2015 MotoGP

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Klyntonius

Norm Smith Medallist
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Just a couple of tidbits to get the year started.

- Ducati's all new 2015 bike won't be ready for the first official test at Sepang. Instead they will run (yet another) hybrid version of last years bike with updated parts they can evaluate without the need for the new engine.

- Casey Stoner has signed on again as a test rider for Honda. He will test at Sepang 4 days before the official test starts. This started rumour of him returning in 2016 but it has been revealed the Nakamoto has tried again to talk Casey into returning but Casey said no.

- Dominique Aegerter will be testing for Kawasaki at Jerez later this month. This has led to widespread speculation of a MotoGP return for the lime green team, however, what this test is actually about remains murky. The bike is said to be a prototype on Michelin tires but not the Michys to be used in 2016. Not being on the right tires and no talk from the paddock or Dorna (who Kawasaki have to apply to for grid spots) suggests they have no plans to re-enter the series which leaves what the bike is as a complete mystery. I'd have thought if it was a test of the new ZX-10R (a new one is scheduled for 2016) that they had two excellent superbike riders for feedback in Sykes and Rea.
 

AM

The standard you walk past is the one you accept
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Yamaha unveils Rossi and Lorenzo’s 2015 YZR-M1

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Klyntonius

Norm Smith Medallist
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And we're away! The first day of testing is done and dusted at the Sepang circuit.

1. = Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1)2m 0.380s [Lap 27/49]
2. = Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1)2m 0.521s +0.141s[30/44]
3. = Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V)2m 0.745s +0.365s[25/36]
4. = Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)2m 0.930s +0.550s[29/40]
5. = Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V)2m 1.010s +0.630s[30/53]
6. = Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP14.3)2m 1.289s +0.909s[10/34]
7. = Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP14.3)2m 1.458s +1.078s[30/43]
8. = Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)2m 1.707s +1.327s[27/41]
9. = Cal Crutchlow GBR CWM LCR Honda (RC213V)2m 1.713s +1.333s[34/45]
10. = Alvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (Aprilia)2m 2.285s +1.905s[27/41]
11. = Aleix Espargaro ESP Team Suzuki MotoGP (GSX-RR)2m 2.552s +2.172s[14/31]
12. = Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda Test Rider (RC213V/RC213V-RS)2m 2.560s +2.180s[45/54]
13. = Danilo Petrucci ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP14.1)2m 2.627s +2.247s[32/42]
14. = Nicky Hayden USA Drive M7 Aspar (RC213V-RS)2m 2.699s +2.319s[22/35]
15. = Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Desmosedici)2m 2.700s +2.320s[28/43]
16. ˄ Michele Pirro ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici)2m 2.719s +2.339s[40/42]
17. ˅ Stefan Bradl GER Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha)2m 2.723s +2.343s[33/44]
18. ˅ Scott Redding GBR Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)2m 2.746s +2.366s[32/47]
19. ˄ Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1)2m 3.092s +2.712s[38/38]
20. ˅ Jack Miller AUS CWM LCR Honda (RC213V-RS)*2m 3.374s +2.994s[26/48]
21. ˅ Maverick Viñales ESP Team Suzuki MotoGP (GSX-RR)*2m 3.404s +3.024s[31/54]
22. = Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici)2m 3.878s +3.498s[34/46]
23. = Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (RC213V-RS)2m 4.128s +3.748s[21/35]
24. = Eugene Laverty IRL Drive M7 Aspar Honda (RC213V-RS)*2m 4.297s +3.917s[32/33]
25. ˄ Loris Baz FRA Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha)*2m 4.660s +4.280s[54/55]
26. ˅ Alex De Angelis RSM Octo IodaRacing (ART)2m 4.673s +4.293s[40/46]
27. = Marco Melandri ITA Factory Aprilia Gresini (Aprilia)2m 4.793s +4.413s[24/35]
28. = Takumi Takahashi JPN Honda Test Rider (RC213V/RC213V-RS)2m 5.106s +4.726s[47/64]
29. = Takuya Tsuda JPN Suzuki Test Rider (GSX-RR)2m 5.478s +5.098s[13/18]
30. = Michael Laverty GBR Aprilia Test Rider (Aprilia)2m 6.190s +5.810s[23/28]
 

Klyntonius

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Not a bad effort by Miller given his experience. He'll only get better.
Crutchlow is making inroads on his Honda, third fastest is very impressive.
The Ducati boys are already hyping their new bike as being better than the GP14.3. For Iannone to be 4th fastest on its first run is encouraging.
The Suzuki looks stronger than its debut last year and should be top 6 competitive assuming it's not a tyre muncher.
 

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Klyntonius

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and the race is at 5am on the monday morning as it's a night race in Guitar

Hendrix didn't die, he became a Sheik?

Also, in semi MotoGP news, the whisper doing the rounds is that Casey Stoner will compete in this years Suzuka 8 Hours alongside Michael Van Der Mark. Honda aren't 100% denying it and Casey tested the endurance Fireblade at the end of his HRC MotoGP test he participated in at Sepand earlier tis year so there is some believable basis for the rumour.
 
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Jeez the Dukes seem to be very much improved! Dovi set the fastest time last night at the Qatar test and it was on a race tyre and not the super soft option they still have available to them. Expect Honda and Yamaha won't be too thrilled with that!
 

Klyntonius

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The first practice of the year has been run at Qatar. We're finally underway!

1.Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V)1m 55.281s [Lap 5/15]344km/h (Top Speed)
2.Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V)1m 55.357s +0.076s[3/15]347km/h
3.Aleix Espargaro ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)1m 55.685s +0.404s[11/13]329km/h
4.Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1)1m 55.698s +0.417s[5/17]338km/h
5.Cal Crutchlow GBR CWM LCR Honda (RC213V)1m 55.818s +0.537s[14/16]340km/h
6.Danilo Petrucci ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP14.1)1m 55.939s +0.658s[15/15]341km/h
7.Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP15)1m 55.980s +0.699s[10/17]345km/h
8.Yonny Hernandez COL Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2)1m 56.139s +0.858s[11/14]344km/h
9.Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1)1m 56.162s +0.881s[10/18]338km/h
10.Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP15)1m 56.315s +1.034s[8/17]344km/h
11.Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)1m 56.361s +1.080s[3/18]345km/h
12.Scott Redding GBR Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)1m 56.374s +1.093s[14/16]338km/h
13.Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)1m 56.428s +1.147s[11/20]344km/h
14.Stefan Bradl GER Athina Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha)1m 56.577s +1.296s[10/18]336km/h
15.Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (RC213V-RS)1m 56.651s +1.370s[13/15]334km/h
16.Alex De Angelis RSM Octo IodaRacing (ART)1m 56.768s +1.487s[14/16]327km/h
17.Maverick Viñales ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)*1m 56.922s +1.641s[14/14]331km/h
18.Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14 Open)1m 56.957s +1.676s[6/12]340km/h
19.Jack Miller AUS CWM LCR Honda (RC213V-RS)*1m 56.983s +1.702s[12/16]338km/h
20.Loris Baz FRA Athina Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha)*1m 57.031s +1.750s[12/15]333km/h
21.Nicky Hayden USA Aspar (RC213V-RS)1m 57.052s +1.771s[14/14]331km/h
22.Alvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)1m 57.130s +1.849s[15/16]332km/h
23.Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar (RC213V-RS)*1m 57.224s +1.943s[15/17]336km/h
24.Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14 Open)1m 57.612s +2.331s[12/15]338km/h
25.Marco Melandri ITA Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)1m 59.579s +4.298s[12/14]334km/h

Marquez and Pedrosa 1 & 2 is unsurprising, Espargaro on the Suzuki in third is defintely surprising! (even if he was on the soft tire)

All is not well in MotoGP land with the Aspar team (Hayden, Laverty) having their sponsor pull out on them only a couple of days ago which obviously throws their 2015 campaign into disarray and uncertain as to how long they can continue if they can't find a sponsor.
On the subject of sponsorship, there is a significant question mark of the LCR Crutchlow, Miller) team's sponsor, CWM - a Forex trading company, after 13 of their staff were arrested on fraud charges...
 

Klyntonius

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Dovi grabs pole position and Ducatis fill three of the top five spots (Iannone 4th, Hernandez 5th). Jack Miller 22nd.
West 22nd in Moto2 and suffering from a bout of the flu.
Remy Gardner qualified 19th, one second off pole. The top five in Moto3 are covered by less than one tenth of a second. Keep an eye on 15 year old Frenchman, Fabio Quartararo who qualified sixth. Rules were bent to get him into the class - this kid is the next big thing.
 

Goroyals22

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What a race. This season is just going to be a belter with the Ducati back toward the front.,... There's still life left in the doctor
 
Dovi grabs pole position and Ducatis fill three of the top five spots (Iannone 4th, Hernandez 5th). Jack Miller 22nd.
West 22nd in Moto2 and suffering from a bout of the flu.
Remy Gardner qualified 19th, one second off pole. The top five in Moto3 are covered by less than one tenth of a second. Keep an eye on 15 year old Frenchman, Fabio Quartararo who qualified sixth. Rules were bent to get him into the class - this kid is the next big thing.
All three Aussies couldn't finish. Goddamn it.
 

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