi

On Wednesday night just outside Bologna, Alex Lowes and Sylvain Guintoli were two of the most prestigious guests at the opening of the Yamaha Superbike Temple at the Poggi Museum, made up of an incredible collection of Yamaha and motorbike history, both young and old. With the all-new YZF R1 taking center stage as the showpiece in the WorldSBK chapter of the Yamaha legend, riders Alex Lowes and Sylvain Guintoli were on hand to see their bikes admitted to the annals and present the 2016 Pata Yamaha Superbike to the attendees.

“It’s great to look back at what Yamaha have achieved, to realise what they’ve achieved and it gives you more motivation to achieve great things for Yamaha,” said Alex Lowes, Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team. “It’s really nice to be here.”

Names from the past, present and future of the Japanese manufacturer were all present, including 2011 WorldSBK runner up Marco Melandri, who was reunited with his race winning Yamaha machine from that season. After some seasons outside the WorldSBK paddock, the Japanese factory returns in 2016 with an all-new machine to try and take more of the race wins for which Melandri was celebrated. The Ravennate rider is currently the latest Yamaha rider to win for the marque in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, a record something Lowes and Guintoli will be attempting to take back at the next Round.

The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, a region and country full of motorsport history and the perfect stage for the museum and temple. The next Round of WorldSBK is to take place at the mythical track and as well as being the home round of Italian marque such as Ducati, the Round proves a home round of sorts for many on the grid, including Yamaha title sponsor Pata. After beginning the weekend with a walk through history, Yamaha will now be focused fully on the future to try and take the YZF R1 around Imola faster than their competitors.

WorldSBK.com LIVE SCHEDULE (GMT +2)

Sunday 1 May

WorldSSP - Race        11:20

WorldSBK - Race 2    13:00

STK1000 - Race          14:20

WorldSSP Tissot-Superpole on Saturday saw Jules Cluzel take pole

Comeback Kings ( VR 46 )

Their circumstances were different, but both Valentino Rossi and Brad Binder stole the show in Jerez with incredible comebacks.

Crashing is an inevitable part of being a Grand Prix motorcycle racer unfortunately, everyone crashes no matter how talented or experienced a rider is. Coming back from a crash is an important part of being a MotoGP™ rider, most have the incredible ability to return to the garage after a crash and get right back out on track and go faster. Go faster is exactly what Valentino Rossi did on Sunday in Jerez.

Austin saw ‘The Doctor’ crash out of a race for the first time in over a year and after a difficult start to the season some were wondering if he’d find his 2015 form again. But in Jerez Rossi bounced back from a crash like almost never before and took his most dominant win to date, once again silencing any doubts. Having now taken 113 wins in the World Championship, this isn’t the first time Rossi has crashed one race and won the next.

Few fans will forget the infamous ‘donkey helmet’ Rossi wore for the 2009 San Marino GP. In Italy, and many other parts of the world, people who make silly mistakes are often called a donkey, the helmet a bit of self-deprecating humour after Rossi crashed out of the Indianapolis GP. His crash in Indy in 2009 was his first DNF since 2007 and while there was no special helmet for the Spanish GP, both Misano and Jerez witnessed an almost identical outcome as Rossi won from pole position and put himself right back in Championship contention. But in Jerez Rossi also showed off a new set of tricks.

For the first time in his premier class career Rossi led every lap of a race after starting in pole position. He out Lorenzo-ed Lorenzo, running away at the start of the race and expertly managing the gap even when tyres dropped off. Once again it’s a three-way battle for the championship, Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo proving they have the pace to finish on the podium almost every weekend and Marc Marquez showing just how much he’s grown up since 2015.

Were this the Spanish GP a year ago, few would have been surprised to see Marquez fall while trying to close the impossible gap to Lorenzo and Rossi. Instead he produced a calm and mature ride, focusing on getting solid points and protecting his championship lead after a difficult race. Marquez has yet to make a mistake this season, the only rider to take to the podium in all four races. As both Lorenzo and Rossi have shown in the past, consistency wins championships not outright speed
.
Rossi’s return to race winning form was great to see but the ride of the day easily went to Brad Binder in the Moto3™ World Championship. Issues with ECU software during Qualifying meant the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was sent to the back of the grid due to a penalty on Sunday. What could he do from 35th on a grid full of aggressive young racers? What could anyone do? In recent memory only Marc Marquez had won from the back, starting 28th after a late crash in the 2010 Portuguese GP and again at Valencia in 2012 when a penalty saw him start 33rd on the Moto2™ grid. Both races saw Marquez put on a master class, each pass alerting more and more fans to his incredible talent.

In Jerez Binder’s performance blew both of Marquez’s comebacks out of the water. Fans could have been excused for thinking they were watching someone playing the MotoGP™ video game as Binder took positions at every corner, his late braking putting others to shame. Even the most experienced members of the paddock let out a shriek as Binder’s KTM bucked and weaved, the South African converting the race from damage limitation to a championship, if not career, defining moment. Three seconds separated Binder from second place, what would have happened if he’d started on the front row? A small percentage of riders in the World Championship get to experience the thrill of a first win but none have ever gotten it from starting last.

The rear of a rider’s leather suit often displays their nickname or logo; Rossi has ‘The Doctor’ while Andrea Iannone has ‘The Maniac’. Currently Binder has ‘Bradical’ printed on his leathers but perhaps ‘Comeback King’ would be more fitting after Jerez. Watch out because now Binder has tasted victory and it's an addicting taste.

Tags:

MotoGP, 2016, GRAN PREMIO RED BULL DE ESPAÑA, Brad Binder, Valentino Rossi, Red Bull KTM Ajo, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

BMW M Division presents the 2016 BMW M Award

At the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, BMW M Division unveiled this year’s winner’s car in the coveted BMW M Award; an exclusive BMW M2 Coupé.

Since making its world debut in Detroit in January of this year, the new BMW M2 Coupé has caused an international stir; it has been in action on the racetrack as the BMW M2 MotoGP™ Safety Car since March. Now the high-performance coupé from BMW M will also play the main role in the BMW M Award; as the winner’s car for the winner of the 2016 season. As a long-standing partner of MotoGP™ organiser Dorna Sports, BMW M Division has presented the BMW M Award since 2003. At the end of every season, the rider with the best qualifying results is awarded an exclusive, customised BMW M car. BMW unveiled the 2016 winner’s car at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez la Frontera; the new BMW M2 Coupé in Long Beach Blue Metallic.

“Each season the MotoGP family eagerly awaits the moment when the winner’s car for the BMW M Award is presented in Jerez,” said Pau Serracanta, Managing Director of the Commercial Department at Dorna Sports, during the presentation. “BMW M Division surprises us every year with a truly exceptional car. With the new BMW M2 Coupé, it has presented another real highlight. We are delighted that the BMW M Award has been a permanent fixture of the MotoGP season for so many years now.”

“From my racing days I know how coveted the BMW M Award is among the MotoGP riders,” added former world champion Loris Capirossi, BMW M MotoGP expert and member of the MotoGP Race Direction and the Safety Commission. “The prospect of this special prize gives the riders that extra bit of motivation in qualifying. As the MotoGP Safety Car, the new BMW M2 Coupé has already demonstrated its dynamics and agility on the racetrack. It is a magnificent winner’s car for the BMW M Award, because it not only looks fantastic, but also guarantees plenty of driving pleasure. It’s a shame that I have already ended my career – it would really tempt me to battle for this exciting BMW M Award.”

“The new BMW M2 Coupé delights – the overwhelming feedback that we received from around the world confirmed this. Which is why we are delighted to be able to present this coupé as the winner’s car for this year’s BMW M Award,” said Axel Mittler, head of MotoGP™ Cooperation at BMW M Division. “It makes us proud that the BMW M Award can look back on such a long tradition of being part of our successful partnership with Dorna Sports. We are excited to see who will be in the running for the title of best qualifier this season.”

The design of the new BMW M2 Coupé embodies pure power and dynamics. The sporty coupé design, muscular form and the driver-oriented cockpit are what characterise the athletic appearance. The high-performance coupé is powered by a 370 hp inline six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology. The BMW M double-clutch gearbox (M DCG) with Drivelogic ensures sporty, commanding vehicle handling in all situations. The BMW M2 Coupé with M DCG accelerates from 0 to 100 in 4.3 seconds. The combined fuel consumption is 7.9 l/100 km, the combined CO2 emissions are 185 g/km.

The sporty look of this year’s BMW M Award winner’s car is emphasised by the exterior colour Long Beach Blue Metallic and the black Double-spoke style 19-inch BMW M light alloy wheels. The interior highlights include sport seats in Leather “Dakota” Black with contrast stitching in blue, the interior trims made from porous carbon, Alcantara on the door mirrors and centre console, as well as numerous other exclusive features.

In 2016, the BMW M Award will be presented for the 14th time. Just like the points system for the races, riders at each Grand Prix weekend are awarded points relative to their positions in qualifying. Pole position is rewarded with 25 points, second place on the grid earns 20 points and third place scores 16 points – right down to one point for 15th. The rider with the most points at the end of the season wins the BMW M Award. Marc Márquez, Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner are the current record holders, each with three BMW M Awards to their name – with Márquez being the only rider who has won three times in a row. His Spanish compatriot Jorge Lorenzo has earned the coveted title of top qualifier twice so far. Sete Gibernau and Nicky Hayden have both won once.

The BMW M Award is one of the many pillars of BMW M’s long-term commitment to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. At the centre of the partnership with Dorna Sports is the provision of the BMW M fleet. 2016 is BMW M’s 18th season as “Official Car of MotoGP”. This year’s fleet of official MotoGP vehicles includes a total of six different BMW M and M Performance models. Alongside the new BMW M2 MotoGP Safety Car, the BMW M4 Coupé with water injection and the BMW M3 are also in action as safety cars. The BMW X5 M and the BMW M550d xDrive Touring take to the track as medical cars this season. BMW M Division provides the safety officer with a BMW M5. Two BMW S 1000 RRs, which BMW Motorrad provides as safety bikes, complete the 2016 safety car fleet. ( MotoGP)

Tags:

MotoGP, 2016, GRAN PREMIO RED BULL DE ESPAÑA

Sam Lowes takes first win of 2016 with perfect Spanish GP ( MOTO2 )

He may have had to fight in the opening laps, but once Lowes was ahead he was untouchable. Folger and Rins joining him on the podium.

The sun blazed down on the thousands of fans gathered at the Circuito de Jerez to witness the Moto2™ World Championship race at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. It was a reduced grid as both Julian Simon (QMMF Racing Team) and Edgar Pons (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) withdrew from the race on medical grounds. All riders, aside from Alessandro Tonucci (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) chose to run the medium front and hard rear tyres.

At the head of the grid Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) remained focused on the task ahead, the Brit knew he had the pace to win but had crashed several times throughout the course of the weekend. With a number of his title rivals such as Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) and Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) starting outside the top six, the scene was set to opening up his championship lead.

Red flag removed and lights out, Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) shot off the front row of the grid to grab the holeshot into Turn 1. There were a number of moments behind but everyone made it through the first corner safely. Xavi Vierge  (Tech 3 Racing) and Ratthapark Wilairot (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) had a heavy fall at Turn 5, but the racing continued. The pair was taken to the medical centre where Wilairot was diagnosed with cranial trauma and taken to a local hospital.

Folger continued to up the pace, Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) unable to match the speed and sliding off at Turn 2. Try as he might, Folger was unable to hold off Lowes who took the lead midway through lap two. From seventh on the grid, Rins made the start he needed and put a hard move on Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) to get up into third. Unfortunately Zarco did not make as strong a start and was battling down in 12th in the opening laps.

The leading four were all within touching distance, Lowes unable to shake off Folger as they traded fastest sectors. Their speed was brutal and the top three opened up a second leader over Morbidelli. Lap times were quick but the conditions caught many out as Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed early at Turn 2. Luca Marini (Forward Team) slid off at Turn 13 at the end of lap four and Sandro Cortese’s (Dynavolt Intact GP) front row start ended in the gravel at Turn 2 on lap five.

Danny Kent (Leopard Racing) crashed and remounted at Turn 6 as Axel Pons (AGR Team) was another victim of Turn 13. All of these falls occurred within the first six laps, the conditions slightly cooler than in Qualifying and proved difficult.

No such issues for the leading three as they maintained their pace in the mid 1’43s, Rins just dropping back slightly as the race crept towards half race distance. Morbidelli was having a lonely ride in fourth, but fellow Italian Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Team) was steadily closing the two-second gap.

Having worked on used tyres for the majority of Free Practice, many were expecting Alex Rins to be strong towards the end of the race but as the laps went by, the Spaniard dropped further back. With 16 laps remaining, Lowes and Folger had opened up a second on the local rider and looked set to decide victory between them. The German and the Brit were taking radically different lines around the Jerez circuit, but the gap remained constant.

By lap 13 Baldassarri was with Morbidelli and fighting for fourth, the Forward Team rider waiting for his chance and spending several laps behind him. Morbidelli would respond and up his pace to open up a half second advantage over his compatriot.

Lowes continued to push ahead at the front of the race, his Kalex bucking and weaving underneath him as he extended his advantage over Folger to near a second on lap 17. Each time Lowes had a moment, Folger would up his pace and continue pushing the Brit in an attempt to push him over the limit. But Folger’s attacks would work and soon Lowes opened up a lead of over a second and a half, the Brit just needing to remain upright for the final six laps.

Further down the order there were great rides from the likes of Miguel Oliveira (Leopard Racing) who battled with Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten) for sixth, the pair ahead of Zarco. After a challenging start to the race, Zarco found his rhythm and was able to get inside the top ten. Disaster struck for Oliveira on lap 21 as he slid off at Turn 4, his bike tumbling through the gravel trap.

Zarco eventually got past Luthi to move into sixth with four laps to go, the leading five too far ahead for even the reigning Moto2™ World Champion. But Zarco would benefit from a late fall by Baldassarri, the Frenchman promoted into the top five.

The last lap began with the podium set in stone, Lowes crossing the line over three seconds ahead of Folger for his first win of 2016 and just the second of his Moto2™ career. Alex Rins would complete the podium with a steady ride to third position. Unfortunately Rins encountered problems on the cooldown lap and had to ask Zarco for assistance in getting back to the pits.

After the pressure of Baldassarri, Morbidelli took his best race result of the year with fourth ahead of Zarco.

Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Interwetten), Luis Salom (SAG Team) and Xavier Simeon (QMMF Racing Team) formed the top ten.

Victory is exactly what Lowes needed, the Brit extending his championship lead to 10 points over Alex Rins. Johann Zarco takes third with 56 points, 16 behind Lowes. Folger, who took his fifth podium in six Jerez visits sits fifth with 47 points.

Marcel Schrotter (AGR Team) also crashed at Turn 13, remounting to later crash at Turn 9.

The Monster Energy Grand Prix de France will host round five of the Moto2™ World Championship in early May. ( MotoGP )

Tags:

Moto2, 2016, GRAN PREMIO RED BULL DE ESPAÑA, RAC, Jonas Folger, Alex Rins, Sam Lowes, Dynavolt Intact GP, Federal Oil Gresini Moto2, Paginas Amarillas HP 40

Rossi (VR46) romps to 113th career victory

The Gran Premio Red Bull de España saw Valentino Rossi lead from start to finish, winning from Lorenzo and Marquez with ease.

All weekend the leading three were in a league of their own. Rossi, Lorenzo and Marquez had filled the top three spots of almost every practice session and lined up next to each other on the front row of the grid. The three biggest names in MotoGP™ were alongside each other once more and everything in practice had indicated that there was almost nothing to choose between them. As is typical of the Spanish GP, the grid was packed with mechanics, guests and officials but the riders did their best to block it out and run through their race plans.

With all three on the same hard front and medium rear tyres, managing tyre life could very well decide the race but those concerns would come later. The sun beat down on the grid and getting into, and out of, Turn 1 quickly and safety was all any of the MotoGP™ riders were worrying about. Races can’t be won in the first corner, but they can certainly be lost. Right hands gripped throttles; riders leaned forward and tensed as the lights came on. Off the lights went, the crowd erupting into applause and cheers as Valentino Rossi made a great start to lead into Turn 1. But he wasn’t alone Jorge Lorenzo right behind with Repsol Honda Team duo Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa within touching distance

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Perhaps the best start of the race was from Pedrosa who quickly put his RC213V into third midway through the first lap. Across the line they went as the second lap began as the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP pair stretched their lead. Marquez attacked Pedrosa into Turn 6, running wide as his line was blocked. Through Turn 9 Lorenzo launched a similar attack on Rossi, the Italian holding off his teammate as the Hondas clawed back the gap with Marquez now in third.

Fans were transfixed on the leading four, few noticing the incredible start of Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team MotoGP) who was in eighth as the third lap began and the leading Independent Team rider. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) chased Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for fifth with Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the tail of his Ducati. Dovizioso’s teammate, Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) was having a terrible race, dropping like a stone down to 14th in the opening laps.

All of the leaders lapped in the mid 1’40s, Rossi trying to escape as Marquez looked for a way through on Lorenzo. His lead would soon be over half a second, Rossi upped his pace lap after lap and drew out hundredths of a second at each corner. Before long the gap was at a second, Valentino Rossi seemingly doing as his teammate had done so many times before and breaking the field early in the race. No matter what Lorenzo did he was unable to close in on Rossi nor shake off Marquez.

Disaster struck for Dovizioso on the tenth lap as yet again, through no fault of his own, his race came to an end. The factory Ducati rider was forced to sit up as his Desmosedici GP encountered a terminal issue, forcing him to ride back into the pits and once again make the long walk across the garage to spectate the race.

Rossi and his team had focused on race setting throughout the weekend, ‘The Doctor’s’ work paying off as the gap soon grew to over two seconds as no one was able to match his lap times. Behind him Lorenzo had his hands full fending off Marquez, the Repsol Honda rider not quite close enough to attack but able to apply ample pressure.

Overtakes were scarce at the front but the battle for seventh place produced some thrilling racing, Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) leading the group ahead of Laverty. Just behind them Andrea Iannone and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) pushed each other hard for 10th position, not what either rider wanted before the race. In front, Pedrosa had Aleix Espargaro to contend with, Pedrosa working hard to hold off the Suzuki man. Since his fifth in Austin, Espargaro has been in some of the best form of his career after a setup breakthrough.

With over half race distance gone, Lorenzo broke Marquez and opened up a one second lead on his fellow Spaniard. Marquez had chosen to run winglets on his Honda which assisted with keeping the front end down but also ran the risk of overheating the front tyre over the race. With ten laps to go, Lorenzo hadn’t just broken Marquez but he also began to close in on Rossi. A gap that was once three seconds quickly dropped to two and that gap continued to fall by a couple of tenths a lap, would it be enough with eight laps remaining?

His chances of victory would fade as Rossi responded to Lorenzo’s increased pace and once again dropped into the low 1’41s. The gap would grow to over three seconds, Lorenzo unable to push any harder and settling to take valuable championship points. Marquez also continued to drop back, his chances of a home victory long gone as he found himself over five second behind Lorenzo.

After a terrible start to the race, Iannone set about making up for lost time and quickly got past Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and ran away with seventh place. This would be one of the last battles of the race as the field stretched out, only a handful of riders within a second of each other.

For the 113th time in his career and the 87th time in the premier class, Valentino Rossi pulled a wheelie across the line to celebrate victory. After the disappointment of Austin, the result is exactly what ‘The Doctor’ needed. Behind him Jorge Lorenzo took his 100th premier class podium finish and Marquez was able to keep the lead of the Championship, his lead reduced slightly to 17 points.

Pedrosa withstood Espargaro’s challenge to end in fourth ahead of the Spaniard.

Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team), Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team MotoGP) and Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) completed the top ten.

Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) crashed out of the race at Turn 11 after battling with Cal Crutchlow in the opening stages.

The Monster Energy Grand Prix de France will seem them do it all again for round five of the 2016 World Championship. (motoGp.com)

Tags:

MotoGP, 2016, GRAN PREMIO RED BULL DE ESPAÑA, RAC, Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, Repsol Honda Team

Lorenzo set to take on new challenge with Ducati

Having spent his entire premier class career with Yamaha, Jorge Lorenzo will move to the factory Ducati Team for 2017.

On Monday the 18th of April 2016, Ducati announced that they have reached an agreement with Jorge Lorenzo which will see the Spanish rider take part in the MotoGP™ World Championship in 2017 and 2018 aboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP of the Ducati Team. After nine seasons in MotoGP™ with Yamaha and three titles, this is a big step for Lorenzo as he aims to join the likes of Rossi, Lawson, Duke, Stoner and Giacomo Agostini in taking premier class titles on two different makes of motorcycle.

In 2008 Lorenzo stepped up to the premier class and immediately impressed with pole position and second place on his debut. Although the season had several big crashes, it was clear that the partnership was set to produce something special. He would go on to grab the Rookie of the Year title with ease and assert himself as a title threat in the coming years.

2010 was Lorenzo’s real breakthrough; taking six wins and never finishing a race lower than second. This incredible consistency has become a trademark of the Majorcan, taking the title with an incredible 383 points. Since then no champion in the MotoGP™ class has managed to score more points on their way to the title and will be one of the many records Lorenzo and Ducati will be eager to break.

A difficult season followed in 2011, Lorenzo missing the final three rounds of the year due to an injured finger. Despite this he and Yamaha still managed to end the championship in second place overall. The combination would come back stronger in 2012 as Lorenzo fended off both Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner to take his second premier class title with Yamaha. He would take six wins and once again never finished a race lower than second place. Lorenzo had changed how races were run, his ability to break away at the front forcing other riders to adapt their race strategy.

Eight wins would come in 2013 as Lorenzo once again did battle with a Repsol Honda rider for the crown, but this time it was Marc Marquez. The two would battle till the last race, Lorenzo doing all he could to take victory but missed the title by a merger four points. 2014 would be another trying season as an inconsistent start ruled Lorenzo out of the title chance. He would take just two wins that season but would again finish inside the top three overall. As ever he and Yamaha remained focused and came back strong for 2015.

The 2015 season proved unforgettable as Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi rekindled their old rivalry and sparred for the title throughout the year. After a difficult start to the season Lorenzo rallied and pushed Rossi till the bitter end, once more the title would be decided in Valencia. A classically flawless ride followed for Lorenzo as he took his seventh win of the year and his third MotoGP™ World Championship.

By the third round of the 2016 season Lorenzo and Yamaha had claimed 99 podium finishes together, the same number Lorenzo has raced with for the majority of his time in the premier class. On the eve of round four, the Jerez GP, it was announced that Lorenzo would Ducati for the 2017 and 2018 seasons as both parties look for a new challenge. Lorenzo and Luigi Dall’Igna will once again be working together, Dall’Igna having been heavily involved in both of Lorenzo’s 250cc titles with Aprilia.

Ducati will be hoping that Lorenzo provides the boost they need to take their first title since Casey Stoner in 2007 and return them to regularly fighting for race wins. Since Dall’Igna joined the Bologna factory, Ducati have gone from strength to strength and gone from struggling for the top five to fighting for the podium consistently. The adventure with Ducati is a big step for Lorenzo who has never ridden a bike other than an M1 in MotoGP™ but his undeniable talent and Ducati’s rejuvenation look set to make it a fruitful one.

Tags: MotoGP, 2016, GRAN PREMIO RED BULL DE ESPAÑA, Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati Team, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP( By motogp Web Site )

2016 Chinese Grand Prix - Formula One World Championship Apr 17 - Shanghai International Circuit - 56 laps - 190 miles

Leaderboard - Final                                             Points                          Time/Lag Avg. mph 1

1. [Germany] Nico Rosberg - Mercedes            25                                 :38:53.891 185.078 2
2.  [Germany] Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari             18 +                              37.776 Sec 183.908 3
3.  [Russia] Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull                    15                               +45.936 Sec 183.657 4
4.  [Australia] Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull           12                              +52.688 Sec 183.449 5
5.  [Finland] Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari                10                                +1:05.872 Sec 183.046 
6. [Brazil] Felipe Massa - Williams                       8                                +1:15.511 Sec 182.753 7
7.  [United Kingdom] Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes 6 +                             1:18.230 Sec 182.67 8
8.  [Belgium] Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso          4                               +1:19.268 Sec 182.639 9
9.  [Spain] Carlos Sainz Jr. - Toro Rosso               2                               +1:24.127 Sec 182.491 10
10.  [Finland] Valtteri Bottas - Williams                    1                               +1:26.192 Sec 182.428 11 
11. [Mexico] Sergio Perez - Force India                  0                              +1:34.283 Sec 182.184 12
12.  [Spain] Fernando Alonso - McLaren                0                              +1:37.253 Sec 182.094 13
13.  [United Kingdom] Jenson Button - McLaren     0                              +1:41.990 Sec 181.951 14 
14.  [Mexico] Esteban Gutierrez - Haas                   0                              - 181.629 15
15.  [Germany] Nico Hulkenberg - Force India        0                              - 181.588 16
16.  [Sweden] Marcus Ericsson - Sauber                 0                              - 181.266 17
17.  [Denmark] Kevin Magnussen - Renault             0                              - 180.97 18
18.  [Germany] Pascal Wehrlein - Manor                 0                              - 180.824 19 
19. [France Switzerland] Romain Grosjean - Haas   0                              - 180.775 20 
20.  Felipe Nasr - Sauber                                        0                              - 180.079 21 
21.  [Indonesia] Rio Haryanto - Manor                    0                              - 179.912 22
22.  [United Kingdom] Jolyon Palmer - Renault        0                             - 179.847 − Hide full standings