Jorge Martin was quickest during MotoGP World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati, the Spaniard led the 22-rider field with a 1:31.811.
Maverick Vinales was second-best with a 1:31.913 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP, and Vinales’ friend and teammate Aleix Espargaro was third in the session at 1:32.913.
MotoGP FP1
Deniz Oncu was fastest during Moto3 World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Red Bull KTM Ajo machine, the Turkish racer covered the 2.6-mile (4.3 km) course in 1:39.855 to set a lap All-Time Lap Record.
Moto3 FP2
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
This podcast is “Motegi 2023 – The Great Rain Robbery.”
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
MV AGUSTA SUPERVELOCE 98
EDIZIONE LIMITATA
A TALE TO TELL
In the early 1940s, the war was making life very hard for everyone in Italy, starting with everyday activities. Getting around, for example, was difficult and costly, given an essential absence of public transport. And this is why Domenico Agusta, having taken over the family business in 1927 following the death of his father Giovanni, turned to motorcycles, believing that this might be a way to simplify mobility and guarantee himself and his employees a future at the Officine Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta.
The first MV Agusta engine came into being in 1943. A 98 cc single-cylinder, it made use of a lubricated two-speed gearbox. Light and compact, it immediately went into production but occupation of the factory, in September 1943, brought all activity to a halt just a few weeks later. The project was shelved until just after the war when, the hostilities over, assembly of the complete motorcycle could resume. On its debut, the MV 98 was ‘dressed’ in an elegant shade of burgundy.
It is difficult to imagine the reasons behind such an unusual colour choice – perhaps relating to Giovanni Agusta’s aristocratic roots, that his son wanted to honour, or simply a flash of inspiration, a matter of personal taste. The burgundy colour scheme nevertheless added a significant touch of elegance to a motorcycle that was ready to take on the devastated streets of that time.
Today, 80 years after the birth of the first MV Agusta engine, the “98” signature reappears on the fairings of another MV Agusta motorcycle. Produced in just 300 numbered units, the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata is immediately recognisable thanks to its “Rosso Verghera” colour scheme. Directly inspired by the original colour palette, Rosso Verghera is a sophisticated and very high-quality product, the formula of which was developed at an experimental level in the CRC research centre and then industrialised exclusively for MV Agusta. Applied by hand in multiple phases, the colour comprises a two-component matte base paired with a polished layer for a finish that magnifies the metallic pigments. A tribute to a tale of success, courage, and initiative that could never have been written without the design of the 98 engine, back in 1943.
The “98 Edizione Limitata” signature is positioned laterally on the tail section as well as on the upper part. It is flanked by the Italian flag, which highlights the quintessential “Made in Italy” origins of every MV Agusta, built without exception in the factory in Schiranna, on the banks of Varese Lake. Reference to the size of the historic engine designed in 1943 and the limited-edition status of the motorcycle is also flaunted on the steering plate, thanks to laser engraving technology, and highlighted on the certificate of authenticity, delivered together with the motorcycle.
The racing vocation of the Superveloce has been important ever since the model’s launch and is emphasised on the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata by way of a dedicated kit. A burgundy-coloured box contains the tail cover, dedicated motorcycle cover, aforementioned certificate of authenticity and two refined parts, or rather the Arrow triple-exit exhaust, for exclusive track use (in North America not included but available as Technical Accessory), and the dedicated racing ECU, perfect for extracting maximum performance from the Italian three-cylinder engine.
The engine in question is the iconic 798 cc inline three. Powerful (147 hp), compact and extremely lightweight, it contributes to keeping the dry weight of the motorcycle down to just 173 kg, or as little as 165 kg with the racing kit. Many technical characteristics ensure that this engine is an example of efficiency and performance, not least the counter-rotating crankshaft, cams with DLC coating to reduce friction and heighten performance, titanium valves, and bearings and rods developed to reduce mechanical losses.
The technical excellence of the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata is guaranteed by its comprehensive equipment, including spoked wheels with a gold finish, an optimised and more lightweight braking system complete with Brembo PR 16/19 radial master cylinder and M4.30 Stylema front callipers, and the support of the recalibrated Continental MK100 ABS. This, in addition to Ride by Wire that is improved thanks to the negative throttle rotation; the 5.5” colour TFT instrument panel, highly customisable and connected to the smartphone; high-performance Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa tyres, and Mobisat anti-theft satellite positioning system.
Only 300 units of the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata will be made available, most of which have already been ordered by the brand’s most loyal collectors.
Manuel Gonzalez smashed the All-Time Lap Record during Moto2 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team Kalex, the Spaniard lapped the 2.6-mile (4.3 km) track in 1:34.871. That time smashed Somkiat Chantra’s 2022 lap record of 1:35.591.
American Joe Roberts was 11th with a 1:35.846 on his Italtrans Racing Kalex.
Sean Dylan Kelly’s fill-in ride at Forward Racing has come to an end, and the Floridian is not riding in Indonesia.
Moto2 FP1
Diogo Moreira topped Moto3 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his MT Helmets – MSI KTM, the Brazilian rider lapped the 2.6-mile (4.3 km) track in 1:40.590 to lead the field of 29 competitors.
Moto3 FP1
Additional Clarification On Gagne’s DQ From Circuit Of The Americas Race Two
MotoAmerica Adds More Clarity To Fuel Situation As It Relates To Sanction
IRVINE, CA (October 12, 2023) – MotoAmerica is offering the following for further clarification regarding the disqualification of Jake Gagne from his second-place finish in race two of the Circuit of The Americas round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship.
VP has provided the same blend of fuel to MotoAmerica since 2019 and the sample taken from the machine at COTA after Superbike race two was not compliant with any batch of VP MGP manufactured between 2019 and 2023. VP has analytical results from each batch of fuel produced and the results of the fuel sample in question did not match the baseline results provided by VP. This was also substantiated by a third-party certified lab, Intertek, who confirmed that a foreign chemical component outside the specification was found.
There is also an outstanding issue regarding a drum of MGP that was obtained by Gagne’s team and had incorrect warning information. VP confirms that this was due to a software issue, which was rectified. The contents of the drum contained the correct MGP fuel as labelled.
To view the MotoAmerica sanction, click HERE
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.
Shops: VP Racing Fuels
By David Swarts
VP Racing Fuels is one of the most recognizable brands in motorsports. Now, it is becoming a major player in mainstream automotive consumer products with VP-branded retail gasoline stations and convenience stores popping up across North America. And it all started with a young man using a chemistry set to formulate his own racing fuel in his parents’ one-car garage.
“That’s bulls—!” Steve Burns, the founder of VP Racing Fuels told Roadracing World. “That’s the story the marketing guys feed people. There’s lies, there’s stories, and there’s the truth. Here’s the truth.”
Burns’ father, a World War II veteran who lived in San Antonio, Texas, often took his family on trips across the USA to reinforce his—and instill their–love of country. During one trip to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., Burns asked his father about a strange looking building he saw.
“My father said, ‘That’s the Library of Congress. Everything that man knows is written down in that library,’” said Burns.
Years later, Burns was a recent high school graduate and an aspiring amateur car racer who had machined a little too much off the block of his car’s engine and suddenly had a fueling problem. “So I started doing some reading on fuels,” said Burns, who added he barely found one or two pages of material on racing fuels in the entire University of Texas library.
Burns drove to Virginia, set up a tent at a campground, and drove to the Library of Congress every day to educate himself about racing fuels. “This young librarian takes a liking to me and she starts feeding me a bunch of once-classified stuff from the war,” Burns. “I learned a s—load about engines. I learned more about engines and engine theories than I probably could have learned anywhere else in America.”
Burns came home and tried a few things with different fuel components, and he and some other local racers had some success with his stuff. Now what? “I needed components, chemicals, but where do they exist? How do you get them?” said Burns. “The refineries make them, but they don’t sell five- or 10-gallon drums. So how do I get these components that I need?”
Burns then went on a quest and visited every refinery from San Antonio to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that would let him in the gate. And even though Burns managed to talk to some high-level people at these refineries, the answer was always negative.
“One of them told me, ‘Steven, even if your dad owned this place I couldn’t do what you’re asking me to do. I can’t go out there and take a tap off of one of these lines of products going down the pipeline for you,’” said Burns.
Undeterred, Burns decided to revisit a refinery in San Antonio he had been to before (“Because they only said ‘No’ and not ‘Hell no,’” Burns said.), but this time he learned that the refinery was owned by the father of a guy he had played football against in high school.
While waiting in the lobby for his high school friend to come in, the plant manager Burns had seen previously walked by. “He looks down at me, and says, ‘Steve Burns, what are you doing here?’” recalled Burns. “I looked up at him and said, ‘Hoping to see anybody but you.’ “I didn’t mean it bad. It just slipped out. He looked down at me and said, ‘Come on.’
“He took me down to his office. He sits behind his desk and literally puts his feet up on his desk and says, ‘So you’re here again. What do you want me to do for you?’ I started rattling off all these chemical names, and he goes, ‘Whoa! Stop, stop, stop!’
“I thought, ‘This is not good.’
“He picks up the phone, calls somebody, and goes, ‘Hey, Tom. I’ve got a good buddy in here who wants to make race fuel, and I want to help him. I want you to come over here and I want to get started on the project.’ He puts down the phone, turns to me, and he goes, ‘Is that what you want me to do?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’”
Burns went to work at the refinery, and for the next six months he swept floors, emptied trash, and cleaned equipment in the refinery’s laboratory before the chemists started helping him work on his own fuel. About one year later, Burns took some of his new fuel to a drag racing test in California where Larry Torres and John Lingenfelter were preparing for the next season. Burns gave each man a five-gallon drum of fuel to try, and each man said they might try it if they had enough time.
“Torres tried it at the very end of the day and his car picked up 0.15 second. That’s a car length and a half. That’s significant,” said Burns. “He comes over to me and goes, ‘Did John try the fuel?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘I did.’ I said, ‘Well?’ He said, ‘It’s OK, but I want to talk to you. I will tell you what it did, and I will use it, and I will do an ad for you, but you’ve got to promise me you won’t give him any or sell him any.’
“You can probably guess who the last two racers were in that next event in Pomona, California, and on the cover of the magazines is Larry Torres winning by half a car length over Lingenfelter. Cover shot! And Larry did what he said he was going to do and did an ad for me.”
Six weeks later at the next National drag race, Burns said all of the top competitors in the gasoline classes were using Burns’ new fuel, C12, the first product for VP Racing Fuels, and Lingenfelter became the first VP Racing Fuels dealer.
That was 1975, and within a few years nearly every top motorsports team in America that burned gasoline was using VP Racing Fuels. “I did not start it as a business,” said Burns. “I was just doing it to get enough money to stay in racing, and in the end I went racing against major corporations with major corporations. It was an all-out race, racing against Sunoco, Union 76, the guys over at Phillips.”
From there, VP Racing Fuels grew to where it now has 70 different racing fuel products, over 150 employees, five production facilities in the United States, and hundreds of dealers and retail outlets all over the world.
In 2011, Alan Cerwick, a former executive who helped refiner Valero set up gas stations, joined VP Racing Fuels as its new President and led a rapid expansion of the company by adding new consumer product lines – including octane boosters and motor oil for passenger cars – and launched a program to rebrand independent gasoline stations into VP Fuels stations selling passenger car fuel, racing fuels, and VP’s consumer products.
Everything worked so well that Burns, now 66, decided to sell VP Racing Fuels to Cerwick, step back into a part-time role in Research & Development (R&D), and get back to – you guessed it – racing.
In the last few years, Burns has driven in the Pirelli World Challenge series, achieved top finishes in SCCA Pro and Trans Am races, and even won a World Championship on a three-man sailboat.
“I don’t have to worry about meetings and insurance and legislation and people who say we’ve don’t have enough trees on our property,” said Burns. “Al [Cerwick] and those guys do a great job with that, and I just need to make sure no one kicks our ass in fuels. To do that I’ve got to maintain an awareness of what’s changing in racing, because racing is obviously not static.
“And by going racing as an owner and driver I realized it’s different than it is sitting in VP’s seat. It doesn’t matter at VP what you want to do. It only matters what your customers want to do. You can make the coolest s— in the world but it doesn’t matter if no one wants it. So you’ve got to build stuff people want and stuff they need. That’s my job now.”
VP Racing Fuels’ main production facility is located on 50 acres just south of San Antonio. There, raw components come in from refineries via rail cars and tanker trucks. Those components are then tested at VP’s on-site lab to verify quality before they are offloaded into one of the many storage tanks, which range from 8,000 to 150,000 gallons in capacity.
All of the tanks at the facility are connected by pipes. To make a product, components are piped into specially constructed blend tanks according to an established recipe that is measured down to the gallon of each component, and for the most part the same man has been doing all the blending in San Antonio since 1985.
The mixture is then analyzed by one of two full-time chemists using a gas chromatograph, and if it meets the desired specification, it is then piped to a storage tank. From there, finished products are piped to a nearby warehouse where they are then pumped into the appropriate five-, 15-, and 54-gallon drums, which have a special anti-corrosion coating on the interior. The plant in San Antonio also produces VP’s own, iconic five-gallon plastic fluid jugs, and also bottles VP small engine fuel, which is sold at Walmart, Home Depot, and other retail outlets.
Even with its tremendous growth expanding into consumer products and gas stations over the last few years, VP Racing Fuels still hasn’t forgotten where it came from. Evidence of that fact is the company recently going out of its way (selling fuel at subsidized prices) to replace Sunoco as the official fuel of MotoAmerica.
“A lot of our competition’s race fuels are kind of a side thing for them,” said Burns. “It helps with their marketing, but realistically if they stopped making race fuel tomorrow it wouldn’t affect their business. In our case, race fuel is our business. It’s our core. Even with all of the other new products that we have, race fuel is still our core.”
2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship provisional calendar announced
The provisional 2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship calendar has been announced today (Thursday 12 October).
The 11-round season will begin with a return to continental Europe for the first time since 2019, as the championship gets underway at Circuito de Navarra in northern Spain on 20/21 April. The circuit, set in stunning countryside near the famous Rioja wine region, held a round of the World Superbike Championship as recently as 2021, and is regarded as one of the country’s best racetracks, including turn one which will now be the fastest corner in the championship with speeds of around 160mph.
It opened in 2010 and was taken over by MotorSport Vision (MSV) last November, with the first phase of major improvement works already completed and more to come over the winter. It hosted an official Bennetts BSB test in March 2023, where Kyle Ryde topped the times for LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha.
The championship then heads back to the UK with the traditional May Bank Holiday event at Oulton Park, ahead of the first of two outings to Donington Park in May.
Knockhill maintains its familiar June date for the annual round in Scotland before a visit to Snetterton in July and the much-anticipated Brands Hatch summer spectacular two weeks later.
August will feature another thrilling round at Thruxton before the fans’ favourite Bank Holiday extravaganza at Cadwell Park takes place at the end of the month.
The season reaches its closing stages with a return to Oulton Park and Donington Park in September. as the points per race increase and the title fight intensifies, before a crucial final visit to Brands Hatch for the end of season finale to decide the 2024 champion.
2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship Official Tests
| DATE | VENUE | |
| Test 1 | 6/7 April | Donington Park GP |
| Test 2 | 16/17 April | Circuito de Navarra |
| Test 3 | 1/2 May | Oulton Park |
| Test 4 | 23 August (evening) | Cadwell Park |
2024 Provisional Bennetts British Superbike Calendar
| DATE | VENUE | |
| Round 1 | 20/21 April | Circuito de Navarra |
| Round 2 | 4 -6 May | Oulton Park* |
| Round 3 | 17-19 May | Donington Park GP |
| Round 4 | 14-16 June | Knockhill |
| Round 5 | 5-7 July | Snetterton |
| Round 6 | 19-21 July | Brands Hatch GP |
| Round 7 | 9-11 August | Thruxton |
| Round 8 | 24-26 August | Cadwell Park* |
| Round 9 | 13-15 September | Oulton Park |
| Round 10 | 27-29 September | Donington Park GP |
| Round 11 | 11-13 October | Brands Hatch GP |
* Denotes Bank Holiday weekend
All dates are provisional and subject to change
Tickets will be on sale soon for 2024 Bennetts BSB events, including Circuito de Navarra. MSV’s Two Wheel Season Pass will be valid for admission to all championship rounds at MSV circuits (Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Donington Park, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Circuito de Navarra).
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
“It’ll be good for the sport”: Marquez’ move to Gresini dominates headlines on Thursday
It’s OFFICIAL! Hear from Bagnaia, Martin, Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Augusto Fernandez, Bastianini and Acosta about the big moves and more
Thursday, 12 October 2023
It was truly a bombshell Thursday, no matter the maelstrom of talk and rumours stretching back weeks or even months. Now it’s official, signed, sealed and delivered: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will race with Gresini Racing MotoGP™ next year, and that stole quite a few headlines in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) already did that a few days prior as he’s confirmed as moving up to GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 next year, and he’ll be alongside Augusto Fernandez.
Last but absolutely not least, the title fight rolls on, with just three points separating Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) from Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is also en route, but he’ll be on site from Friday looking to get the OK to head out on track.
The first Press Conference saw Championship leader Bagnaia joined by Martin and Marc Marquez, before Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), returning from injury and straight into the eye of the storm ahead of his new teammate joining in 2024, was joined by Augusto Fernandez, Acosta and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), the Beast also back in action after missing three races.
Here are some quotes from a jam-packed Thursday!
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA:
“I feel good honestly. All the races ahead of us are good for us.I love the layout here. Last year I was competitive all weekend apart from in the race when I started to struggle with the grip that was very, very high. I think we can do something good. Already in Japan we found our feeling and I was very competitive. Sunday was different but I feel that right now we are back to our potential.
Do you like the track?
“I think this layout suits my riding style well. Last year I was very competitive. I just missed the Q2 because of yellow flags in FP2. Saturday morning it was raining so it was difficult to be on top, but then I did the Q1, I was top six in qualifying and the pace was quite fast, so I think we can be competitive this year. The tyres are better for me, I prefer the tyres that they bring. It will be interesting. The fight will be intense.
JORGE MARTIN:
Is the plan to carry on as you’re going?
“This mentality is what has brought me here for sure, we are so close now in the battle. Its a championship of six races now almost, but I think my mentality will be the same. It will be to win races and to be competitive because everything that comes will be good. For sure we will try to win it, but my target at the beginning of the season was to be in the top three and this is almost done so the rest will be good and yeah, hopefully, we can keep the momentum and be in the same form and win some races.”
Is this a good track for you?
“Yeah, I mean last season I enjoyed it quite a lot in the testing and also in the race weekend. Even if the conditions were difficult, I was competitive. I missed out on pole position due to a mistake at Turn 1. I feel strong. Maybe last season, in terms of pace, it wasn’t my best race, but you know this season is completely different and I can be competitive for sure.”
MARC MARQUEZ:
“It has been a super difficult decision, the toughest decision of my career because to break 11 years of relationship with Honda, a very successful relationship was super difficult. Yes, last week was hard on the emotional side because all my staff, friends and family are there inside that box. But sometimes you need to leave your comfort zone. And yeah, my comfort zone was Honda, but yeah, it’s true that it’s been a while and I’m suffering a lot. I’m not enjoying it, so I made a change to enjoy my racing again because if I’m not there’s no point in continuing my racing and continuing my career, and what I want is more and more racing in my career. The first target will be to try to enjoy it. So, for that reason I chose the Gresini team because it’s a big family. They have the best bike on the grid and my brother is there. So yeah, it will be a big challenge for me and a big challenge for the Gresini team, but they’ve already done very good results with Alex my brother and with Enea Bastianini in the past. But it’s what I say, it will be a big change in every aspect and what I’m looking for is to enjoy it, and to smile in the helmet. If I smile, everything will come.”
Explain when you started to think of a change…
“I mean, it’s true that in the first part of the season, I was competitive but not in a good way. I was taking a lot of risks and in the second part of the season I started with a different approach and now I’m taking risks, but not the same as in the first part of the season. I’ve had many injuries. It’s been difficult, but when you’re injured and you’re in a difficult moment, then you can’t make decisions. That’s what I learned in the past. There you have to be patient. But then in the second part of the season, of course, we’ve had some nice talks with Honda. Race by race it was super difficult because every weekend my mentality was changing a bit, with a lot of doubts. But at the same time, I had contact with the Gresini team and I told them I won’t go forward with any contract, just if you want to wait for me, wait for me, but I can’t promise anything. My decision was last Tuesday after the Japan GP. It’s what I’ve said, I need to go out of my comfort zone. The easiest way was to stay at Honda with the situation under control, the bike under control, my team there, and a big salary, so that was the easy solution. But then if I want to take care of myself and my career. I need to find a new challenge and the new challenge and best place was the Gresini team in 2024.”
Were there other options?
“Yeah. Actually one year off was one of the possibilities. Like I said, racing without enjoying has no meaning. I’ve enjoyed many things in the past, but I want to fight in the present. It doesn’t matter if you have one or eight World Championships, you have to fight for the present. This was my target. But yeah, I had different options. I won’t say because I respect all those teams and all those options. The ones that were waiting for me were the Gresini team. They took a gamble because I didn’t promise anything, but then last Tuesday I decided on the night and then on Wednesday I had the phone call in Japan, which we thought was the best option for the project because I believe that they need time, they need to put all the budget on the bike. A manufacturer or brand has a lot of time, but athletes, we don’t have a lot of time. If you lose a year, that’s one year less that you have in your career. So yeah, look, I’m looking forward to finishing these last few races well with Honda because it has been 11 years where we have we won six World Championships. We will discover how the future will be with a new team and the new bike.”
Can you confirm if anyone moving with you?
“We’re still in discussions, because just this morning we signed the MOU with Gresini. Like I said on Wednesday, we started to talk with Gresini about the contract because before I didn’t want to have any distractions and I didn’t want to have any option B because my main priority was Honda. One of the big reasons, or the biggest doubts was all my team. But it’s true that in the end I’ve spoken about it with my team, I spoke with all of them and in the end they are my friends and they’ve advised me in a friendly way, not in a team way. So this was a talk that has helped me a lot to make decisions and then I was looking for myself. Yeah, I am trying to bring at least one mechanic that I think won’t be a problem, but I can’t bring all the team for two reasons: One, I will not destroy the Repsol Honda Team because we’re in October. And reason two I won’t destroy the Gresini team because they are a family where they already have their mechanics. So I have taken that decision, so I must adapt.”
ALEX MARQUEZ:
“I’m really happy to be back here again. I missed the team, I’ve missed the atmosphere in MotoGP. It’s not easy to watch the races on TV at home. I’ve enjoyed especially the Motegi races, but it’s time to come back. I know that I’ve arrived here at this track a bit on the limit of my physical condition. But I’m fit, but I will try to be realistic in every moment about how the pain is, I’ve already spoken with the doctors. If this pain is too high, I need to stop and wait until Australia, but my objective is to make the whole weekend. I want to get back into the rhythm and to be prepared for the next couple of races. I know that I’m far from 100% physically. I haven’t been able to train for two weeks I will try, as always in our situation, to give 100%.”
What do you think will be positive result?
“It’s an important GP for the team, we have a lot of Indonesian sponsors but for me I wouldn’t put any objectives whilst in our position. It’s true that if I arrived here 100% that our ambition would be to fight for the podium, and to be as far ahead as we can, but we’re not in that position unfortunately. It’s good to be here and to be getting back into the rhythm. So we’ll go practice by practice and see how our level is.”
Reaction to Marc joining the team:
“Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see him on a Ducati. I was expecting a faster teammate, but not quite that fast! It will be fun and I’m really happy for the team. They really deserve to have a rider like him. Also for Marc because he deserves to enjoy his riding again. I won’t say that he didn’t ask me about my opinion but I gave him my opinion as a brother not as a rider or as a Gresini Ducati rider, more like as a brother because I know that what he has experienced since 2020, and he is suffering quite a lot in his situation up until now, so it’s time for him to make a change.This is his decision and for me it’s positive because I will have a really fast teammate and eight-time World Champion and I can learn a lot from that situation.”
Do you think he’ll fight for wins straight away?
“It’s too early to say. Normally we’ve seen in the past that when Honda riders arrive to Ducati, they’ve found it quite easy to adapt to that bike. It was also, in my case, but he’s been riding the same bike for the past eleven years, so for sure we’ll have many things that he has to change. But yeah, he has an incredible talent. He will be fast from the first moments. But to be able to know if he can fight for the championship or wins, it’s too early to know. We still have all the winter, all the pre-season ahead of us, so we’ll see how everything goes. But for me, personally, I think it will be a really good opportunity for me to assess my level and learn from a really good rider on the grid.”
AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ:
“For sure it is a relief to get the confirmation but also very happy to stay one more year with the same team, with the same people and the same bike because I feel like we’re building something great and I’m closer to being competitive in this class every time. To have another year with the same bike, people, same everything is what I needed so I’m very happy.”
Chance to be a Test Rider as part of the discussions? What was discussed?
“I didn’t have any other offer. We didn’t discuss any other thing with them, but everybody needed that confirmation. Happy that the news is out and happy to have another year!”
On working with Pedro:
“I’m really happy for him and for sure he deserves this place. We know how talented he is and I expect him to be a pain in the ass from Day 1, like he was in Moto2™! He was faster than everyone in the first Test in Moto2™ so I expect him to be fast from the beginning!”
ENEA BASTIANINI:
“I’m really happy to be here again after these injuries. My body is not at 100%, but maybe it will be ready to make the race. It will be very difficult because here in Indonesia because it’s so hot, but let’s see, I’m really happy and ready to enjoy my Ducati in every session and to see how I feel on my return.”
Have you had any track time?
“No, tomorrow will be the first time for me to get back on a bike. I haven’t done any training on a Panigale or any bike before coming here because I think it won’t be a problem for me to be able to ride. I’m very excited. I remember last year I was very competitive here. During the race it was raining and I didn’t have the opportunity to go on the podium because I needed to improve in the rain, but let’s see how the weekend goes!”
Basically a testing weekend?
“Yeah, it was really important for me to test things, but I haven’t had an opportunity to test new things on the new bike because I had the crash and I didn’t make the test. I need kilometers to get my confidence back. This 2023 bike is more difficult than the 2022 one to arrive at a good level. Some riders like we’ve seen with Pecco and Jorge have incredible pace in every race and the potential of bike is very high, but I need more time, and more kilometres to arrive at that level.”
A reaction to the MM93 news:
“Well, he will be fast. I know this. I remember last year when I spoke with Nadia about Alex, I said he’d be fast from the start and we’ve seen from the first race, and the second he had opportunity to go on the podium. Marc is a good talent. He’s an incredible talent in MotoGP. And for me, he will be a problem from the first race!”
PEDRO ACOSTA:
“At the end we are confirmed! It was a long way until it was but we are here and everything is done. Now I just need to focus on Moto2™ and try to end the Championship in the best way possible, and then focus on MotoGP™. In the end, it’s amazing to be in the box with Augusto. We shared a lot of good memories in Moto2™ and why not learn a lot from him in my first year in MotoGP™!”
Has it been distracting? Were there options?
“I said from the beginning that I believed in KTM. They really pushed to give me the best thing. Now, I think it is time to learn and try to be focused on the important things. It’s true I wasn’t really focused on that because in the end I have one of the best managers in the paddock who was fighting for me, so it wasn’t my job. I was just trying to focus on doing a good job in Moto2 because in Moto3 I lost a little bit of focus at the end of the season because of that, and I learned from the past.”
What are you most looking forward to?
“No challenge at the moment. First, we must end the Moto2 season in the best way and then we can think about other things. In the end, I know that I have fast riders in the KTM family. Brad is usually fighting for victories, Jack is fighting for podiums and Augusto is finishing in the top 10. It’s going to be difficult to fight with them in the beginning but we’ll try.”
And on the Moto2™ Championship:
We have to know when it is not possible to win, we have to take the maximum of every moment. This was the mentality from the beginning of the season. Last year, maybe I lost the Championship in the beginning because I had six zero pointers in the first seven races, which is a lot. This year I learned from him (Augusto) that maybe if I don’t get stressed, then I can arrive further!”
Jorge Martin was quickest during MotoGP World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati, the Spaniard led the 22-rider field with a 1:31.811.
Maverick Vinales was second-best with a 1:31.913 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP, and Vinales’ friend and teammate Aleix Espargaro was third in the session at 1:32.913.
MotoGP FP1
Deniz Oncu was fastest during Moto3 World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Red Bull KTM Ajo machine, the Turkish racer covered the 2.6-mile (4.3 km) course in 1:39.855 to set a lap All-Time Lap Record.
Moto3 FP2
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
This podcast is “Motegi 2023 – The Great Rain Robbery.”
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
MV AGUSTA SUPERVELOCE 98
EDIZIONE LIMITATA
A TALE TO TELL
In the early 1940s, the war was making life very hard for everyone in Italy, starting with everyday activities. Getting around, for example, was difficult and costly, given an essential absence of public transport. And this is why Domenico Agusta, having taken over the family business in 1927 following the death of his father Giovanni, turned to motorcycles, believing that this might be a way to simplify mobility and guarantee himself and his employees a future at the Officine Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta.
The first MV Agusta engine came into being in 1943. A 98 cc single-cylinder, it made use of a lubricated two-speed gearbox. Light and compact, it immediately went into production but occupation of the factory, in September 1943, brought all activity to a halt just a few weeks later. The project was shelved until just after the war when, the hostilities over, assembly of the complete motorcycle could resume. On its debut, the MV 98 was ‘dressed’ in an elegant shade of burgundy.
It is difficult to imagine the reasons behind such an unusual colour choice – perhaps relating to Giovanni Agusta’s aristocratic roots, that his son wanted to honour, or simply a flash of inspiration, a matter of personal taste. The burgundy colour scheme nevertheless added a significant touch of elegance to a motorcycle that was ready to take on the devastated streets of that time.
Today, 80 years after the birth of the first MV Agusta engine, the “98” signature reappears on the fairings of another MV Agusta motorcycle. Produced in just 300 numbered units, the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata is immediately recognisable thanks to its “Rosso Verghera” colour scheme. Directly inspired by the original colour palette, Rosso Verghera is a sophisticated and very high-quality product, the formula of which was developed at an experimental level in the CRC research centre and then industrialised exclusively for MV Agusta. Applied by hand in multiple phases, the colour comprises a two-component matte base paired with a polished layer for a finish that magnifies the metallic pigments. A tribute to a tale of success, courage, and initiative that could never have been written without the design of the 98 engine, back in 1943.
The “98 Edizione Limitata” signature is positioned laterally on the tail section as well as on the upper part. It is flanked by the Italian flag, which highlights the quintessential “Made in Italy” origins of every MV Agusta, built without exception in the factory in Schiranna, on the banks of Varese Lake. Reference to the size of the historic engine designed in 1943 and the limited-edition status of the motorcycle is also flaunted on the steering plate, thanks to laser engraving technology, and highlighted on the certificate of authenticity, delivered together with the motorcycle.
The racing vocation of the Superveloce has been important ever since the model’s launch and is emphasised on the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata by way of a dedicated kit. A burgundy-coloured box contains the tail cover, dedicated motorcycle cover, aforementioned certificate of authenticity and two refined parts, or rather the Arrow triple-exit exhaust, for exclusive track use (in North America not included but available as Technical Accessory), and the dedicated racing ECU, perfect for extracting maximum performance from the Italian three-cylinder engine.
The engine in question is the iconic 798 cc inline three. Powerful (147 hp), compact and extremely lightweight, it contributes to keeping the dry weight of the motorcycle down to just 173 kg, or as little as 165 kg with the racing kit. Many technical characteristics ensure that this engine is an example of efficiency and performance, not least the counter-rotating crankshaft, cams with DLC coating to reduce friction and heighten performance, titanium valves, and bearings and rods developed to reduce mechanical losses.
The technical excellence of the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata is guaranteed by its comprehensive equipment, including spoked wheels with a gold finish, an optimised and more lightweight braking system complete with Brembo PR 16/19 radial master cylinder and M4.30 Stylema front callipers, and the support of the recalibrated Continental MK100 ABS. This, in addition to Ride by Wire that is improved thanks to the negative throttle rotation; the 5.5” colour TFT instrument panel, highly customisable and connected to the smartphone; high-performance Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa tyres, and Mobisat anti-theft satellite positioning system.
Only 300 units of the Superveloce 98 Edizione Limitata will be made available, most of which have already been ordered by the brand’s most loyal collectors.
Manuel Gonzalez smashed the All-Time Lap Record during Moto2 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team Kalex, the Spaniard lapped the 2.6-mile (4.3 km) track in 1:34.871. That time smashed Somkiat Chantra’s 2022 lap record of 1:35.591.
American Joe Roberts was 11th with a 1:35.846 on his Italtrans Racing Kalex.
Sean Dylan Kelly’s fill-in ride at Forward Racing has come to an end, and the Floridian is not riding in Indonesia.
Moto2 FP1
Diogo Moreira topped Moto3 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his MT Helmets – MSI KTM, the Brazilian rider lapped the 2.6-mile (4.3 km) track in 1:40.590 to lead the field of 29 competitors.
Moto3 FP1
Additional Clarification On Gagne’s DQ From Circuit Of The Americas Race Two
MotoAmerica Adds More Clarity To Fuel Situation As It Relates To Sanction
IRVINE, CA (October 12, 2023) – MotoAmerica is offering the following for further clarification regarding the disqualification of Jake Gagne from his second-place finish in race two of the Circuit of The Americas round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship.
VP has provided the same blend of fuel to MotoAmerica since 2019 and the sample taken from the machine at COTA after Superbike race two was not compliant with any batch of VP MGP manufactured between 2019 and 2023. VP has analytical results from each batch of fuel produced and the results of the fuel sample in question did not match the baseline results provided by VP. This was also substantiated by a third-party certified lab, Intertek, who confirmed that a foreign chemical component outside the specification was found.
There is also an outstanding issue regarding a drum of MGP that was obtained by Gagne’s team and had incorrect warning information. VP confirms that this was due to a software issue, which was rectified. The contents of the drum contained the correct MGP fuel as labelled.
To view the MotoAmerica sanction, click HERE
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.
Shops: VP Racing Fuels
By David Swarts
VP Racing Fuels is one of the most recognizable brands in motorsports. Now, it is becoming a major player in mainstream automotive consumer products with VP-branded retail gasoline stations and convenience stores popping up across North America. And it all started with a young man using a chemistry set to formulate his own racing fuel in his parents’ one-car garage.
“That’s bulls—!” Steve Burns, the founder of VP Racing Fuels told Roadracing World. “That’s the story the marketing guys feed people. There’s lies, there’s stories, and there’s the truth. Here’s the truth.”
Burns’ father, a World War II veteran who lived in San Antonio, Texas, often took his family on trips across the USA to reinforce his—and instill their–love of country. During one trip to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., Burns asked his father about a strange looking building he saw.
“My father said, ‘That’s the Library of Congress. Everything that man knows is written down in that library,’” said Burns.
Years later, Burns was a recent high school graduate and an aspiring amateur car racer who had machined a little too much off the block of his car’s engine and suddenly had a fueling problem. “So I started doing some reading on fuels,” said Burns, who added he barely found one or two pages of material on racing fuels in the entire University of Texas library.
Burns drove to Virginia, set up a tent at a campground, and drove to the Library of Congress every day to educate himself about racing fuels. “This young librarian takes a liking to me and she starts feeding me a bunch of once-classified stuff from the war,” Burns. “I learned a s—load about engines. I learned more about engines and engine theories than I probably could have learned anywhere else in America.”
Burns came home and tried a few things with different fuel components, and he and some other local racers had some success with his stuff. Now what? “I needed components, chemicals, but where do they exist? How do you get them?” said Burns. “The refineries make them, but they don’t sell five- or 10-gallon drums. So how do I get these components that I need?”
Burns then went on a quest and visited every refinery from San Antonio to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that would let him in the gate. And even though Burns managed to talk to some high-level people at these refineries, the answer was always negative.
“One of them told me, ‘Steven, even if your dad owned this place I couldn’t do what you’re asking me to do. I can’t go out there and take a tap off of one of these lines of products going down the pipeline for you,’” said Burns.
Undeterred, Burns decided to revisit a refinery in San Antonio he had been to before (“Because they only said ‘No’ and not ‘Hell no,’” Burns said.), but this time he learned that the refinery was owned by the father of a guy he had played football against in high school.
While waiting in the lobby for his high school friend to come in, the plant manager Burns had seen previously walked by. “He looks down at me, and says, ‘Steve Burns, what are you doing here?’” recalled Burns. “I looked up at him and said, ‘Hoping to see anybody but you.’ “I didn’t mean it bad. It just slipped out. He looked down at me and said, ‘Come on.’
“He took me down to his office. He sits behind his desk and literally puts his feet up on his desk and says, ‘So you’re here again. What do you want me to do for you?’ I started rattling off all these chemical names, and he goes, ‘Whoa! Stop, stop, stop!’
“I thought, ‘This is not good.’
“He picks up the phone, calls somebody, and goes, ‘Hey, Tom. I’ve got a good buddy in here who wants to make race fuel, and I want to help him. I want you to come over here and I want to get started on the project.’ He puts down the phone, turns to me, and he goes, ‘Is that what you want me to do?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’”
Burns went to work at the refinery, and for the next six months he swept floors, emptied trash, and cleaned equipment in the refinery’s laboratory before the chemists started helping him work on his own fuel. About one year later, Burns took some of his new fuel to a drag racing test in California where Larry Torres and John Lingenfelter were preparing for the next season. Burns gave each man a five-gallon drum of fuel to try, and each man said they might try it if they had enough time.
“Torres tried it at the very end of the day and his car picked up 0.15 second. That’s a car length and a half. That’s significant,” said Burns. “He comes over to me and goes, ‘Did John try the fuel?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘I did.’ I said, ‘Well?’ He said, ‘It’s OK, but I want to talk to you. I will tell you what it did, and I will use it, and I will do an ad for you, but you’ve got to promise me you won’t give him any or sell him any.’
“You can probably guess who the last two racers were in that next event in Pomona, California, and on the cover of the magazines is Larry Torres winning by half a car length over Lingenfelter. Cover shot! And Larry did what he said he was going to do and did an ad for me.”
Six weeks later at the next National drag race, Burns said all of the top competitors in the gasoline classes were using Burns’ new fuel, C12, the first product for VP Racing Fuels, and Lingenfelter became the first VP Racing Fuels dealer.
That was 1975, and within a few years nearly every top motorsports team in America that burned gasoline was using VP Racing Fuels. “I did not start it as a business,” said Burns. “I was just doing it to get enough money to stay in racing, and in the end I went racing against major corporations with major corporations. It was an all-out race, racing against Sunoco, Union 76, the guys over at Phillips.”
From there, VP Racing Fuels grew to where it now has 70 different racing fuel products, over 150 employees, five production facilities in the United States, and hundreds of dealers and retail outlets all over the world.
In 2011, Alan Cerwick, a former executive who helped refiner Valero set up gas stations, joined VP Racing Fuels as its new President and led a rapid expansion of the company by adding new consumer product lines – including octane boosters and motor oil for passenger cars – and launched a program to rebrand independent gasoline stations into VP Fuels stations selling passenger car fuel, racing fuels, and VP’s consumer products.
Everything worked so well that Burns, now 66, decided to sell VP Racing Fuels to Cerwick, step back into a part-time role in Research & Development (R&D), and get back to – you guessed it – racing.
In the last few years, Burns has driven in the Pirelli World Challenge series, achieved top finishes in SCCA Pro and Trans Am races, and even won a World Championship on a three-man sailboat.
“I don’t have to worry about meetings and insurance and legislation and people who say we’ve don’t have enough trees on our property,” said Burns. “Al [Cerwick] and those guys do a great job with that, and I just need to make sure no one kicks our ass in fuels. To do that I’ve got to maintain an awareness of what’s changing in racing, because racing is obviously not static.
“And by going racing as an owner and driver I realized it’s different than it is sitting in VP’s seat. It doesn’t matter at VP what you want to do. It only matters what your customers want to do. You can make the coolest s— in the world but it doesn’t matter if no one wants it. So you’ve got to build stuff people want and stuff they need. That’s my job now.”
VP Racing Fuels’ main production facility is located on 50 acres just south of San Antonio. There, raw components come in from refineries via rail cars and tanker trucks. Those components are then tested at VP’s on-site lab to verify quality before they are offloaded into one of the many storage tanks, which range from 8,000 to 150,000 gallons in capacity.
All of the tanks at the facility are connected by pipes. To make a product, components are piped into specially constructed blend tanks according to an established recipe that is measured down to the gallon of each component, and for the most part the same man has been doing all the blending in San Antonio since 1985.
The mixture is then analyzed by one of two full-time chemists using a gas chromatograph, and if it meets the desired specification, it is then piped to a storage tank. From there, finished products are piped to a nearby warehouse where they are then pumped into the appropriate five-, 15-, and 54-gallon drums, which have a special anti-corrosion coating on the interior. The plant in San Antonio also produces VP’s own, iconic five-gallon plastic fluid jugs, and also bottles VP small engine fuel, which is sold at Walmart, Home Depot, and other retail outlets.
Even with its tremendous growth expanding into consumer products and gas stations over the last few years, VP Racing Fuels still hasn’t forgotten where it came from. Evidence of that fact is the company recently going out of its way (selling fuel at subsidized prices) to replace Sunoco as the official fuel of MotoAmerica.
“A lot of our competition’s race fuels are kind of a side thing for them,” said Burns. “It helps with their marketing, but realistically if they stopped making race fuel tomorrow it wouldn’t affect their business. In our case, race fuel is our business. It’s our core. Even with all of the other new products that we have, race fuel is still our core.”
2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship provisional calendar announced
The provisional 2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship calendar has been announced today (Thursday 12 October).
The 11-round season will begin with a return to continental Europe for the first time since 2019, as the championship gets underway at Circuito de Navarra in northern Spain on 20/21 April. The circuit, set in stunning countryside near the famous Rioja wine region, held a round of the World Superbike Championship as recently as 2021, and is regarded as one of the country’s best racetracks, including turn one which will now be the fastest corner in the championship with speeds of around 160mph.
It opened in 2010 and was taken over by MotorSport Vision (MSV) last November, with the first phase of major improvement works already completed and more to come over the winter. It hosted an official Bennetts BSB test in March 2023, where Kyle Ryde topped the times for LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha.
The championship then heads back to the UK with the traditional May Bank Holiday event at Oulton Park, ahead of the first of two outings to Donington Park in May.
Knockhill maintains its familiar June date for the annual round in Scotland before a visit to Snetterton in July and the much-anticipated Brands Hatch summer spectacular two weeks later.
August will feature another thrilling round at Thruxton before the fans’ favourite Bank Holiday extravaganza at Cadwell Park takes place at the end of the month.
The season reaches its closing stages with a return to Oulton Park and Donington Park in September. as the points per race increase and the title fight intensifies, before a crucial final visit to Brands Hatch for the end of season finale to decide the 2024 champion.
2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship Official Tests
| DATE | VENUE | |
| Test 1 | 6/7 April | Donington Park GP |
| Test 2 | 16/17 April | Circuito de Navarra |
| Test 3 | 1/2 May | Oulton Park |
| Test 4 | 23 August (evening) | Cadwell Park |
2024 Provisional Bennetts British Superbike Calendar
| DATE | VENUE | |
| Round 1 | 20/21 April | Circuito de Navarra |
| Round 2 | 4 -6 May | Oulton Park* |
| Round 3 | 17-19 May | Donington Park GP |
| Round 4 | 14-16 June | Knockhill |
| Round 5 | 5-7 July | Snetterton |
| Round 6 | 19-21 July | Brands Hatch GP |
| Round 7 | 9-11 August | Thruxton |
| Round 8 | 24-26 August | Cadwell Park* |
| Round 9 | 13-15 September | Oulton Park |
| Round 10 | 27-29 September | Donington Park GP |
| Round 11 | 11-13 October | Brands Hatch GP |
* Denotes Bank Holiday weekend
All dates are provisional and subject to change
Tickets will be on sale soon for 2024 Bennetts BSB events, including Circuito de Navarra. MSV’s Two Wheel Season Pass will be valid for admission to all championship rounds at MSV circuits (Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Donington Park, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Circuito de Navarra).
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
“It’ll be good for the sport”: Marquez’ move to Gresini dominates headlines on Thursday
It’s OFFICIAL! Hear from Bagnaia, Martin, Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Augusto Fernandez, Bastianini and Acosta about the big moves and more
Thursday, 12 October 2023
It was truly a bombshell Thursday, no matter the maelstrom of talk and rumours stretching back weeks or even months. Now it’s official, signed, sealed and delivered: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will race with Gresini Racing MotoGP™ next year, and that stole quite a few headlines in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) already did that a few days prior as he’s confirmed as moving up to GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 next year, and he’ll be alongside Augusto Fernandez.
Last but absolutely not least, the title fight rolls on, with just three points separating Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) from Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is also en route, but he’ll be on site from Friday looking to get the OK to head out on track.
The first Press Conference saw Championship leader Bagnaia joined by Martin and Marc Marquez, before Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), returning from injury and straight into the eye of the storm ahead of his new teammate joining in 2024, was joined by Augusto Fernandez, Acosta and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), the Beast also back in action after missing three races.
Here are some quotes from a jam-packed Thursday!
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA:
“I feel good honestly. All the races ahead of us are good for us.I love the layout here. Last year I was competitive all weekend apart from in the race when I started to struggle with the grip that was very, very high. I think we can do something good. Already in Japan we found our feeling and I was very competitive. Sunday was different but I feel that right now we are back to our potential.
Do you like the track?
“I think this layout suits my riding style well. Last year I was very competitive. I just missed the Q2 because of yellow flags in FP2. Saturday morning it was raining so it was difficult to be on top, but then I did the Q1, I was top six in qualifying and the pace was quite fast, so I think we can be competitive this year. The tyres are better for me, I prefer the tyres that they bring. It will be interesting. The fight will be intense.
JORGE MARTIN:
Is the plan to carry on as you’re going?
“This mentality is what has brought me here for sure, we are so close now in the battle. Its a championship of six races now almost, but I think my mentality will be the same. It will be to win races and to be competitive because everything that comes will be good. For sure we will try to win it, but my target at the beginning of the season was to be in the top three and this is almost done so the rest will be good and yeah, hopefully, we can keep the momentum and be in the same form and win some races.”
Is this a good track for you?
“Yeah, I mean last season I enjoyed it quite a lot in the testing and also in the race weekend. Even if the conditions were difficult, I was competitive. I missed out on pole position due to a mistake at Turn 1. I feel strong. Maybe last season, in terms of pace, it wasn’t my best race, but you know this season is completely different and I can be competitive for sure.”
MARC MARQUEZ:
“It has been a super difficult decision, the toughest decision of my career because to break 11 years of relationship with Honda, a very successful relationship was super difficult. Yes, last week was hard on the emotional side because all my staff, friends and family are there inside that box. But sometimes you need to leave your comfort zone. And yeah, my comfort zone was Honda, but yeah, it’s true that it’s been a while and I’m suffering a lot. I’m not enjoying it, so I made a change to enjoy my racing again because if I’m not there’s no point in continuing my racing and continuing my career, and what I want is more and more racing in my career. The first target will be to try to enjoy it. So, for that reason I chose the Gresini team because it’s a big family. They have the best bike on the grid and my brother is there. So yeah, it will be a big challenge for me and a big challenge for the Gresini team, but they’ve already done very good results with Alex my brother and with Enea Bastianini in the past. But it’s what I say, it will be a big change in every aspect and what I’m looking for is to enjoy it, and to smile in the helmet. If I smile, everything will come.”
Explain when you started to think of a change…
“I mean, it’s true that in the first part of the season, I was competitive but not in a good way. I was taking a lot of risks and in the second part of the season I started with a different approach and now I’m taking risks, but not the same as in the first part of the season. I’ve had many injuries. It’s been difficult, but when you’re injured and you’re in a difficult moment, then you can’t make decisions. That’s what I learned in the past. There you have to be patient. But then in the second part of the season, of course, we’ve had some nice talks with Honda. Race by race it was super difficult because every weekend my mentality was changing a bit, with a lot of doubts. But at the same time, I had contact with the Gresini team and I told them I won’t go forward with any contract, just if you want to wait for me, wait for me, but I can’t promise anything. My decision was last Tuesday after the Japan GP. It’s what I’ve said, I need to go out of my comfort zone. The easiest way was to stay at Honda with the situation under control, the bike under control, my team there, and a big salary, so that was the easy solution. But then if I want to take care of myself and my career. I need to find a new challenge and the new challenge and best place was the Gresini team in 2024.”
Were there other options?
“Yeah. Actually one year off was one of the possibilities. Like I said, racing without enjoying has no meaning. I’ve enjoyed many things in the past, but I want to fight in the present. It doesn’t matter if you have one or eight World Championships, you have to fight for the present. This was my target. But yeah, I had different options. I won’t say because I respect all those teams and all those options. The ones that were waiting for me were the Gresini team. They took a gamble because I didn’t promise anything, but then last Tuesday I decided on the night and then on Wednesday I had the phone call in Japan, which we thought was the best option for the project because I believe that they need time, they need to put all the budget on the bike. A manufacturer or brand has a lot of time, but athletes, we don’t have a lot of time. If you lose a year, that’s one year less that you have in your career. So yeah, look, I’m looking forward to finishing these last few races well with Honda because it has been 11 years where we have we won six World Championships. We will discover how the future will be with a new team and the new bike.”
Can you confirm if anyone moving with you?
“We’re still in discussions, because just this morning we signed the MOU with Gresini. Like I said on Wednesday, we started to talk with Gresini about the contract because before I didn’t want to have any distractions and I didn’t want to have any option B because my main priority was Honda. One of the big reasons, or the biggest doubts was all my team. But it’s true that in the end I’ve spoken about it with my team, I spoke with all of them and in the end they are my friends and they’ve advised me in a friendly way, not in a team way. So this was a talk that has helped me a lot to make decisions and then I was looking for myself. Yeah, I am trying to bring at least one mechanic that I think won’t be a problem, but I can’t bring all the team for two reasons: One, I will not destroy the Repsol Honda Team because we’re in October. And reason two I won’t destroy the Gresini team because they are a family where they already have their mechanics. So I have taken that decision, so I must adapt.”
ALEX MARQUEZ:
“I’m really happy to be back here again. I missed the team, I’ve missed the atmosphere in MotoGP. It’s not easy to watch the races on TV at home. I’ve enjoyed especially the Motegi races, but it’s time to come back. I know that I’ve arrived here at this track a bit on the limit of my physical condition. But I’m fit, but I will try to be realistic in every moment about how the pain is, I’ve already spoken with the doctors. If this pain is too high, I need to stop and wait until Australia, but my objective is to make the whole weekend. I want to get back into the rhythm and to be prepared for the next couple of races. I know that I’m far from 100% physically. I haven’t been able to train for two weeks I will try, as always in our situation, to give 100%.”
What do you think will be positive result?
“It’s an important GP for the team, we have a lot of Indonesian sponsors but for me I wouldn’t put any objectives whilst in our position. It’s true that if I arrived here 100% that our ambition would be to fight for the podium, and to be as far ahead as we can, but we’re not in that position unfortunately. It’s good to be here and to be getting back into the rhythm. So we’ll go practice by practice and see how our level is.”
Reaction to Marc joining the team:
“Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see him on a Ducati. I was expecting a faster teammate, but not quite that fast! It will be fun and I’m really happy for the team. They really deserve to have a rider like him. Also for Marc because he deserves to enjoy his riding again. I won’t say that he didn’t ask me about my opinion but I gave him my opinion as a brother not as a rider or as a Gresini Ducati rider, more like as a brother because I know that what he has experienced since 2020, and he is suffering quite a lot in his situation up until now, so it’s time for him to make a change.This is his decision and for me it’s positive because I will have a really fast teammate and eight-time World Champion and I can learn a lot from that situation.”
Do you think he’ll fight for wins straight away?
“It’s too early to say. Normally we’ve seen in the past that when Honda riders arrive to Ducati, they’ve found it quite easy to adapt to that bike. It was also, in my case, but he’s been riding the same bike for the past eleven years, so for sure we’ll have many things that he has to change. But yeah, he has an incredible talent. He will be fast from the first moments. But to be able to know if he can fight for the championship or wins, it’s too early to know. We still have all the winter, all the pre-season ahead of us, so we’ll see how everything goes. But for me, personally, I think it will be a really good opportunity for me to assess my level and learn from a really good rider on the grid.”
AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ:
“For sure it is a relief to get the confirmation but also very happy to stay one more year with the same team, with the same people and the same bike because I feel like we’re building something great and I’m closer to being competitive in this class every time. To have another year with the same bike, people, same everything is what I needed so I’m very happy.”
Chance to be a Test Rider as part of the discussions? What was discussed?
“I didn’t have any other offer. We didn’t discuss any other thing with them, but everybody needed that confirmation. Happy that the news is out and happy to have another year!”
On working with Pedro:
“I’m really happy for him and for sure he deserves this place. We know how talented he is and I expect him to be a pain in the ass from Day 1, like he was in Moto2™! He was faster than everyone in the first Test in Moto2™ so I expect him to be fast from the beginning!”
ENEA BASTIANINI:
“I’m really happy to be here again after these injuries. My body is not at 100%, but maybe it will be ready to make the race. It will be very difficult because here in Indonesia because it’s so hot, but let’s see, I’m really happy and ready to enjoy my Ducati in every session and to see how I feel on my return.”
Have you had any track time?
“No, tomorrow will be the first time for me to get back on a bike. I haven’t done any training on a Panigale or any bike before coming here because I think it won’t be a problem for me to be able to ride. I’m very excited. I remember last year I was very competitive here. During the race it was raining and I didn’t have the opportunity to go on the podium because I needed to improve in the rain, but let’s see how the weekend goes!”
Basically a testing weekend?
“Yeah, it was really important for me to test things, but I haven’t had an opportunity to test new things on the new bike because I had the crash and I didn’t make the test. I need kilometers to get my confidence back. This 2023 bike is more difficult than the 2022 one to arrive at a good level. Some riders like we’ve seen with Pecco and Jorge have incredible pace in every race and the potential of bike is very high, but I need more time, and more kilometres to arrive at that level.”
A reaction to the MM93 news:
“Well, he will be fast. I know this. I remember last year when I spoke with Nadia about Alex, I said he’d be fast from the start and we’ve seen from the first race, and the second he had opportunity to go on the podium. Marc is a good talent. He’s an incredible talent in MotoGP. And for me, he will be a problem from the first race!”
PEDRO ACOSTA:
“At the end we are confirmed! It was a long way until it was but we are here and everything is done. Now I just need to focus on Moto2™ and try to end the Championship in the best way possible, and then focus on MotoGP™. In the end, it’s amazing to be in the box with Augusto. We shared a lot of good memories in Moto2™ and why not learn a lot from him in my first year in MotoGP™!”
Has it been distracting? Were there options?
“I said from the beginning that I believed in KTM. They really pushed to give me the best thing. Now, I think it is time to learn and try to be focused on the important things. It’s true I wasn’t really focused on that because in the end I have one of the best managers in the paddock who was fighting for me, so it wasn’t my job. I was just trying to focus on doing a good job in Moto2 because in Moto3 I lost a little bit of focus at the end of the season because of that, and I learned from the past.”
What are you most looking forward to?
“No challenge at the moment. First, we must end the Moto2 season in the best way and then we can think about other things. In the end, I know that I have fast riders in the KTM family. Brad is usually fighting for victories, Jack is fighting for podiums and Augusto is finishing in the top 10. It’s going to be difficult to fight with them in the beginning but we’ll try.”
And on the Moto2™ Championship:
We have to know when it is not possible to win, we have to take the maximum of every moment. This was the mentality from the beginning of the season. Last year, maybe I lost the Championship in the beginning because I had six zero pointers in the first seven races, which is a lot. This year I learned from him (Augusto) that maybe if I don’t get stressed, then I can arrive further!”
