2018 MotoGP

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So, after his impressive show at the Thailand test, Syahrin has been confirmed as the permanent replacement for Jonas Folger at Tech3.

Pecco Bagnaia has announced that he is moving to MotoGP next year. Predictably he is headed to Ducati with the Pramac team after he tested with them a year or two ago.

And in MASSIVE news, Tech3 have just announced that after 20 years, they are leaving Yamaha at the end of this season. No mention of what next but Poncharal said "We‘ve been offered a deal, that includes something we‘ve been waiting for almost since we started with Tech3 and I couldn‘t say no." which leads me to believe they will be running a factory team next year. But who? Suzuki and Aprilia would be the most likely short of a surprise return of Kawasaki (yes please!).
Interesting times.
 

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Yes, I'd do backflips if that happened!! (even though I now own a Ducati)

The talk seems to be they've got a deal to be supplied factory bikes by KTM. Interesting to see how they make that work. Would also have to be the end of their association with Monster Energy.
 
You'd think so, maybe a Toro Rosso type setup with KTM.

Not in a junior team sense but an added presence ??
 
Yeah. More bikes to help speed up development too, especially if they bring in fast guys like Zarco and talk that Red Bull are heavily into Marquez...
 
Well that would be his next challenge. Stoner and Rossi have done it in recent times, so it's logical to see that as the next step.

Plus he might get the chance to put another one over George who IMO won't win one on the Ducati in the next couple of weeks.
 
Don't think anyone is winning anything in the next couple of weeks, haha.

Marquez is a four time MotoGP champ and a strong chance to be five time at the end of the season. He'll be 25. Would have plenty of time to help build KTM to a championship winning bike (and KTM rarely don't succeed) and if it didn't pan out be able to cross back to one of the traditionally big marques to win again.
 
Oops yeah years would be right.

Agree with all of that, he's got 10 years left unless one of his numerous accidents really hurts him.
 
Tech3 to run factory KTMs is confirmed. The deal is for three years. Now they just need to find some riders.

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/890860/1/official-tech3-become-ktm-satellite-team


Will be interesting to see what Yamaha do - if anything - for a satellite team. They've used it in the past as a junior team to bring through potential new riders but 'only' on last year's factory bikes (compared to Petrucci and Crutchlow who get current factory bikes but a couple of races behind in development).

Yamaha are not a very attractive option for a team to partner with as it is all but certain their satellite program will be run by Rossi's VR46 Sky racing team. Also, with talk that Suzuki are keen for a satellite team to help aid their development, I wouldn't be surprised if Yamaha are left out in the cold for the next couple of years.
 
Season starts tonight does it not ??

Rossi announced a contract extension to the end of 2020. Think that's a pure marketing move by Yamaha personally. He doesn't have what it takes to win a title anymore, should have moved on at years end
 
Yes!! It all finally kicks off this weekend. I'm hoping to finally find the time to do a last minute season preview.

No doubt that marketing is a significant part of Yamaha offering Rossi another contract, he sells a lot of bikes for them. But he's also still winning races and worthy of a spot on the grid. Agree that he's unlikely to be a title contender though.
 

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Particularly if Ducati continue to improve, George won't want to fight for 5th and 6th this year.

Could be an exciting season again, but with 2 or 3 more contenders
 
carloss said:
I'll be interested in seeing if Miller and Petrucci can finish ahead of Lorenzo
Click to expand...
I doubt it, George will only get better IMO and for either one of them finish above him they'll have had a huge season.

Sure hope so though
 
So here we are, 2018, and on the cusp of a new MotoGP season. In the footsteps of a couple of classic seasons in ’16 and ’17, much is expected of ’18 to deliver another action packed title chase. If testing results are anything to go by then 2018 has every chance of living up to these expectations and more.


REPSOL HONDA
- Marc Marquez: the reigning champ has looked ominous in testing. Playing the long game, he hasn't been out to top every session as he has in the past but instead has concentrated on race pace, putting more laps in than any other rider on the grid. This is because he knows the strength of his foes is deeper than it has ever been. But for the first time in many years the Honda riders have been testing with a smile, the 2018 RC213V addressing most of the previous weaknesses to be an easier-to-ride, better rounded package. Given that Marquez is the winner of four of the last five titles on mostly more flawed motorcycles, he is going to be incredibly hard to stop.

- Dani Pedrosa: 2018 is a big year for the oft-maligned Spanish veteran. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, Dani is slowly but surely becoming less of a title threat with every passing season. With Marquez now entering his sixth MotoGP season, Honda can now afford to look to him to be their veteran rider and partner him with any one of a glut of talented young riders coming through. Pedrosa really needs a strong season, maybe even a title challenging season to prove he's still relevant in the championship and deserving of a top bike. A more user friendly bike should help him, perhaps even more, a calander of warm and dry races to help get temperature into the Michelin tyres he struggles to get warm. This could be his best year for a while.

LCR HONDA
- Cal Crutchlow: fresh off signing a contract directly with Honda to again pilot a factory bike in the satellite LCR squad, Crutchlow has been impressively quick in the off-season, consistently running top 5 pace. To get close to reaching his potential, Cal is going to have to shed his nickname of "Crashlow" and finish more races. With what appears a significantly improved Honda that doesn't require to be ridden so on edge at his disposal, he has every chance of doing that. Multiple podium results appear a certainty, multiple wins are not out of the question either.

- Takaaki Nakagami: the inconsistently fast Japanese has been a somewhat controversial inclusion to the MotoGP grid with many not believing him worthy of a step up to the top class. Whether deserving or not, he is there and was surprisingly fast in preseason testing, most commonly the fastest rookie and even finishing the Thailand test in the top 10. His biggest challenge - as it always has been - will be to carry that speed through an entire race.

MARC VDS
- Franko Morbidelli: the reigning Moto2 champ was utterly dominant last year and as such big things are expected of him this year, even as a rookie. The biggest issue for Frankie is coming into the series that currently is arguably the deepest and most competitive it has ever been and trying to compete on one of the bikes that has proven possibly the most difficult to ride for anyone not named Marc Marquez. Regular points finishes with a few top tens is likely and would prove a solid rookie year.

- Tom Luthi: a long time campaigner in the Moto2 class, 2016 and 17 were his strongest seeing him contend for the title right til deep in the season and have seen him finally rewarded with a MotoGP promotion. But after 8 years racing a 600cc Moto2 machine and at 31 years of age, relearning to ride and adapt to the style required to be fast on a MotoGP bike are proving to be a very steep learning curve indeed. Was anchored to the bottom of the timing sheets in testing and will likely find himself more often than not during the season.

DUCATI TEAM
- Andrea Dovizioso: 2017 proved to be a year that no-one outside of the most fanatical of Dovizioso supporters ever thought Andrea was capable of. In his tenth season in the top class, "Desmo Dovi" finally became a championship contender. And for 2018, he looks even stronger. Always near the top of the timesheets in testing whilst still playing the long game, Dovi is exuding a confidence and belief never seen in him before. And his Desmosedici has also improved since last year, significantly improved in turning which has been the bane of Ducati's since seemingly forever. Was last year a flash in the pan? It seems unlikely. Can Andrea deliver the Italian dream of an Italian rider on an Italian bike? Expect Dovi to be the main obstacle to Marquez success.

- Jorge Lorenzo: the big name, big dollar signing for last year, it would be fair to say he didn't deliver. At all. Though that was somewhat expected given the Desmo is so different to the sweet handling Yamaha he'd perfected his riding style around for nearly a decade, entering his second year at Ducati, internal expectations are high. Ducati could justify his cost last year in the motivation it clearly gave Dovi (and Ducati don't care who wins the title, so long as it's a Ducati title) but this year Jorge needs to earn it. Testing has proved a mixed bag, breaking the track record at Sepang and languishing in the midfield - and confusion - elsewhere. In all likelihood, 2018 will Jorge Lorenzo at his best with dominating wins, along with the worst, struggling for points as he struggles to ride around issues. Should be much improved but not yet back to serious contender.

ALMA PRAMAC DUCATI
- Danilo Petrucci: with the Pramac squad for a fifth - and last - season, Petrucci was something of a revelation last year with multiple podiums and almost cracked it for his first win. This year, again aboard a factory spec bike, Danilo is motivated to prove he is deserving of the next step and earning a ride in a factory team. With Ducati again looking strong, expect multiple podiums again for the Italian.

- Jack Miller: 2017 proved to be Miller's most consistent year in MotoGP with less crashing and regular top 10 finishes. It was also the last year of his direct contract with Honda which they decided not to renew, nor would they come to the party on his equipment requests so for 2018 he finds himself riding Dovizioso's 2017 title contending Ducati. And to date it appears he has taken to it like a duck to water, spending the majority of testing amongst the top 5 fastest riders with a strong race pace. Fitter and more motovated than ever, especially with Petrucci's factory supported seat up for grabs in 2019, Miller will be a strong chance for multiple top 5 results and potentially podiums.

ANGEL NIETO TEAM
- Alvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham: with a coming avalanche of young talent on the way, the days remaining in MotoGP look short for Bautista and Abraham. Aside from occasional flashes of brilliance, usually in inclement conditions, fighting for the last points is mostly where these two will be found.

AVINTIA DUCATI
- Tito Rabat and Xavier Simeon: former Moto2 champ Rabat has been underwhelming in his MotoGP career aboard a Honda. Fighting for his future in the category, similar to former teammate
Miller, Rabat has looked much stronger since switching to a Ducati bike. Regular low points finishes with occasional top 10s look his go. Simeon is probably the most contentious rider on the grid, a former Moto2 also-ran, is there on the back of Belgian television money. Will be a perennial backmarker.

MOVISTAR YAMAHA
- Maverick Vinales: the early favourite for last years title after a blistering start to the year, it all fell apart with Yamaha development woes, losing their way and unable to provide a bike capable of performing consistently in order to compete for the title. To date, 2018 looks like more of the same with Mav swinging wildly from top of the charts to rank midpacker in testing. His mood follows suit, still seemingly with an immature streak that sees him wear his heart on his sleeve and ride his emotions up and down according to his position on the timing sheet. Will win races but doesn't look like he can contend this year.

- Valentino Rossi: the grand old champion amazingly goes round again (even more amazing that he's signed on til 2020!) in pursuit of his tenth title. Fit and fast, similar to his teammate testing has been topsy turvy for Rossi with Yamaha really struggling to produce a bike comfortable for each rider. Making things more difficult is both riders appear to require opposite things from the bike with many mixed messages coming out about the bikes struggles. A tenth title looks beyond him but expect another rave win or two from "The Doctor" to please his legion of fans.

TECH3 YAMAHA
- Johann Zarco: as a rookie last year, Zarco was perhaps equal with Dovizioso as the revelation of the year. Leading the first six laps he contested in the class and finishing the year with three podiums and being pipped to his first win by Pedrosa at Valencia, much is expected of Zarco in his sophomore year. Consistently the fastest Yamaha in preseason - despite running the 2016 M1 again - many are talking up the Frenchman's chances as a title contender. Whilst he definitely has the speed and tenacity, it would seem unlikely that a two-year-old Yamaha (and a non-factory supported one at that) will be able to compete consistently enough against the latest and greatest that Honda and Ducati are running. More podiums and a breakthrough first win would be a fine season from Zarco before moving on to become a factory rider somewhere next year.

- Hafizh Syahrin: thrown in the deep end as a last minute replacement for the Tech3 team after the late withdrawal of Jonas Folger, Syahrin has proven very impressive in limited time on the bike. Something of a wet weather maestro, his best results will likely come on rainy weekends. Don't expect the heroics of last years Tech3 boys but he should be able to regularly fight for low points and improve as the season wears on.

TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR
- Alex Rins: a higly touted rookie coming into 2017, Rins debut season turned into a fizzer suffering from multiple injuries and issues with a difficult bike. Come the end of the season with improved fitness and more experience on the bike and the first glimpses of Rins potential began to shine through. Significant improvement of the Suzuki GSX-RR between seasons saw Rins look impressively strong in testing. A very strong chance to garner regular top 5s with podiums a possibility.

- Andrea Iannone: the enigma that is Andrea Iannone had quite the eventful 2017, from rumours of being replaced by Johnny Rea half way through the year to top 5 finishes to end the year, Iannone lived up to his wild reputation. Although undoubtedly talented, Iannone is fighting for his MotoGP career and is said to be not the most popular figure inside the Suzuki garage. Quite consistently fast in the preseason, "The Maniac" missed the last day of testing with illness which was later rumoured to be self inflicted liquid headache after vision emerged of him standing atop a rental car and riding a scooter with a hot chick on the back on the second last night of the test...
Expect anything and everything!!

APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI
- Aleix Espargaro: seemingly forever on the wrong bike at the wrong time, Aleix will be hoping that finally his patience and hard work will pay off and the Aprilia will make the leap to being top 5 competitive. After raving about improvements to the handling of the RS-GP, fingers are crossed that the new engine Aprilia are bringing will come with the extra bottom end and mid-range power they are sorely lacking. If they can get the engine right then fighting for top 5s should be possible for the elder of the Espargaro brothers.

- Scott Redding: seems to have been around forever, Redding only recently just turned 25 but 2018 looms as a make or break year for him. Finally on a coveted factory bike after three lacklustre seasons, Scott will at the very least need to improve to be competitive with his teammate to remain in the class. The likelihood is that even his best will see him battling for lowly points most weeks and that will see the end of his MotoGP career.

RED BULL KTM
- Pol Espargaro: the faster of the KTM pilots in 2017, Pol managed to push the fledgling KTM MotoGP machine into fighting for top tens in the last quarter of their highly impressive debut campaign. 2018 looms as being every bit as hard as last year though as finding that extra half a second to go from competing for top ten to top 5 is exponentially harder. Adding to the difficulty is Pol missed a significant amount of testing after sustaining injury from a big crash at Sepang that he is still recovering from. With the rest of the competition not standing still but continuing to improve, a year of consolidating as a regular top ten finisher is probably likely and would still be a positive result.

- Bradley Smith: after an unexpectedly impressive stint with the Tech3 Yamaha team, Smith got his big break as a factory rider with KTM - and he almost blew it - nearly replaced by test rider, Mika Kallio. But after KTM gave him a repreive and backed him in for the remainder of his contract, Smith's confidence rose and with it, so did his pace and he started performing at an equal rate to his teammate. Noted as an excellent development rider, Bradley will need to change his mindset to that of racer and start beating his teammate regularly this year to avoid becoming a test rider and keep a seat in the blue riband class.



Overall, 2018 is shaping up to be an all time great year. Four of the six manufacturers look capable of podiums and maybe wins and at least half of the field of riders have realistic chances of being able to stand on the podium during the year. For all the flack they've copped for their running of MotoGP over the years, Dorna have done a great job to oversee such an incredible resurgence.

Let the racing begin!!
 
Times from day one.

Pos.Num.RiderBikeTimeGap 1stPrev.
14Andrea DOVIZIOSODucati1'54.361
29Danilo PETRUCCIDucati1'54.3670.0060.006
342Alex RINSSuzuki1'54.4580.0970.091
499Jorge LORENZODucati1'54.8310.4700.373
529Andrea IANNONESuzuki1'54.8410.4800.010
693Marc MARQUEZHonda1'54.8500.4890.009
726Dani PEDROSAHonda1'54.8510.4900.001
835Cal CRUTCHLOWHonda1'54.8520.4910.001
946Valentino ROSSIYamaha1'54.8530.4920.001
105Johann ZARCOYamaha1'54.9120.5510.059
1125Maverick VIÑALESYamaha1'55.1950.8340.283
1241Aleix ESPARGAROAprilia1'55.2360.8750.041
1353Tito RABATDucati1'55.3080.9470.072
1443Jack MILLERDucati1'55.3600.9990.052
1530Takaaki NAKAGAMIHonda1'55.6941.3330.334
1645Scott REDDINGAprilia1'55.7181.3570.024
1744Pol ESPARGAROKTM1'55.9191.5580.201
1821Franco MORBIDELLIHonda1'55.9651.6040.046
1912Thomas LUTHIHonda1'56.2421.8810.277
2038Bradley SMITHKTM1'56.2601.8990.018
2117Karel ABRAHAMDucati1'56.3942.0330.134
2255Hafizh SYAHRINYamaha1'56.4542.0930.060
2319Alvaro BAUTISTADucati1'56.9902.6290.536
2410Xavier SIMEONDucati1'57.7653.4040.775


Fourth to ninth are covered by .022 of a second...
The three factory Hondas are separated by two thousandths of a second.
I'd say it's pretty tight!
 
Qualifying results:

  1. Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1) 1m 53.680s [Lap 7/7] 338km/h (Top Speed)
  2. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 53.882s +0.202s [Lap 7/7] 342k
  3. Danilo Petrucci ITA Pramac Ducati (GP18) 1m 53.887s +0.207s [Lap 7/7] 345k
  4. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 54.072s +0.392s [Lap 7/7] 344k
  5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP18) 1m 54.074s +0.394s [Lap 3/7] 345k
  6. Alex Rins ESP Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 54.339s +0.659s [Lap 7/7] 339k
  7. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 54.368s +0.688s [Lap 6/7] 337k
  8. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1m 54.389s +0.709s [Lap 7/7] 335k
  9. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (GP18) 1m 54.431s +0.751s [Lap 5/6] 339k
  10. Jack Miller AUS Pramac Ducati (GP17) 1m 54.449s +0.769s [Lap 7/7] 339k
  11. Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 54.619s +0.939s [Lap 7/7] 335k
  12. Maverick Viñales ESP Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1m 54.707s +1.027s [Lap 7/7] 339k
Qualifying 1:

  1. Aleix Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 55.140s 333k
  2. Franco Morbidelli ITA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 1m 55.169s 333k
  3. Hafizh Syahrin MAL Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 1m 55.258s 335k
  4. Tito Rabat ESP Reale Avintia (GP17) 1m 55.273s 334k
  5. Scott Redding GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 55.380s 336k
  6. Thomas Luthi SWI EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 1m 55.381s 333k
  7. Karel Abraham CZE Angel Nieto Team (GP16) 1m 55.392s 338k
  8. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 1m 55.553s 336k
  9. Alvaro Bautista ESP Angel Nieto Team (GP17) 1m 55.638s 338k
  10. Pol Espargaro ESP Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 1m 55.706s 340k
  11. Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V)* 1m 56.401s 331k
  12. Xavier Simeon ESP Reale Avintia (GP16)* 1m 56.545s 337k

The top three all went under Lorenzo's ten year old lap record.


I'm going to be bleary eyed at work tomorrow!
 
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