Tag Archives: Mike Leitner

2019 Red Bull KTM MotoGP | Ready To Race

2019 KTM MotoGP machines unveiled

MotoGP KTM Launch Johann Zarco
2019 KTM RC16 MotoGP

2019 has started brightly for KTM with success at the Dakar at the slightly mangled hands of our own Toby Price, in the Supercross arena with Cooper Webb taking four wins already this season, and victory also on the French beach sand thanks to Briton Nathan Watson. Now it is the turn of the tarmac team to try and emulate some of the off-road glory that KTM are synonymous for.

MotoGP KTM Launch Johann Zarco
2019 Red Bull KTM Team

Stefan Pierer – CEO KTM Group

“Racing is the core content of our DNA. That means forced innovation every week or every two weeks. We see on the TV or the internet how many tenths of a second are missing and that really drives us to do everything what we can in the end to touch the top of the podium. That’s our philosophy and that has driven us to success over the last thirty years but in this racing world we are still beginners: this is our third year. This is a five year programme and by the end we want to see podiums and for the upcoming racing season I’d like to see single digit results; that’s realistic because we are still collecting data and we miss all the experience of our competitors. For 2019 – in gambler’s speak – it’s ‘all in’.”

MotoGP KTM Launch Stefan Pierer
Stefan Pierer – CEO KTM Group

Two impressive fledgling seasons in MotoGP have seen the Austrian manufacturer grasp their first points, first top ten finishes and end the second term with their maiden podium trophy in Valencia.

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Podium Dovizioso Rins Espargaro
2018 MotoGP Race Results Valencia
1 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI 24’03.408
2 – Alex Rins (SPA) SUZUKI +2.750
3 – Pol Espargaro (SPA) KTM +7.406

Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager

“2019 is our third season in MotoGP and it is already a milestone thanks to the presence of Tech3 and a new rider in our factory team. It will be very challenging but we hope we can continue the road to the top. We’ll have some bumps on the road but we have worked well in the winter and should be able to look forward to some positive moments this season. I really hope the partnership with Tech3 will give us essential information to improve our MotoGP bike and the total KTM package in order to make the next step in positions and race results.”

MotoGP KTM Launch Hafizh Syahrin
2019 Red Bull KTM Team – Hafizh Syahrin’s ride

The MotoGP effort has now doubled with the experienced Red Bull KTM Tech3 unit placing another two RC16s on the grid under the Tech3 umbrella.

MotoGP KTM Launch Johann Zarco
2019 KTM RC16 MotoGP

Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsport Director

“For us this is another very special moment in our racing story and it’s a milestone for us to have that structure in place. Our road race project has been building consistently since 2012 in terms of structure, confidence and people. I would say we have an amazing ‘path’ in place where you can go from a Rookies bike through all the categories to a MotoGP bike. In the premier class two motorcycles is not enough to be able to develop technology up until the highest level so having a second team in the MotoGP gives us an amazing feeling that our system is in place. We will work with this programme and that doesn’t only mean young riders and trying to get them through but also the bikes for each category with a strong in-house line-up and effort. That’s why today is very special.”

MotoGP KTM Launch Pit Beirer Pol Espargaro Hofmann
2019 KTM MotoGP Team Launch – Pit Beirer and Pol Espargaro

Pol Espargaro (28 in June) will begin his third season with the factory RC16 and his sixth in the premier class.

MotoGP KTM Launch Miguel Oliveira Brembo
2019 KTM RC16 MotoGP

Pol Espargaro

“We have a big target in front of us this year and I think we are in a good place. Johann has integrated into the team well and already looks fast. It means that we are set for the season. I thought Miguel was very fast at the test and that was surprising for a rookie and I know Hafizh is working really hard. All the info the Tech3 guys can bring will be helpful for me, the team and all the engineers. I know, from my experience, that Tech3 are good for helping and teaching the riders, and also improving the bike. 2019 will be about improvement: nobody is perfect and I learn something every year. I think with Johann as a teammate hopefully I can learn from him and apply it to myself to be a better rider and a better worker. I just want to give the best of myself in 2019 and the most I can to the team.”


He is joined for the first time by fellow former Moto2 World Champion Johann Zarco (29 in July) – the most successful Frenchman in Grand Prix history.

MotoGP KTM Launch Johann Zarco
Johann Zarco – Red Bull KTM Race Team

Johann Zarco

“I’m happy to be here, and this is my first factory team presentation! I discovered Mattighofen and the KTM factory for the first time in January and I was very impressed. After a few tests now I am very happy: I feel that the people in the team trust me and it’s nice to feel that confidence. We’ve done some good work so the motivation is high. Even when we make big improvements at a test we still see that we have a lot to do and have steps to make. It helps to move forward. I believe in what we can do. I would say I am a fast rider so I can give good information and I am very proud to be part of this story in KTM.”

MotoGP KTM Launch Johann Zarco
Johann Zarco – Red Bull KTM Race Team

Red Bull KTM Tech3 field the promise of Hafizh Syahrin (25 in May and the first Malaysian to compete in the premier class and now set for his second MotoGP year) and Miguel Oliveira. Oliveira is another ‘first’ for his country – Portugal – in MotoGP and the recently-turned 24 year old rookie is the first rider to have come up the Moto3 and Moto2 KTM ladder. MotoGP is backed up by the rapid test team duo of Mika Kallio and Dani Pedrosa.

MotoGP KTM Launch Miguel Oliveira
2019 KTM RC16 MotoGP

Miguel Oliveira

“I’m very happy with the new colours, the bike is amazing. The look of everything is just incredible, quite different from what we are used to. It’s such a nice project, that KTM and Red Bull got together; to have two factory teams on the grid is something pretty unique and it shows clearly that KTM wants to try and dominate this class and road racing in general. I’m just really proud and I feel privileged to be a part of this project.”

MotoGP KTM Launch Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Oliveira

Hafizh Syahrin

“I’m really excited about the new livery. I think it’s truly different than everything else on the track. I can’t wait to be on track with this bike in Qatar. It looks amazing and I guess even more so under the floodlights in the desert. I’m very delighted about this look and can’t wait to get the season started!”

MotoGP KTM Launch Hafizh Syahrin
Hafizh Syahrin – 2019 Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team

Herve Poncharal, Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager

“It’s been great to show the world our new livery. I saw the colours for the first time at the end of December I couldn’t believe it: this is such a cool bike. For sure, the most important for a racing bike is to be fast and we are working on that. The test we had in Sepang a few days ago was very interesting. But if the bike can be fast and good-looking, it’s a big bonus. Therefore, we are more than proud to have shown what our livery will finally be and I can’t wait to see it under the floodlights in Qatar because it will look even more amazing. Hopefully, we can see these bikes with this livery in strong positions.”

MotoGP KTM Launch Hafizh Syahrin
2019 KTM RC16 MotoGP

The MotoGP line-up will travel to Qatar for the last three-day dial-in test later this week before the 2019 MotoGP season gets underway in Qatar and just two weeks before the 19-round season begins at Losai on the weekend of March 10.

MotoGP KTM Launch Hafizh Syahrin
2019 Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team

Source: MCNews.com.au

KTM’s new MotoGP riders try to adapt to RC16 at Valencia

2019 MotoGP Testing with KTM

After the poor weather across the nineteenth and final round of 2018 MotoGP in Spain, Red Bull KTM were able to count on sunnier and brighter conditions for their first work towards the 2019 FIM World Championship with a host of new riders, including two that have made the jump across from Tech3 Yamaha machinery to the KTM RC16. 

Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport Director

“Today was the start of a new phase for us in MotoGP and it was impressive and emotional to see four KTMs pulling out of the pitlane these days. We had a great end to 2018 and the work did not stop on Monday to get everything and everyone ready for Tuesday and today. It was another special moment to see the Tech 3 guys warming up those RC16s and making their first steps with us. It was a big effort to put it all together for these two days so thanks to everyone involved. On the track we went about our work. Pol carried over his confidence from Sunday while Johann came into the team and started to learn the bike and the guys around him. The same could be said for Tech 3. We’ll keep pushing now until next week and then come out strong when we can run on the track again next year.”

MotoGP Valencia KTM Johann Zarco
Johann Zarco

Mike Leitner, Red Bull KTM Team Manager

“It was quite an interesting test. We brought Johann into the team and we’d been looking forward to that for quite some time. The target of the test with him was to get him familiar with our bike and how it works and reacts. He tried many different things with the settings. He also has a new Crew Chief and some other team members so it was a good start. He crashed today but luckily nothing big and it showed him some limits and understanding. We’ll make some analysis this week and hope to make another step in Jerez. Pol gave some good feedback about the new parts we had for him and we have some exciting potential for a new direction. The job these days was firmly towards 2019 and overall we’re happy.”

MotoGP Valencia KTM Pol Espargaro
Pol Espargaro

Pol Espargaro, still elated after his run to a brilliant third position in the Valencia rain, notched 35 laps on Tuesday (before more untimely showers cut the afternoon short) and 47 on a dry Wednesday to focus mainly on electronics and other key points of the ’19 KTM RC16. The Spaniard showed top ten pace when pushing for a quick lap.

Pol Espargaro

“It has been a positive test: you can always take the positive parts of whatever you do. We tried many, many things, especially electronics. We had a nice test, even if we had a problem going for a really fast lap in the end. The team is happy. We still have much to do but we have Jerez in a few days. Last year we were quite good there with a test after the race. I have good memories. The bike has changed much since then and we still have some changes to make. It is good to have more fast riders on the bike like Johann, the test riders and the young guys at Tech 3. They just need time and experience.”

MotoGP Valencia KTM Pol Espargaro
Pol Espargaro

Across the garage Johann Zarco made his eagerly awaited Red Bull KTM debut and spent both days feeling his way around the motorcycle and altering the characteristics to suit his style. The former double Moto2 World Champion and 2017 Rookie of the Year clocked 86 laps in total. He suffered two small crashes on Wednesday but otherwise profited from his initial taste of the Austrian machinery.

MotoGP Valencia KTM Johann Zarco
Johann Zarco

Johann Zarco

“I wanted to improve my lap-time more today but we could not do it. I can really feel the potential of the bike but we still need to get the speed. It was a shame to have two crashes but I didn’t have any injuries and it helped to understand things about the bike and what I might have to change with my riding style. Step-by step. I’m building up this adventure. We are working on corner entry feeling and to find a direction but we improved and I felt I could play with the bike. I’m already thinking about what changes I need to make. Anyway, it was pretty nice to get on that bike and something so different that I’ve discovered in MotoGP until now. Even all the colours, the suit: it was exciting!”

MotoGP Valencia KTM Johann Zarco
Johann Zarco

Another significant sight in Valencia was the all-black KTM Team Tech 3 KTM’s of Hafizh Syahrin and Miguel Oliveira. The Malaysian is beginning his first full MotoGP pre-season while the Portuguese is one of four rookies in the premier class for 2019. Both were also busy with their acclimatisation.

MotoGP Valencia KTM Hazifh Syharin
Hafizh Syahrin

Hafizh Syahrin

“Overall, we had a decent test. I didn’t look at the lap time these two days, but tried to feel good on the bike, to get used to it and to understand the electronics. On the first day, we didn’t touch anything on the bike but this afternoon we changed some things on the front and the rear, which was positive. Later today, it was quite cold and we used the medium tyre. I had a small crash in turn 10, but I was in a good shape and had a good rhythm to understand the bike. We try to continue working hard. I hope we have some great weather in Jerez and aim to improve with every session.”

MotoGP Valencia KTM Hazifh Syharin
Hafizh Syahrin

Miguel Oliveira

“We did much more laps than yesterday and just continued to work on the bike. Toady we started to touch some areas after we had the same bike throughout the day on Tuesday. Now we were able to make some changes. Because everything is new, it took the team a bit of time to make these changes and also to adapt my comments from what I wish to have from the bike, so it’s a learning curve for everyone in this particular situation. So far, it has been positive.”

MotoGP Valencia KTM Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Oliveira

MotoGP will now move further south and to Jerez to continue testing on Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th November and the last track days before the winter period.

2019 MotoGP Test Day Two Times

  1. VIÑALES, Maverick Yamaha Factory Racing 1:30.757 50 / 57
  2. DOVIZIOSO, Andrea Ducati Team 1:30.890 0.133 0.133 39 / 57
  3. MARQUEZ, Marc Repsol Honda Team 1:30.911 0.154 0.021 39 / 53
  4. MILLER, Jack Alma Pramac Racing 1:30.939 0.182 0.028 63 / 66
  5. PETRUCCI, Danilo Ducati Team 1:30.959 0.202 0.020 57 / 60
  6. MORBIDELLI, Franco Petronas Yamaha SRT 1:30.974 0.217 0.015 44 / 58
  7. RINS, Alex Team Suzuki Ecstar 1:31.254 0.497 0.280 65 / 69
  8. NAKAGAMI, Takaaki LCR Honda Idemitsu 1:31.304 0.547 0.050 68 / 70
  9. ROSSI, Valentino Yamaha Factory 1:31.371 0.614 0.067 38 / 63
  10. ESPARGARO, Aleix Aprilia Racing Gresini 1:31.400 0.643 0.029 37 / 55
  11. BAGNAIA, Francesco Alma Pramac Racing 1:31.405 0.648 0.005 44 / 49
  12. LORENZO, Jorge Repsol Honda Team 1:31.584 0.827 0.179 40 / 46
  13. ESPARGARO, Pol Red Bull KTM Factory 1:31.628 0.871 0.044 45 / 47
  14. MIR, Joan Team Suzuki Ecstar 1:31.714 0.957 0.086 42 / 56
  15. RABAT, Tito Reale Avintia Racing 1:31.940 1.183 0.226 49 / 59
  16. QUARTARARO, Fabio Petronas Yamaha SRT 1:32.091 1.334 0.151 61 / 63
  17.  IANNONE, Andrea Aprilia Racing Gresini 1:32.124 1.367 0.033 31 / 32
  18. FOLGER, Jonas Yamaha Test Team 1:32.265 1.508 0.141 29 / 47
  19. PIRRO, Michele Ducati Team 1:32.376 1.619 0.111 10 / 14
  20. ZARCO, Johann Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:32.509 1.752 0.133 38 / 50
  21. ABRAHAM, Karel Reale Avintia Racing 1:32.906 2.149 0.397 35 / 52
  22. SYAHRIN, Hafizh KTM Tech 3 Racing 1:33.008 2.251 0.102 31 / 43
  23. SMITH, Bradley Aprilia Racing Test Team 1:33.028 2.271 0.020 49 / 58
  24. OLIVEIRA, Miguel KTM Tech 3 Racing 1:33.798 3.041 0.770 45 / 46

Source: MCNews.com.au

MotoGP riders & Team Managers on Valencia season finale

2018 MotoGP – Round 19 – Valencia

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Start
Rins got the early jump at Valencia

MotoGP Rider Quotes

MotoGP Valencia Andrea Dovizioso Podium
Andrea Dovizioso

Andrea Dovizioso – P1

“Today’s was truly a spectacular victory! I have finally managed to win at Valencia, which for me and for Ducati has always been rather a tough track. The first race was very difficult, because Rins started off really strong. I stayed clam however and reeled him in, but Rossi was also recovering and he was very quick so I had to manage the situation while the rain was increasing lap after lap. In the second race we managed to make all the difference because we were able to use a new tyre we hadn’t used in the morning warm-up as well as making a small change to the set-up. I’m really pleased with the way we worked together with the team and to have been able to give them this win, which really helps cheer everyone up. It was a great way to finish the season!”

MotoGP Valencia Andrea Dovizioso Vinales Espargaro
Andrea Dovizioso

Alex Rins – P2

“I’m very happy and we made had an incredible weekend. During the first part of the race I was leading for twelve or thirteen laps and I pulled a good gap, but when the rain came Dovizioso and Rossi caught me. For the second half of the race, after the stoppage, I had more or less the same strategy; I tried to get the best start possible, and I pushed a lot because I really wanted the podium and fifth place in the championship. It feels great to have another podium. I hope next year I’ll be at the front in almost all the races, we got a lot of experience this year and I think we’re ready for it.”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Podium Rins
Alex Rins

Pol Espargaro – P3

“It’s unreal. I felt good all weekend in wet and dry conditions. I was playing around all weekend with a few Yamahas and I was fast; I could do good lap-times. To always be in the top eight was building my confidence up. It was wild out there. The red flag was like a ‘message’ because the bike was still working after that big crash and I said to myself ‘man, this is your opportunity, take it’. I just pushed and Valentino was so fast, super-fast. I stayed in that position and was safe, then I fought with Dani but could finally finish in third position. After this year it is unbelievable for me, for my team, wife and all the crew around me. Finally we are super-happy with the results for KTM today. You don’t know how much effort and investment they are putting in the project and for them to finish the year in those positions was amazing.”

MotoGP Valencia Pol Espargaro Podium
Pol Espargaro

Michele Pirro – P4

“It was a difficult race because I crashed in the first part, damaging the bike a bit, but I was able to get back on and then the race was interrupted. After the restart, I managed to run at a good pace and I’m disappointed only because I missed out on a podium by just over a second. I’m very pleased however because after my crash at Mugello I once again did a good MotoGP race and Ducati won again at Valencia after many years, which is important for all of us.”

MotoGP Valencia Michele Pirro
Michele Pirro

Dani Pedrosa – P5

“For sure I had a particular feeling before today’s race, knowing that the moment of my final race had arrived. Well, actually it turned out that I had two! Unfortunately the weather was really tricky. In both races, I struggled so much with the rear and couldn’t really get on the gas. I was actually expecting to have a better feeling in the second race, as there was less water on the track. But we changed the tyres and I had no grip, so I could only try and finish the race with no crashes. It’s a bit of a shame, but when I got back to the pits, I found everybody waiting for me—the team, my family, my people—and there was a very emotional atmosphere. I was pleased to see their emotion. It meant a lot to me. Now I’ll have several events to attend, but after that I’ll try and have some time to myself and relax a bit before next year.”

MotoGP Valencia Dani Pedrosa
Dani Pedrosa

Takaaki Nakagami – P6

“It was really tough. I was scared on every lap, each corner, but it’s an amazing feeling. It’s a little bit strange, I never thought I’d finish as the top independent rider, but it’s an amazing day for me and a great race. There was a lot of pressure, but last night Cal (Crutchlow) texted me and told me to concentrate, make no mistakes and, because I had nothing to lose, push hard. That was great, so thanks to him, and also to my team, it’s an unforgettable day. It’s so good to finish the season like this and now we will look to next season, starting with the test here on Tuesday. But tonight we will definitely have a party!”

MotoGP Valencia Dani Pedrosa
Takaaki Nakagami chases Dani Pedrosa

Johann Zarco – P7

“It has been a tough Sunday. We had a lot of rain in the grid and I got a good feeling on the first start. The rain was so strong and the level of the water on track was pretty complicate to control. We saw many crashes happen. I could do my laps and have a good position. After the restart the others were faster than me and I could not follow them, but the target was to finish the race, be the first independent rider, which was our main goal at the beginning of the year and I’m so happy I managed to fulfil it. It’s pretty good for me and the team, plus our history with Yamaha, because we did the last two years on a very great level. I’m really proud and happy about that situation. It was possible to fight for the top 5 in the championship, but this weekend, Alex Rins has been very fast. He rode perfectly, so congratulations to him! He deserves this position. Finally, I want to say, thank you to everybody for the two amazing years I had together with Tech3. I’m happy about the move for next year, because we will still share very good moments, even if we are not in the same garage during the race weekend.”

Bradley Smith – P8

“Some things are just meant to be. I was pushing back to get to bike No.2 just to finish the race because there was only fifteen guys at that point. I did not want to ‘go out’ like that, with a crash and thinking ‘what could have been’: that’s not what I’m about. I was running inside the top ten and my ambition this weekend was to get six points so I might be able to beat Pol in the championship. I got eight but he did a fantastic job today. It was obviously great to see and great for the team and all the boys. I’m happy I go out on my ‘high’ this was my best result. I cannot ask for much more.”

Stefan Bradl – P9

“First of all I would like to say thank you to HRC and LCR for the support and help I have received after replacing Cal for these two races. I also wish Cal well and hope he can return next year even stronger on the bike. I enjoyed working with LCR again, there are still a lot of things I remember from the past. Today was an incredibly difficult race as you could see from the track condition, the amount of water there was incredible and there were many crashes. My confidence in the wet was not great because I don’t have any experience riding the MotoGP bike in the wet, so for this reason I needed some laps to feel good. It took a while, but in these conditions it’s easy to make mistakes and I’m happy I finished the race in ninth position. It’s ok and thanks to the team for all their efforts.”

Hafizh Syahrin – P10

“First of all, I just want to say thank you very much to my team. We didn’t expect, that we can arrive in the top 10 in wet conditions. There was a lot of drama, many riders crashed. We stopped the race and I was in P10. We believed that we can give a challenge to the other riders. For me, it was the first time, that I could do a full race in the wet, I learned many things. In the end, I’m just four points behind the best rookie, Franco Morbidelli. Congratulations to him! Anyway, I did my best. I want to thank all our sponsors, all my family and fans, that come to support me. I’m really happy to be here in MotoGP. Next week we start a new journey and I will keep on working hard. Thank you very much to everybody!”

MotoGP Valencia Lorenzo Syahrin Bradl
Hafizh Syahrin chases Jorge Lorenzo

Scott Redding – P11

“This was a rather dangerous race. At the start, I couldn’t see anything, there was so much water being kicked up by the other bikes. Only when I had some free track in front of me was I able to pick up the pace a bit. The bike was doing a lot of aquaplaning, like the others were, and the numerous crashes are a demonstration of that. I think it would have been right to stop the race earlier than it was. The conditions were truly risky. I think that my biggest limitation today was the rear tyre cooling down. I was constantly at the limit with grip, even trying to take it very easy on the throttle. After the second start, things were substantially the same for me and, considering the many riders who retired, at a certain point I was just thinking about taking home the best possible result.”

Jorge Lorenzo – P12

“So we’ve arrived at the end of my period in Ducati and I wasn’t able to do the race that I wanted. The conditions were really complicated and it was easy to make a mistake and crash so I preferred not to take too many risks, given the state of my wrist. I did the best I could on this track but I was unable to be competitive. I feel bad for the team because I wanted to say goodbye to them with a good result, but in any case I want to remember all the positive things in the last two years. Even though we know we weren’t able to obtain what we wanted to achieve when I joined Ducati, this year’s wins were really special and I will always have a special place for them in my heart. The rapport with the team has been magnificent: they have always helped me in difficult moments and we have established a friendship that goes beyond mere racing. The professional level of all the engineers and technicians is very high and together we were able to make the Desmosedici GP one of the most competitive bikes on the grid, something that makes me very proud. I also want to thank all the Ducatisti for the support they have given me since the very first day I came to the factory at Borgo Panigale. I will never forget these two years together and a part of my heart will always be a Ducatista.”

MotoGP Valencia Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo

Valentino Rossi – P13

“The feeling was very bad, because the conditions were tricky with four laps to go. We needed this result for my team and Yamaha, to finish the season in a nice way, but unfortunately I made a mistake. It’s a great shame. It was a very similar crash to the one in Malaysia. We don’t understand very well what happened. Maybe at the end we need to pay more attention. Still, it remained a good performance. Until that moment I enjoyed it, because I was strong, and I remained in third place in the championship, which is important.”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Dovizioso Rins Rossi
Valentino Rossi alongside Andrea Dovizioso and Alex Rins

Karel Abraham – P14

“The race was very hard, because in the first part I was riding on a wet track and I was doing well against several top riders. When it started to rain, it became more difficult. In the second half I started well and I felt comfortable, but when it started to rain again I focused on finishing the race and getting back among the points. In the end, we finished, we took two points and I’m happy. This is a sad moment because I’m leaving the team with which I have spent two years, after some great moments with them. I will see them again in the paddock but it won’t be the same. I’m very happy and I want to thank the Ángel Nieto Team for two great seasons. I hope that in the future our paths will cross again. The whole team are amazing and have done a great job. It feels bad to leave them, but the next chapter is waiting for us.”

Jordi Torres – P15

“Today was a good day. Yesterday I rode six or seven laps in dry conditions and I had no force left in my hand whatsoever. We were aware that dry conditions would be difficult for us, but in the wet I knew I would be able to finish the race. I had a good start, but on the first laps there was zero visibility because of the spray from the other bikes. Visibility improved with every lap and I tried to follow the group in front of me, but as everybody could see, it was quite easy to crash in today’s conditions. Then they decided to stop the race. In the second heat I tried to ride as smoothly as possible, because the target was to finish the race and to secure our first point, which we did. I want to say a big thank you to my team because they did a fantastic job to adapt the handlebar to my hand and to Dr. Mir, because he did a master job with my hand and only one week after the surgery I was able to race”.


Non Finishers

Marc Marquez – DNF

“Today I had a big high-side, but the shoulder was okay, just a bit painful from yesterday. Unfortunately, it was a mistake that I chose the medium rear tyre on the grid, as that turned out not to be the best option. I said sorry to the team, as it was my decision; I had felt really good on it in FP3, but when it began to rain heavily after the start, everything became very difficult and got worse and worse, as it was difficult to keep the temperature in the tyre. Anyway, now it’s time to enjoy these final moments having achieved the Triple Crown, which is something really special. The season has been very good, one of my best, without too many mistakes; today’s was probably my worst one. I’m really proud of my 2018 season, but a new one begins on Tuesday.”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Dovizioso Marquez Espargaro
Marc Marquez chasing Andrea Dovizioso early on

Andrea Iannone – DNF

“I wanted to end the season in a good way, but it couldn’t be done. I was recovering positions and I was at the front of my group, but the conditions were really hard and I lost the rear of my bike. In any case, racing can be like this sometimes. I didn’t want to give up and I wanted to push hard, and perhaps this was the reason. This year has not been very easy but we’ve had a lot of really positive moments and it’s been a pleasure for me to work with these incredible people and this great factory. On Monday I’ll start a new chapter and a new adventure. Good luck to Alex, Joan Mir, and Suzuki for the future.”

Aleix Espargaro – DNF

“I am angry because today we had a great opportunity. We showed that we were strong and competitive throughout the weekend, even in the warm up session. With good sensations, a good pace, consistent and fast in the wet. With that rain, I tried to be careful in the early laps and maintain my position, anticipating a race that was sure to be very long. I had a high side on turn three, which is a bad place to crash, but the track conditions were really at the limit and visibility was practically zero. I think that the red flag should come out before the riders start crashing and that it should be used to prevent the accidents.”

Maverick Vinales – DNF

“After the crash, I feel OK. I have no big injuries, only some pain in my shoulder. Anyway, it’s been difficult, because I had a technical problem that didn‘t allow me to be faster at the start of the race. But then I concentrated so well, and I tried to ride very fast. I risked a lot, because for the championship I just needed to be in front of Valentino and he was riding really fast. It was a pity I had this issue, because without it, I would have been at the front fighting with Álex and Dovi. Anyway, we have to be happy that this is the third wet race where we are challenging at the front. I came back very strong from towards the back. Honestly, I’m happy the last five races have been so good. I was consistent and I felt very confident. We understand the bike and found out in which direction we needed to go, and we regained our confidence, so that’s something to take away from 2018. It’s important to understand what happened at the beginning of the season, so we can be smart and don’t make the same mistakes. Now it’s important to try the engines during the upcoming test, but I’m very happy with Yamaha. We are excited to start and I’m very motivated!”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Franco Morbidelli – DNF

“This was good race for me. It was exciting and I was having fun because I started from 15th position was in fifth when I went out. When the heavy rain came and conditions started to get dangerous I didn’t slow down as I should have so I ended in the gravel and didn’t get the bike back to the box in time for the re-start. I was fast in the wet conditions and this makes me very happy.”

Tom Luthi – DNF

“The final race of the season ended little early but there were some positives because I could fight with and overtake some other riders. The crash was a sad moment but I had aquaplaning with the rear wheel and high-sided. The conditions were quite tricky and I was not the only one to crash like this. I didn’t score any points but I was determined to get the best out of this race so it was important to take a chance and feel the limit.”

Álvaro Bautista – DNF

“It was a shame to end the season like that, but that’s racing. In the end, these things happen in the wet. In the first race it started to rain too much and they did well to stop. In the second part I felt better, with more confidence, but at Turn 12 the rear stepped out and I was thrown off the bike. It has been a good year and we have to be happy with what we have achieved. I’ve loved the people in the World Championship during my time here, and I’ve received a lot of affection from the fans. I hope they continue to love me as much -or more- next year when I’m in Superbikes.”

NB: Yet to receive quotes from Miller and Petrucci


Team Managers

Herve Poncharal – Tech3 Team Manager

“Finally the 2018 season is over. It was almost a season that never wanted to stop, because we thought we would have our last start in Valencia and then we had another start. So, as I was telling some of our guests, don’t complain, you have two starts for the price of one. Anyway, it’s been in a way a difficult weekend, because the weather was not what you expect for the big finale, not what you expect in sunny Valencia, but at the end of the day, it made it very exciting, very unpredictable, of course with a lot of crashes, when you have so little grip. But overall, I think it made the races maybe even more interesting and exciting than what it would have been in the dry, because you saw some strange results and a different podium. I want to say, that I am very happy and very proud that for the second year in a row Johann Zarco managed to clinch the best independent rider, sixth in the championship. I think this is quite an achievement. Today he was again the first Yamaha. I know we were not the fastest, but it was important to stay on your wheels today and finish the race and this is what Johann did. Two years ago we started the adventure with Johann Zarco and Jonas Folger and after two years with Johann we are twice best independent rider and last year’s rookie. I think we did a good job together and I’m proud of what we have done. I just want to thank Johann a lot for his two seasons with us. He has been a very professional rider, he has been fast, he has been clever and I wish him good luck for his new challenge. On the other side, Hafizh Syahrin had a tough weekend, because he almost never rode the MotoGP bike with the Michelin tyres in the wet, so it was a good weekend to learn and I think he learned a lot. His nickname is ‘Pescao’, which normally means fish and usually a fish is happy when you have a lot of water. But clearly, although tenth position is maybe not what he was dreaming of, but I think he had a solid weekend and from FP1 on Friday to today the improvement of his riding style, of the gap to the top has been unbelievable. Clearly, this guy has a very special feeling on the wet and the feeling he was having in the Moto2 is coming in the MotoGP. I’m also very glad, that he could witness how good his future bike is on the wet condition, because this is a big challenge for all of us. Hafizh is part of this challenge and from Tuesday morning we will start a new chapter of our life as a team. Before ending my quote, I would like one more time to thank Yamaha a lot from the bottom of our hearts from the whole team, our two riders: big, big thank you to everybody, Yamaha management, engineers, because all what we’ve done during these last two seasons with Johann and this year with Hafizh has been possible because of the great support we had from Yamaha. So, this is the end, again thank you very much.”

Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager

“It was a great win in a really tough race: conditions today, especially in the first part, were so difficult and Dovizioso was on top form and he managed to administer a very complicated situation in an intelligent way. Making a mistake in these conditions is always easy but Andrea was simply perfect. Pity about Jorge, who unfortunately struggled in his last race with us, while I’m so pleased with the fourth place by Michele Pirro, who after a crash in the first part made an extraordinary recovery to finish the race just off the podium.”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Dovizioso Rossi
Andrea Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi

Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“It’s disappointing to end both the race weekend and the season in this manner, especially considering how well Valentino and Maverick were riding in the first race. After this morning’s Warm Up, we knew that Vale had a good chance to be competitive at the front, even though he had to start from 16th on the grid. To me his riding was super impressive – he was fighting for the lead! But then the red flags came out, so that meant he had to start from third. He was again strong in the restart, so it’s a great shame that he didn’t get the result today that matched his pace and also his efforts. Maverick was very unlucky in the first race. He managed to ride around the problems a technical issue was giving him and was competing in fourth place. Had just set a new personal best lap when he crashed at very high speed. Of course, the first priority is that he’s OK, and we’re glad that he didn’t sustain any major injuries. However, it was a pity that he crashed during lap 12 and the restarting grid was based on the results as of the start of lap 13. Clearly this is not the way we wanted to finish the season, but our riders really pushed hard in very difficult conditions today, so we couldn’t have asked for more. It was a difficult season overall, but towards the end we made progress, which is the direction we will continue to work in starting from the first official testing days, held this Tuesday and Wednesday.”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Start Rossi Miller
Valentino Rossi

Mike Leitner – KTM Team Manager

“For the whole KTM group and Red Bull this was a fantastic day. We knew a result like this would be possible because we were ‘there’ in dry and wet conditions, especially with Pol but Bradley was there as well. To finish the season with a podium and eighth position for Bradley is very nice. It is great that he leaves in that way and we wish him all the best with his future. I don’t think we expected this podium but it was super-crazy and for Pol to recover from a crash, come in and focus again and perform again to make the podium is a wonderful story that I don’t think anybody would have believed this morning!”

MotoGP Valencia Pol Espargaro Podium
Pol Espargaro

Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsports Director

“I said all year that we are better than we could prove on paper because we had injured riders and we were not so lucky. We fell into a big hole in Sachsenring at a time when we were first in warm-up with a new bike and we thought ‘now we’ll make progress’ but Pol injured himself at the next race. Everything went wrong. There was a critical moment two months ago when we looked at the new bike and elements like the chassis and, together with strong people at the factory, we decided to stick to the plan because we were sure we were on the right way. It was important not to lose the direction and today was the first big payback. We had Pol completely free of pain and with a good feeling. In this sport you need super-fit riders to compete on this level. This is a big payback for the whole company. I think every single department in KTM was somehow integrated to make this project work and the whole race team and everybody else put in so many hours. Third place is perhaps more than we expected today but this is the best way to give something back to racing people: a result. It means so much and it is difficult to find the right words how I feel.”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Pol Espargaro Marquez Vinales
Pol Espargaro leads Marc Marquez and Maverick Vinales

Ken Kawauchi – Suzuki Technical Manager

“From Motegi to here we’ve managed to take four consecutive podiums and three consecutive second places – this is incredible and I’m very happy. Today was Andrea’s last race with us and unfortunately he crashed despite performing well. I want to thank him very much for these two years together, I’ll never forget working with him. Alex has matured so much this season and achieved a lot, so we’re really looking forward to next year, we feel a win is coming!”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Podium Rins
Alex Rins

Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager

“We’ve achieved another podium, which is a great way to finish this season! We got nine in total, which is a record for Suzuki in the MotoGP era. Four of these nine podiums came from Andrea and today was a real pity for him, because he showed good speed and I feel we could’ve had both riders at the front. I’m really sorry for Andrea that his race ended in this way, and I want to say thank you to him for these past two years together. He gave an important contribution to our development thanks to the internal competition that Alex and him created, I want to wish him all the best for his carreer. Alex’s attitude in these very tricky conditions was impressive, he was able to push and control everything well. In both parts of the race he was very strong and I’m really pleased with his performance. We hope to keep hold of this happy feeling throughout the winter.”

MotoGP Valencia Michelin Start Rins
Alex Rins streaked away from the field at the first running of the race
spain

2018 Valencia MotoGP Results

Circuit Ricardo Tormo, 27 laps, 108.1 km (1 lap: 4.005 km)
Pos Rider Team Time
1. Dovizioso A. Ducati Team Win
2. Rins A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +2.750
3. Espargaro P. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +7.406
6. Nakagami T. LCR Honda +32.288
7. Zarco J. Monster Tech 3 +32.806
8. Smith B. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +33.111
9. Bradl S. LCR Honda +36.376
10. Syahrin H. Monster Tech 3 +37.198
11. Redding S. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +44.326
12. Lorenzo J. Ducati Team +46.146
13. Rossi V. Movistar Yamaha +52.809
14. Abraham K. Angel Nieto Team +1:10.628
15. Torres J. Reale Avintia Racing +1:16.739
DNF Bautista A. Angel Nieto Team Accident
DNF Vinales M. Movistar Yamaha Accident
DNF Morbidelli F. Marc VDS Racing Team Accident
DNF Iannone A. Team Suzuki Ecstar Accident
DNF Marquez M. Repsol Honda Accident
DNF Petrucci D. Alma Pramac Racing Accident
DNF Luthi T. Marc VDS Racing Team Accident
DNF Espargaro A. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Accident
MotoGP Valencia Michelin Podium Dovizioso Rins Espargaro
MotoGP Race Results
1 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI 24’03.408
2 – Alex Rins (SPA) SUZUKI +2.750
3 – Pol Espargaro (SPA) KTM +7.406
2018 MotoGP CHampionship Standings
Pos. Rider Bike Nation Points
1 Marc MARQUEZ Honda SPA 321
2 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati ITA 245
3 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 198
4 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA 193
5 Alex RINS Suzuki SPA 169
6 Johann ZARCO Yamaha FRA 158
7 Cal CRUTCHLOW Honda GBR 148
8 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati ITA 144
9 Jorge LORENZO Ducati SPA 134
10 Andrea IANNONE Suzuki ITA 133
11 Dani PEDROSA Honda SPA 117
12 Alvaro BAUTISTA Ducati SPA 105
13 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 91
14 Pol ESPARGARO KTM SPA 51
15 Franco MORBIDELLI Honda ITA 50
16 Hafizh SYAHRIN Yamaha MAL 46
17 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA 44
18 Bradley SMITH KTM GBR 38
19 Tito RABAT Ducati SPA 35
20 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN 33
21 Scott REDDING Aprilia GBR 20
22 Michele PIRRO Ducati ITA 14
23 Karel ABRAHAM Ducati CZE 12
24 Stefan BRADL Honda GER 10
25 Mika KALLIO KTM FIN 6
26 Katsuyuki NAKASUGA Yamaha JPN 2
27 Xavier SIMEON Ducati BEL 1
28 Jordi TORRES Ducati SPA 1
FIM Award Ceremony Marquez
Now seven-time World Champion Marc Marquez
MotoGP Team Standings
Pos Team Points
1. Repsol Honda Team 438
2. Ducati Team 392
3. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 391
4. Suzuki MotoGP 302
5. Alma Pramac Racing 235
6. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 204
7. LCR Honda 191
8. Angel Nieto Team 104
9. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 89
10. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 64
11. Estrella Galicia 0,0 50
12. Reale Avintia Racing 37
MotoGP Valencia Repsol Honda Triple Crown
Repsol Honda
Constructors Championship Standings
Pos. Team Points
1 Honda 375
2 Ducati 335
3 Yamaha 281
4 Suzuki 233
5 Ktm 72
6 Aprilia 59

Source: MCNews.com.au