MotoGP: 2019 Season Closes With FIM Awards Ceremony

David Swarts

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November 18, 2019

MotoGP: 2019 Season Closes With FIM Awards Ceremony

FIM MotoGP™ Awards Ceremony brings 2019 to a close

On stage for the final time this season, we bid 2019 farewell before testing begins on Tuesday

Monday, 18 November 2019

Sunday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana bid farewell to 2019 with another three awesome races to close out the season, and in the evening the FIM Awards ceremony brought the curtain down on the year – with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) taking centre stage. And Marquez more than most was in the spotlight as he received his MotoGP™ World Champion trophy after another season of record-breaking and an eighth world title.

2019 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez at the 2019 FIM MotoGP Awards Ceremony in Spain. Photo courtesy of Dorna/www.motogp.com.

The 2019 Awards were hosted by Gavin Emmett and Marina Lorenzo, with Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and FIM President Jorge Viegas in attendance to present the range of awards throughout the evening to all the winners this season.

(From left) Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, Andrea Dovizioso, 2019 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez, Maverick Vinales, and FIM President Jorge Viegas at the 2019 FIM MotoGP Awards Ceremony in Spain. Photo courtesy of Dorna/www.motogp.com.

Youngest ever eight-time World Champion Marquez took top billing as he received his record-breaking MotoGP™ trophy, along with his brother, Moto2™ World Champion Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), and Moto3™ World Champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) after their incredible seasons.

(From left) 2019 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez, 2019 Moto2 World Champion Alex Marquez, and 2019 Moto3 World Champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta with their bikes on stage at the 2019 FIM MotoGP Awards Ceremony in Spain. Photo courtesy of Dorna/www.motogp.com.

The top three in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup inaugural year were also honoured, with Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE), joined by runner Up Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) and Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing).

The top Independent Team rider title went to Fabio Quartararo (Petonas Yamaha SRT) after another stunning podium for the rookie earlier in the day, and this year’s MotoGP™ Rookie of the Year award was also presented to the Frenchman.

In Moto2™, MB Conveyors Speed Up’s Fabio Di Giannantonio was crowned Rookie of the Year, with Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) taking that honour in Moto3™.

The BMW M Award for best qualifier in the MotoGP™ class went to Marquez for the seventh year in a row, the Repsol Honda Team picked up the MotoGP™ Team world title trophy, and Honda took the MotoGP™ Constructor Title in the premier class. Kalex came out on top in Moto2™, and Honda in Moto3™.

The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner Carlos Tatay, Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion Sho Nishumura, and British Talent Cup Champion Scott Ogden were also applauded for their seasons, as were the top three in the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship: Champion Jeremy Alcoba, Tatay once again and impressive rookie Xavier Artigas – fresh from a first ever Grand Prix podium earlier in the day after a stunning Moto3™ race.

And so the curtain falls, and we lose a legend from the grid as Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) bows out. The five-time World Champion will be named a MotoGP™ Legend next year. And next year, we’ll be open for business for another incredible season of racing once again.

Moto2 World Championship: American Sean Dylan Kelly’s Big Adventure In Spain

John Ulrich

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November 17, 2019

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Moto2 World Championship: American Sean Dylan Kelly’s Big Adventure In Spain

By Michael Gougis

After three years in Red Bull Rookies Cup on Moto3 bikes, last November American Sean Dylan Kelly wasn’t sure what he would be racing in 2019. A year later, after a successful first season racing a Suzuki GSX-R600 in MotoAmerica Supersport–including two wins–Kelly was on the Moto2 World Championship grid for the 2019 season finale, at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, in Valencia, Spain.

“This is a dream come true–everything that me and my family have been working for,” Kelly said at Valencia on Saturday.

Sean Dylan Kelly stands by in American Racing’s garage as work on his racebike proceeds after qualifying. Photo by Michael Gougis.

The opportunity to race at the GP level came quickly, but the groundwork had been laid a long time ago. When Kelly signed with Team Hammer, part of the plan was to help Kelly get back onto the Grand Prix paddock after two years racing an M4 ECSTAR Suzuki in the MotoAmerica series. And before that, as Eitan Butbul was starting his career as a Grand Prix rider manager and heading down a path that would lead him to the ownership of the American Racing Team Moto2 squad, Kelly was racing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup series. Butbul met with Kelly, Kelly’s father Pat, and Team Hammer’s John and Chris Ulrich during last July’s World Superbike/MotoAmerica round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and all agreed to look at any opportunities that might come up for Kelly, and for future Team Hammer riders.

“(Butbul)’s always shown interest in me. Up until now, we haven’t had the opportunity. Two weeks ago, he called me up and said, ‘Hey look, there’s this opportunity,’” Kelly said. A quick check with Team Hammer’s Chris Ulrich, and Kelly was good to go for a one-off Wild Card ride at Valencia.

Sean Dylan Kelly on the grid with team owner Eitan Butbul (right) at Valencia. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Miguel Oliveira’s shoulder injury and subsequent surgery had left him on the sidelines until next year. Tech 3 asked Butbul if Iker Lecuona, (one of Butbul’s American Racing Moto2 KTM riders and already signed to move up into MotoGP with Tech 3 in 2020), could ride Oliveira’s Red Bull KTM Tech 3 MotoGP racebike in Valencia. Butbul agreed, and that left him looking for a replacement rider to partner American Joe Roberts in the 2019 season finale.

“’That leaves my Moto2 bike open. I want you on the bike,’” Butbul said, according to Kelly. “I said, ‘No problem!’ He told me on a Saturday night, and I didn’t get the confirmation until Wednesday, so I didn’t sleep for about four nights. It was crazy to come to the realization that I might be making my Moto2 debut.”

Sean Dylan Kelly’s logo on an American Racing Moto2 racebike. Photo by Michael Gougis.

A flurry of reservations and applications followed, then Kelly hopped on a plane for Valencia. There were a few differences between racing in MotoAmerica and in Moto2–not necessarily better, but different. The semi tractor-trailers were packed tight in the Valencia paddock, and yes, the team worked from a garage space–but it was barely wide enough for a mechanic to stand next to the machine!

The year of racing MotoAmerica Supersport with Team Hammer helped prepare Kelly. “Being in a team like Team Hammer, having a crew chief, Jeremy Toye, a mechanic and a support system around me definitely prepared me for this,” Kelly said. “It taught me how to learn, how to understand data, how to control a bigger bike. My training, my learning outside of the track, it definitely helped me–I’ve grown a lot as an athlete.”

Adapting to the Moto2 machine required Kelly to dig deep into his skill set of how to learn a new motorcycle quickly, as the middleweight GSX-R600 he raced in the U.S. had little in common with the middleweight Moto2 bike.

“Night and day,” Kelly says, when asked about the differences between the two motorcycles. “Yes, it’s a 600-class engine, I guess you could say. But the Moto2 chassis is way more rigid. The Suzuki I’ve been racing this year–at the end of the day, it’s a streetbike. Compared to that, the way that this reacts to braking, the way that this reacts to trail braking, is much different.

“The Suzuki–it’s really good feeling on the front, but it’s heavier feeling. With the Moto2 bike, the feedback is very intense. The inline braking–you can be much more aggressive. You can really load the front. And the trail-braking is something super special as well. You need to feel like you’re going wide in every corner, and then you hit the apex perfectly. That is the fastest way to carry corner speed. Getting back on the throttle, these (Moto2) guys are insane. They’re at full throttle super, super early.”

Kelly was 2.825 seconds back from the quickest lap time in the first practice session at Valencia. Kelly trimmed that gap to less than 1.7 seconds at the end of qualifying, and he lined up 27th out of 32 riders on the grid.

Sean Dylan Kelly (69) battled with Sky Racing Team VR46’s Nicolo Bulega (11) before crashing with less than two laps to go. Photo by Michael Gougis.

“The start was incredible. It was really interesting to see–they’re crazy at the start! And I definitely didn’t want to take a step back, so I was in a fight for the first couple of laps,” Kelly said. “There was passing, there was touching. Then I just tried to settle in. I had to keep stable, be super-smooth. Any small change, any minimum mistake would really throw everything off. The temperature was dropping a lot. There was a lot of wind. Definitely really, really hard.”

Kelly’s race ended on the second-to-last lap with a low-speed lowside in Turn 11, where several riders had already been caught out. “Definitely a bummer not to finish the race, but overall it’s been an awesome weekend,” Kelly said.

Making it just a little more awesome was the number on the front of the fairing. With the blessing of the Hayden family, Kelly ran the #69 of MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.). The number is retired in MotoGP, but it can be used in the other classes, and Kelly was in a pinch for a number to race with. His normal race number–40–was taken, as was 04, its reverse. His first-ever race number, 31, was also taken. He noticed that 69 was available. He thought a lot about it, then he picked up the phone.

“’I’m going to talk to Roger (Hayden),’” Kelly said he thought to himself. “I met Roger this season, I met his dad, and I knew Nicky. I called Roger and told him about the opportunity, and I just asked him, ‘What do you think about me using Nicky Hayden’s 69 on my debut?’ And he said, ‘All for it.’

“I said, ‘OK, do you want to ask the family, mom, dad?’ And he said, ‘All for it. They’re gonna want to do it.’ It really hit me when 10 minutes later he sent me the e-mail and it’s Nicky’s exact replica of the 69. I just opened it up on my laptop and went, ‘Wow. Definitely something super, super special.’”

Kelly will be racing in MotoAmerica with Team Hammer again in 2020, with more non-conflicting Moto2 wild-card 2 rides possible. If all goes well, he’s looking forward to racing with Butbul’s Team America in the Moto2 World Championship in 2021.

Sean Dylan Kelly was visited in the paddock in Valencia by fellow American Kristian Daniel Jr., a young racer featured on the Kids Page in ***Roadracing World*** and now racing in Spain. Shown are Kelly (left), Kristian Daniel Jr. (center), and father Kristian Daniel. Photo by Michael Gougis.

MotoE World Cup: Hector Garzo Staying With Tech3 In 2020

David Swarts

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November 17, 2019

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MotoE World Cup: Hector Garzo Staying With Tech3 In 2020

Garzo continues Tech3 E-Racing adventure in 2020

Just before the end of a first successful year of Hector Garzo together with Tech3 E-Racing in the brand-new FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, both parties agreed to extend their collaboration to the upcoming season, where the MotoE class will feature five events together with the MotoGP again.

The 21-years old Spaniard has the chance to fight for the crown in the new class this weekend at his home track, the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. Ahead of the finale two races at 16:15 today and 10:05 local time on Sunday, he is well placed in second of the overall standings, just 19 points behind the series leader. Garzo will start the races from the second row.

Hector Garzo

“I’m really happy to join the Tech3 family for one more year! It’s always a pleasure to be surrounded by great people like them, so I feel very good to say, that I will be fighting for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup title again with Tech3 E-Racing in 2020. But for the moment, it’s time to focus on the two races ahead this weekend! Let’s do this!”

Hervé Poncharal

Team Manager

“I’m more than happy, it’s very good news to know we are retaining for the 2020 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. Hector has been with Tech3 for several years now, in the CEV, the Moto2 World Championship replacing some of our riders and doing so far, a really incredible season with us for the first year of MotoE. We are very proud to have Hector as a top rider, but also as a friend, because he is a true friend with human values that are so important to me. It’s great to continue with him. Let’s hope we finish 2019 on a high note and everything is looking very promising for 2020.”

MotoE World Cup: Race Two Results From Valencia (Updated)

David Swarts

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November 17, 2019

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MotoE World Cup: Race Two Results From Valencia (Updated)

Gran Premio Motul De La Comunitat Valenciana

FIM MotoE World Cup

Circuit De La Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo

Valencia, Spain

November 17, 2019

Race Two Results (all riding Energica Ego Corsa electric motorcycles on Michelin tires):

Eric Granado, Brazil, Race Distance 7 laps, 28.035 km, Total Race Time 11:52.860
Bradley Smith, UK, -0.458 second
Hector Garzo, Spain, -4.124 seconds
Alex De Angelis, San Marino, -7.003
Matteo Ferrari, Italy, -7.405
Mike Di Meglio, France, -9.475
Sete Gibernau, Spain, -9.513
Mattia Casadei, Italy, -10.503
Nicolas Terol, Spain, -14.613
Jesko Raffin, Switzerland, -14.711
Randy De Puniet, France, -15.202
Maria Herrera, Spain, -17.166
Lorenzo Savadori, Italy, -19.552
Kenny Foray, France, -29.432
Xavier Simeon, Belgium, -7 laps, DNF, crash
Niccolo Canepa, Italy, -7 laps, DNF, crash
Josh Hook, Australia, -7 laps, DNF, crash

World Cup Point Standings (after 6 of 6 races):

Ferrari, 99 points
Smith, 88
Granado, 71
Garzo, 69
Di Meglio, 63
Simeon, 58
De Angelis, 47
Raffin, 47
Canepa, 46
Casadei, 39
Gibernau, 38
Terol, 33
Hook, 28
Herrera, 27
Niki Tuuli, 26
Savadori, 24
De Puniet, 21
Foray, 11

The start of MotoE Race Two at Valencia. Photo courtesy of Dorna/www.motogp.com.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Ferrari wins the Cup as Granado vs Smith thrills to the last

The inaugural FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup winner is decided after a duel to remember

After an incredible first season in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, we have our inaugural Cup winner: Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE). After taking P5 in Race 2 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, the Italian lifted the crown with an 11-point advantage over Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing), bringing an impressive season to a close with two wins out of six. In the race on the day, Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) came out on top after a duel with the very same Smith, with Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) completing the podium.

Smith took the holeshot from the front row once again, and again shot off into the distance as he put the hammer down to immediately pull away from the chasing pack. Ferrari was sitting P3 after the opening lap, with Granado in second and Garzo then making his way up to P3 past Ferrari and Alex de Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE).

By three laps to go, the Brazilian had caught the Brit and Smith and Granado were locked together, the pairing nearly four seconds clear of Garzo in third. Smith was doing all he could to try and claim the MotoE™ title, but Ferrari was also doing enough – the Italian sitting P5, more than enough to ensure the title went his way.

Without a win this season, however, Smith was determined as ever to grab 25-points. Heading onto the last lap it was Smith vs Granado this time around and down the back straight, the Brazilian was clinging onto Smith’s coattails. He made a move stick at Turn 8 but the number 38 then immediately bit back at Turn 11, making a daring pass up the inside. On the exit though, Granado bullied his way back to P1. Last corner time, was Smith going to try snatch victory? Of course. The One Energy Racing man lunged underneath Granado but he was wide, allowing the Avintia Esponsorama rider to get the switchback. And across the line Granado went, making it two wins this year and moving himself up to third overall.

Smith was forced to settle for second in the race and second overall, with Garzo finishing the season in fourth following his penalty in Race 1 and a tougher Race 2. De Angelis took fourth, just about able to escape the clutches of Ferrari. The Italian’s solid ride under pressure and his now-trademark consistency makes him the Cup winner, although he did dice with the Sammarinese rider early on.

Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was sixth won an almighty spectacular of a duel with the legendary Sete Gibernau (Join Contract Pons 40), with the two exchanging a pass every corner for a good while, with Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse), Nico Terol (OpenBank Angel Nieto Team) and Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) completing the top ten.

Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) crashed out from the mid top ten, Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) going with him, and Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) was another faller.

That’s it from a spectacular rollercoaster of a first season for MotoE™. Tune in for more in 2020 as Ferrari aims to defend the crown and new venues – such as the TT Circuit Assen – lie in wait.

Eric Granado: “I have no words to describe the feeling I have now, I’m very happy. After a difficult season we did a perfect job here, we won two races from pole, fighting with a former MotoGP rider to the last corner is amazing. I’m very happy. I want to thank my team, sponsors, my family, everyone who supports me in Brazil and around the world. The level here is very high and I’m very happy to take the win.”

MotoGP: More From Valencia

John Ulrich

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November 17, 2019

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Notes and photos from Saturday’s MotoGP practice and qualifying sessions at Circuit De La Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo

By Micheal Gougis

Sun in the afternoon meant some heat in the circuit for qualifying at the final round of the MotoGP World Championship in Valencia. Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez tipped over in Turn Four, losing the right side of the front tire, but was quickly up and back out before the session was over.

Alex Rins and Pol Espargaro topped Qualifying One, while Fabio Quartararo once again took pole position, ahead of Marquez and Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller. Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales, winner last time out in Sepang, was fourth, ahead of Quartararo’s Petronas Yamaha SRT teammate Franco Morbidelli and factory Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso.

(Above) Jorge Lorenzo (99) was elbows-down in his last MotoGP qualifying session; he qualified 16th. Photo by Michael Gougis.

(Above) Marc Marquez crashed in Free Practice Four, hopped a scooter to get back to the pits, and finished the session on his spare bike. Photo by Michael Gougis.

(Above) Marc Marquez bounced back from his crash in practice to put his Repsol Honda on the front row of the grid. Photo by Michael Gougis.

(Above) With the MotoGP and the Moto2 World Championships safely in the family vault, Valencia was a celebration of the Marquez brothers’ achievements. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Jack Miller (43) filled out the front row of the grid on his Pramac Ducati. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Team owner and former racer Sito Pons’ 250cc Grand Prix championship-winning Honda NSR250 served as a decoration for the Pons Racing hospitality set-up. Photo by Michael Gougis.

(Above) Fabio Quartararo (20) led most of the practice sessions and converted that pace to his sixth pole of the year. Photo by Michael Gougis.

(Above) Despite two crashes on Friday, Valentino Rossi still managed to get into the final qualifying shootout, where he ended up in 12th place after being held up on his quickest lap.

MotoGP: Race Results From Valencia Finale (Updated)

John Ulrich

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November 17, 2019

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MotoGP: Race Results From Valencia Finale (Updated)

Pole Position 2019, Fabio Quartararo, 1:29.978

Fastest 2019 Race Lap, new record, 4th lap,1:31.116, Marc Marquez

Best Race Lap, old record, 2016, Jorge Lorenzo, 1:31.171

All Time Lap Record, 2016, Jorge Lorenzo, 1:29.401

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Circuit Ricardo Tormo

Valencia, Spain

November 17, 2019

Race Results (All on Michelin Tires)

1. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 27 laps, 108.135 km, 41:21.469

2. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yamaha), -1.026 seconds

3. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), -2.409

4. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), -3.326

5. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), -3.508

6. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), -8.829

7. Joan Mir, Spain (Suzuki), -10.622

8. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), -22.992

9. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), -32.704

10. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), -32.973

11. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), -42.795

12. Mika KALLIO, Finland (KTM), -45.732

13. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Honda), -51.044

14. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), -64.871

15. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM), -76.487

16. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Aprilia), -1 lap, DNF, crash

17. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yamaha), -9 laps, crash

18. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), -14 laps, DNF, crash

19. Johann Zarco, France (Honda), -14 laps, DNF, crash

20. Iker Lecuona, Spain (KTM), -14 laps, DNF, crash

21. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), -17 laps, DNF, crash

22. Michel Pirro, Italy (Ducati), -19 laps, DNF, retired

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez makes it the triple crown for Honda, Quartararo and Miller follow him home

Some familiar faces were on the podium in Valencia, with the final glory of the season decided

Sunday, 17 November 2019

Marc Marquez claimed victory number 12 of the season at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, making the Repsol Honda Team Team Champions to add to his rider title and the constructors’ Championship – the triple crown. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo also scored points in his final MotoGP™ rider, with the five-time World Champion bidding an emotional farewell to the sport. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), meanwhile, signed off with another impressive podium in second, and he pipped Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) to the title of top Independent Team rider as the Aussie followed him home in third.

Miller launched his Pramac Racing machine into the holeshot, with Marquez getting a sluggish getaway from the middle of the front row to drop down to P6, having run slightly wide at Turn 1. Polesitter Quartararo then grabbed the lead from Miller as the Australian ran wide at Turn 2, with the Frenchman quickly creating a small gap to his rivals. Heading into Turn 1 on Lap 2, Marquez was into P3 past the fast-starting duo of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), however, and it wouldn’t take the 2019 Champion long to pick off Miller as he locked his radar onto Quartararo.

The Rookie of the Year’s lead was 0.7 over Marquez, with the latter racing to an eight-tenths advantage over Miller. Marquez was creeping up to the back of the leading M1 slowly but surely, and on Lap 8 a surprise, late but super fine move at Turn 11 saw the number 93 lead. Suddenly third place Miller – with Dovizioso and Rins in tow – had closed the gap to less than half a second, the top five covered by 1.7. However, Marquez was in the groove and the eight-time Champion had pulled to over half a second clear of Quartararo, with the gap hovering between 0.6 and 0.8 for a number of laps after. Miller wasn’t letting Quartararo have P2 all his own way either, that margin was remaining at a second – enough to keep the number 20 on his toes.

Everyone held firm before a tenth here and a tenth there saw Marquez stretch his advantage to one and a half seconds with six laps remaining, with Miller cutting the gap to Quartararo down by four tenths. It was 0.6, but was there a late twist for P2 inbound? Not quite, Miller didn’t have enough speed to catch the back of the M1 by the time the chequered flag was waved, with Marquez taking another 25-point haul to land Repsol Honda Team the 2019 triple crown, Quartararo taking another podium and beating Miller to top Independent Team rider.

Dovizioso and Ducati’s aims of picking up the Teams title didn’t materialise in Valencia, but P4 was a solid result for the Italian who was comfortably best of the rest in 2019. Rins capped off a fine season by claiming P5 at his home Grand Prix, however it wasn’t enough to grab P3 in the Championship from sixth place finisher Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – the Malaysian GP winner having a quiet final round of the season before jumping onto the 2020 Yamaha on Tuesday.

Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in seventh was a great way to round off a very solid rookie MotoGP™ campaign, the Spaniard ending 2019 with five consecutive top 10s after an impressive comeback from his testing crash at Brno. Valentino Rossi’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) P8 sees the nine-time World Champion end the season P7 in the overall standings, with Aleix coming out on top in the battle of the Espargaro brothers – P9 for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), P10 for Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). That makes it all factories in the top ten.

Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) all crashed at Turn 6, on Lap 14, in separate incidents, although Lecuona was close behind Zarco and the Frenchman got flipped by the KTM. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also crashed – all riders ok.

On his final ever MotoGP™ ride, five-time World Champion and future MotoGP™ Legend Jorge Lorenzo finished P13. It was an emotional day for the Spaniard who arrived back into pitlane to rapturous applause, with the Valencia fans paying their full respects to one of the sport’s greatest ever riders on his cool-down lap. #ThankYouJorge!

So, 2019 draws to a close. But don’t worry, 2020 is just around the corner! Testing begins in Valencia on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 November – so stay tuned! Rookies, new bikes, old rivalries and another season of awesome competition is just around the corner.

Marc Marquez: “The perfect season. So difficult to improve this season because the way we rode all season, the consistency and everything, has been amazing. Finishing the season with a victory, riding with a gold helmet – which is always extra pressure because if you ride with a gold helmet you need to be smart and clever – is special too but also for all the Repsol Honda Team it was important too. The Teams Championship. We achieved it, the triple crown. An amazing, amazing season and all the team deserve it.”

Binder makes it a hat-trick to sign off from Moto2™ in style

South African takes his fifth win of the season to finish second overall by just three points, with Lüthi and Navarro on the chase

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) leaves the intermediate class on a high after taking his fifth win of the year – and third in a row – in the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. The South African played his cards to perfection to out-duel his main rival for second overall, Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP), with the Swiss rider forced to settle for second on the day and third in the standings. Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) completed the podium on true home turf, the Valencian taking his eighth podium of the year.

Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took the holeshot from second on the grid, with Lüthi up into second and Binder making a storming getaway to soon attack Navarro for third. Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Temporary Forward) was one big loser off the front row as he got shuffled down to sixth, but the field remained tightly packed for the first lap and for many it stayed that way to the end – including the battle at the front.

Two men soon emerged in the early stages, however: Binder and Lüthi. The duo, fighting over second overall in the standings, didn’t take long to take their duel to the front, with Navarro the man on the chase. A couple of laps later the gaps between the front three were pretty equal though, with Martin left heading the fight for fourth ahead of Manzi.

Lüthi, however, was turning the screw, and the Swiss rider was able to start pulling out another gap. But Binder was able to respond, and not too long after Navarro and Manzi, who had dispatched Martin, had closed in too. It was a concertina between two duels and a four-way fight, but Binder had a plan.

Leaving it late, the South African pounced to perfection with a couple of laps to go, then pulling the pin and blasting away to give himself a gap. Uncatchable, Binder crossed the line seven tenths clear for his fifth win of the season.

He also, therefore, beat Lüthi both on the day and in the standings overall as the Swiss rider was forced to settle for second, able to stay clear of the clutches of Navarro and Manzi. That duel got even closer at the final corner as the Italian looked to be sizing up a move and then tried to out-drag the Speed Up to the line, but it wasn’t to be and Navarro took yet another podium to end his season on a high on home turf.

Martin was fifth as he managed to fend off an Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox HP 40) on the charge, with Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) not too far off the two ahead of him either and taking P7. Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) finished off his season in eighth, just pipping Fabio Di Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up). But the number 21 wrapped up Rookie of the Year with ninth place, with closest rival Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) in P13.

Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completed the top ten, with a bit of breathing space back to Mattia Pasini (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2). Dominique Aegerter (MV Agusta Temporary Forward) was 13th and made it two MVs in the points, ahead of Bastianini.

Jake Dixon took fourteenth and rounded out his time with the Inde Angel Nieto Team with his best weekend of the season, with Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) completing the points.

Newly-crowned Champion Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), meanwhile, made a great start to move up into fifth by the latter stages of the race, but disaster struck for the number 73 at Turn 11 as he slid out of contention.

That’s it from 2019 and an incredible season of racing in the intermediate class. You could say it was a triumph, and it certainly was for the top three: Marquez’ points advantage was just three after the final race, with Binder’s brilliant win securing him second overall. Lüthi’s podium assured him third, with Navarro’s doing the same for fourth. Now it’s time to rest, test and repeat – so make sure to join us again for 2020.

Brad Binder: “I don’t know where to start, I need to say a big thank you to my team, things got really tough at one stage and we managed to keep fighting and stay focused. We didn’t get the job done in the end but to be three points from the winner is incredible . I just need to say a huge thank you to all my guys, to KTM…I’m so happy to have finished off on a high for them and I can’t wait to get started on Tuesday!”

Garcia grabs maiden win with a last corner lunge

0.005 splits the top two, with Artigas making a stunning debut in third

Rookie Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) took a stunning maiden Moto3™ victory on home turf at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, returning to a top step he knows well from the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ Junior World Championship thanks to a last corner pass on Andrea Migno (Mugen Race). A breakaway group of seven riders battled for victory after an initial red-flagged lightweight class race as wildcard Xavier Artigas claimed a phenomenal debut rostrum on board his Leopard Impala Junior Team machine.

Before the riders had even got to the grid, there was big drama. On the sighting lap at Turn 6, home favourite Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) suffered an issue with his KTM and the Valencian rider crashed. Due to fluids dropped, the start of the race was delayed, with a five-minute re-start procedure then put in place ahead of am 11:11am local time lights out.

The race then started and it was Jaume Masia (Mugen Race) who got the holeshot from the front row, heading Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing), but Masia’s race would end prematurely. Turn 4 saw the Spaniard highside out of the race – leaving him with a dislocated shoulder – which left Ramirez with a handy lead, 0.7 on the opening lap and over a second to polesitter Migno on the second, before a multiple rider incident occurred a little further behind on Lap 2. 2019 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Arizona 77) lost control of his KTM at Turn 11, which left reigning Moto3™ Junior World Champion Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) and Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46), who hit Tatay’s stricken KTM, with nowhere to go. The Red Flag came out, with Foggia receiving immediate treatment trackside before heading to hospital for further checks, later confirmed as unhurt. The others were back on their feet, and the race was then restarted for a distance of 15 laps.

Lights out for the restart and Migno was the man to lead the field into the first corner from Ramirez as the top six of Migno, Ramirez, Garcia, Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Canet – who was allowed to start P4 – and Filip Salac (Redox PrüstelGP) immediately broke over a second clear. Further back on Lap 4 there was a big crash for four riders in the chasing pack: 2019 Champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta highsided his Leopard Racing Honda at Turn 4 which left Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers), John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) with nowhere to go – all riders ok.

Meanwhile, wildcard Artigas was rapidly making progress and the young Spaniard soon reeled in the leading six riders to make it a seven rider scrap for the lead. And with six to go, Artigas had picked off his more experienced rivals to lead for the first time. Then, the pack started to stretch as Artigas landed the fastest lap of the race, with Migno, Suzuki and Garcia managing to stick with him. Salac was just hanging on half a second back but it seemed as if the podium fight was over for Ramirez and Canet. With four to go, Artigas’ dream victory was well and truly in his sights as Migno and Garcia viciously scrapped for P2. Then, with two laps remaining, Artigas was wide at Turn 1, allowing Garcia and Suzuki to pass, but then all three were wide at Turn 2, allowing Migno to slide his way to the forefront. The chopping and changing had allowed Salac to join the fight, making it a five-way fight for victory in Valencia.

Polesitter Migno, going in search of his first win since the 2017 Italian GP, led onto the final lap, with Garcia, Artigas, Suzuki and Salac – in that order – close in pursuit. Smelling a maiden Grand Prix win, Garcia dived up the inside of Migno at Turn 2 but the Italian was back underneath at Turn 3. Turn 4 then saw the lead change again with Garcia dicing his way back to P1, before Migno again had the baton at Turn 5. Suzuki was through on Artigas at Turn 11 as Migno held the lead coming around the sweeping, downhill left-hander, but Garcia was coming. The Spaniard lined up a pass and made it stick into the last corner, with Artigas doing the same on Suzuki just metres behind. Would Garcia hold it on the run to the flag? Yes, but only just! 0.005 split Garcia and Migno on the line while Artigas held off Suzuki for the final podium place.

Salac takes home his best ever result in P5, and Canet’s final Moto3™ race ended with a P6 in front of his home fans. After the troubles he had ahead of the race, that at least sees him finish as 2019 Moto3™ runner-up. Ramirez slipped back to finish P7 on his last Moto3™ ride, the duo both making the leap up to Moto2™ in 2020, with Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) picking up Moto3™ Rookie of the Year thanks to his P8 finish.

Yurchenko, despite being caught up in the Red-Flag incident, pocketed P9 – his second top 10 of the year – while Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) took home P10.

Valresa Angel Nieto Team’s Albert Arenas and Raul Fernandez crashed separately at Turn 5 – riders ok.

And that’s a wrap. A hugely dramatic way to end the 2019 season as we see a first-time winner and first-time podium finisher in Valencia, with the result the first time a European Talent Cup Champion has stood on a Grand Prix podium, and we had a rookie winner. What will 2020 bring?

Sergio Garcia: “It’s incredible to finish the year like this and I’m very happy with the bike and all my team. And the race, it was difficult because the wind was very high and for my bike, it was not a good thing. I fought with Migno until the last corner and I’m very happy!'”

Moto2: Race Results From Valencia

John Ulrich

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November 17, 2019

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Moto2 Race Lap Record: 1:34.820, Thomas Luthi, 2019

Moto2 All-Time Lap Record: 1:34.461, Jorge Navarro, 2019

FIM Moto2 World Championship

Circuit Ricardo Tormo

Valencia, Spain

November 17, 2019

Race Results (all using Triumph engines and Dunlop tires):

Brad Binder, South Africa (KTM), 16 laps, 64.08 km, 25.766
Tom Luthi, Switzerland (Kalex), -0.735 seconds
Jorge Navarro, Spain (Speed Up), -1.045
Stefano Manzi, Italy (MV Agusta), -1.185
Jorge Martin, Spain (KTM), -8.066
Augusto Fernandez, Spain (Kalex), -8.311
Xavi Vierge, Spain (Kalex), -9.922
Luca Marini, Italy (Kalex), -11.085
Fabio Di Giannantonio, Italy (Speed Up), -11.739
Sam Lowes, UK (Kalex), -12.362
Mattia Pasini, Italy (Kalex), -16.620
Dominique Aegerter, Switzerland (MV Agusta), -17.160
Jake Dixon, UK (KTM), -17.595
Enea Bastianini, Italy (Kalex), -17.624
Remy Gardner, Australia (Kalex), -17.835
Marcel Schrotter, Germany (Kalex), -18.090
Lorenzo Baldassarri, Italy (Kalex), -18.251
Joe Roberts, USA (KTM), -18.434
Marco Bezzecchi, Italy (KTM), -19.829
Andrea Locatelli, Italy (Kalex), -20.278, long lap penalty, 3 seconds penalty
Tetsuta Nagashima, Japan (Kalex), -20.298
Nicolo Bulega, Italy (Kalex), -20.362
Somkiat Chantra, Thailand (Kalex), -20.280, 2 position penalty
Bo Bendsneyder, Netherlands (NTS), -25.732
Dimas Ekky Pratama, Indonesia (Kalex), -28.179
Philipp Oettl, Germany (KTM), -28.392
Tommaso Marcon, Italy (NTS), -32.617
Xavi Cardelus, Andorra (KTM), -37.281
Adam Norrodin, Malaysia (Kalex), -37.410
Alex Marquez, Spain (Kalex), -89.344, crash
Sean Dylan Kelly, USA (KTM), -2 laps, DNF, crash
Lukas Tulovic, Germany (KTM), -11 laps, DNF, crash

Moto3: Race Results From Valencia

David Swarts

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November 17, 2019

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Best Race Lap: 1:39.612, Marcos Ramirez, 2017

All Time Lap Record: 1:38.428, Jorge Martin, 2017

Gran Premio Motul De La Comunitat Valenciana

FIM Moto3 World Championship

Circuit De La Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo

Valencia, Spain

November 17, 2019

Race Results (all using Dunlop tires):

Sergio Garcia, Spain (Honda), Race Distance 15 laps, 60.075 km, Total Race Time 25:17.918
Andrea Migno, Italy (KTM), -0.005 second
Xavier Artigas, Spain (Honda), -0.180
Tatsuki Suzuki, Japan (Honda), -0.246
Filip Salac, Czech Republic (KTM), -0.328
Aron Canet, Spain (KTM), -3.016 seconds
Marcos Ramirez, Spain (Honda), -3.032
Celestino Vietti, Italy (KTM), -9.666
Makar Yurchenko, Kazakhstan (KTM), -9.747
Ai Ogura, Japan (Honda), -9.859

World Championship Point Standings (after 19 of 19 races):

Lorenzo Dalla Porta, 279 points
Canet, 200
Ramirez, 183
Tony Arbolino, 175
John McPhee, 156
Vietti, 135
Niccolo Antonelli, 128
Suzuki, 124
Jaume Masia, 121
Ogura, 109

Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix: Michael Rutter Declared Winner Of Twice-Red-Flagged Race

David Swarts

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November 16, 2019

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Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix: Michael Rutter Declared Winner Of Twice-Red-Flagged Race

MICHAEL RUTTER BETTERS RECORD WITH HISTORIC NINTH VICTORY

Michael Rutter (MGM by Bathams Honda RC213V) was declared the winner of the Suncity Group Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 53rd Edition after two red flag-interrupted races on the 6.2km Guia Circuit.

Defending champion Peter Hickman (MGM by Bathams BMW) was second, with David Johnson (Tak Chun by PBM Ducati) third.

The race began with Hickman doing what everyone expected of him: he stormed the opening two laps to build a lead of seven seconds over Rutter (MGM by Bathams Honda RC213V) with David Johnson (Tak Chun by PBM Ducati), Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing BMW) and Davey Todd (MGM by Penz 13 BMW) all in close pursuit.

Hickman appeared to have backed off and settled into his lead as lap three went by but then red flags came out when Rob Hodson (JGH Racing) fell at the Esses and Marek Červený (Wepol Racing BMW), who was close behind, could not avoid the fallen motorcycle. Both riders received only minor injuries and returned to the paddock on the recovery truck.

The organizers declared a re-start, thereby nullifying the three laps which had been run, per the regulations, and re-formed the grid for an 8-lap race.

This time Michael Rutter was the one with the quick getaway and was ahead of Hickman before Turn One, but he couldn’t break away from Hickman in the same way as Hickman had escaped in race one – instead of three seconds as it had been in lap one, the gap was closer to three tenths, and Hickman duly passed Rutter under brakes into Lisboa Bend and started stretching the gap at once.

But the red flags came out only a few seconds later as six riders were involved in an incident at Post 15 – Erno Kostamo (MGM by Penz 13), Derek Sheils (Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Suzuki), Didier Grams (G&G Motorsport BMW), Michael Sweeney (Martin Jones Racing BMW), Philip Crowe (Handtrans-Lee-Jackson-AC BMW) and Dan Kruger (MGM by Penz 13 BMW). Three riders were taken to hospital; Kostamo, Sheils and Kruger, all were conscious. Kruger and Sheils have been discharged, while Kostamo is in a stable condition and will undergo surgery tonight.

There was no opportunity to re-start the race for the second time. Regulations dictate that the result must be declared based on a single lap of the second race.

MotoE World Cup: Race One Results From Valencia

David Swarts

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November 16, 2019

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MotoE World Cup: Race One Results From Valencia

Gran Premio Motul De La Comunitat Valenciana

FIM MotoE World Cup

Circuit De La Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo

Valencia, Spain

November 16, 2019

Race One Results (all riding Energica Ego Corsa electric motorcycles on Michelin tires):

Eric Granado, Brazil, Race Distance 7 laps, Total Race Time 11 minutes, 49.900 seconds
Hector Garzo, Spain, -0.576 second, Race Fastest Lap 1:40.012
Bradley Smith, UK, -0.706
Matteo Ferrari, Italy, -3.213 seconds
Xavier Simeon, Belgium, -6.310
Alex De Angelis, San Marino, -7.383
Niccolo Canepa, Italy, -7.732
Jesko Raffin, Switzerland, -8.888
Josh Hook, Australia, -9.634
Mattia Casadei, Italy, -10.676
Mike Di Meglio, France, -10.923
Sete Gibernau, Spain, -12.177
Randy De Puniet, France, -15.569
Nicolas Terol, Spain, -15.783
Maria Herrera, Spain, -15.821
Lorenzo Savadori, Italy, -16.165
Kenny Foray, France, -21.668

Eric Granado (51) leading MotoE World Cup Race One at Valencia. Photo courtesy of Dorna/www.motogp.com.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Granado wins, Garzo vs Smith takes MotoE™ down to the wire at Valencia

The Brazilian takes his first win of the season as an incredible battle to complete the podium rages behind

Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) converted pole position into his first victory of the year in Race 1 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the Brazilian coming out on top in a three-way scrap for the win which saw Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) get the better of One Energy Racing’s Bradley Smith on the final lap – at the final corner. The overall Cup winner, therefore, goes down to the final race of the year.

Smith got the initial getaway with a classic fast start, and the Brit was pushing to open a gap from the off. That worked a dream and he was pushing clear, with Granado slotting into second and on the chase. Behind it was a squabble between points leader Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE), Garzo and Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing), which the Spaniard eventually emerged from to start his chase of the leading duo. Granado was catching Smith and Garzo was in seriously hot pursuit.

A few laps faster than pole – by a margin – got the home hero onto the tail of the leading duo, and Granado took the race lead too. As always in MotoE™, it was down to the final lap – and what a final lap.

Granado remained ahead as it began, and the Brazilian stayed cool under pressure to pull away as the battle behind got seriously hot. Garzo was heading towards the final corner ahead as Smith suffered a huge wobble, but the Brit wasn’t going to back out of it and slammed up the inside. Would he make it? Briefly, as the Spaniard then cut back inside and it was all about the drag to the line. Centimeters in it, Garzo just took second.

Ferrari was able to take fourth and keep himself with a healthy points lead, pulling away from Simeon, who completed the top five.

Alex De Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE), Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team), Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP), Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) and Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) locked out the top ten.

How will it shuffle on Sunday? Will Granado do the double? How will Ferarri handle the pressure? Find out when the lights got out for Race 2 at the UPDATED TIME of 15:30 (GMT +1) and the Cup winner is decided.

Eric Granado: “It feels amazing, it’s very nice, I think being on the top step and feeling all this energy is something I was dreaming of since I was a child! I had a great race although not a great start, Bradley opened a gap and I made a mistake on the first lap. But then after I got a good rhythm, Garzo was catching me as well so I needed to hurry up. Finally I caught Bradley and I had the first opportunity and overtook him at the first corner, then I pushed at the maximum until the end. I’m very happy with this win! Tomorrow I’ll try to do the same! It’s not easy, the riders fighting for the title will put in the maximum as well.”

More, from a press release issued by Energica Motor Company:

GRANADO WINS, FERRARI STILL IN THE LEAD ON GARZO AND SMITH AFTER RACE ONE AT VALENCIA

The battle for the title in the 2019 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup – powered by Energica – is not over yet! The penultimate race of the season was another thrilling exhibition of excellent racing, which was only decided right at the finish line. E-pole winner Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama) came out on top ahead of Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) and Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing), the last two battling up to the very last corner for the runner-up spot.

After exchanging positions several times throughout the final lap, Smith made one last attempt at the final turn by diving on the inside of his Spanish rival, but was unable to keep the position as Garzo made the undercut.

Championship leader Matteo Ferrari (Team Trentino Gresini MotoE) crossed the line a lonely fourth after a slow start to his race, but he did well in keeping composure and maintaining a still-solid 12-point margin over Garzo, while Smith now trails him by 21 points. These riders are the only ones left in contention for the ultimate prize.

Fifth place went to Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama) ahead of Italy’s Alex De Angelis (OCTO Pramac MotoE) and Niccolò Canepa (LCR E-Team), with Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt IntactGP), Joshua Hook (OCTO Pramac MotoE) and Mattia Casadei (Ongetta Sic58 Squadra Corse) completing the top-ten.

The final race of the 2019 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup will get underway – due to a revised schedule – at 15:30 local time (GMT +1).

MotoGP: 2019 Season Closes With FIM Awards Ceremony

November 18, 2019

Honorees on stage at the 2019 FIM MotoGP Awards Ceremony in Spain. Photo courtesy of Dorna/www.motogp.com.