2018 Aragon MotoGP Saturday News
Photos by Gold & Goose
Vinales and Morbidelli Penalized
Dawdling on the racing line is such a problem in Moto3 that there is a special sliding scale of punishment for offenders, ending up with suspension for serial offenders. But it’s seldom seen in MotoGP.
Until today – with penalties for two offenders who got in the way in Q1.
The victim was Bradley Smith, galloping along on the Red Bull KTM and having set second-fastest time in the first three of four sections. This would have been good enough to put him through to Q2 with the big boys for the first time this year.
Instead, he ran into slowcoaching factory Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales and independent Honda rookie Franco Morbidelli in the last corner, spoiling his run.
Both were punished, with Vinales (who did get through to Q2) docked three places from 11th to 14th, and Morbidelli (who did not) dropped six places as a repeat offender, going from 13th to 19th.
Pol Injured Again
Pol Espargaro’s racing return after complicated injuries at Brno came to an abrupt end at Aragon, when the Red Bull KTM riders crashed on Saturday morning and re-broke his left collarbone.
The younger of two racing Spanish brothers had come back to the San Marino GP at Misano two weeks ago after missing the Czech, Austrian and British GPs, but had been unable to finish the race.
Espargaro crashed heavily in morning warm-up at Brno, breaking his collarbone. But this was the least of his problems. Fears of paralysis due to spinal bruising and severe inflammation fortunately proved groundless, but recovery was slow and brutally painful.
The 27-year-old former Moto2 champion elected not to have the collarbone fracture plated, and an otherwise relatively innocuous front-end washout saw him land on his left shoulder, and re-open the fracture.
This left Bradley Smith as the sole KTM rider once again; while Espargaro went directly back to Barcelona, this time to have a plate fitted.
Beirer Comments on KTM Setback
KTM race boss Pit Beirer described the cost to the project of Espargaro’s crash as “terrible.
“We have so many things on our agenda, and we have been waiting six weeks for him to return.” Since Pol would be riding the bike next year, his opinion on developments was crucial; while with Kallio still injured and Smith departing to test for Aprilia, he was also the only resort.
With “a whole bunch of things to decide,” KTM had been waiting for this race and a test next week before finalising next year’s bike. “Now it looks like we will have to do it blind,” said Beirer.
Pedrosa Gives Non-Denial Denial on KTM Rumors
While Mika Kallio was confirmed to stay in his role as KTM factory tester next year, Dani Pedrosa brushed off growing rumours that he is to join the Finn to boost the development effort.
In much the same way as he shrugged aside reports of his imminent retirement earlier this season, he left the question dangling.
“There is no news”, he curtly replied, when asked directly if the rumours were true.
The career-long Honda rider’s name had been linked with the Austrian factory since before he announced his retirement at the German GP before the summer break, ever since it had been confirmed before round seven in Catalunya that he had lost his factory Honda rider to Jorge Lorenzo for next year.
While many believe his lengthy involvement with Honda, dating back to his 125cc debut in 2001, would suggest an obvious ambassadorial role, this it not Honda’s usual practice. At the same time, his depth of knowledge of Honda as well as his great experience would be worth a great deal to the Red Bull backed KTM team.
Long-term KTM tester Kallio has been out of action with serious knee injuries sustained in practice for the German GP before the summer break. His continued testing contract was confirmed in the break after the Misano GP.
Triumph Moto2 Engines Seen at Aragon
Triumph Moto2 engines were on the grid at Aragon, six months before the 765cc triples will make their official racing debut at the opening race of 2019. This time they were going nowhere, sitting in delivery crates without a chassis in sight.
This was the official hand-over marking the end of development of the production-based engines, that will take over after nine years of Honda CBR600 power for the Cinderella class.
The engines have been developed for almost two years, according to a Dorna statement, by teams from Triumph, Dorna, Magneti Marelli and the Aragon Motorland-based ExternPro, a specially formed company that has been responsible for the Honda engines supplied to all riders in the class.
Development has included tests by several past and a handful of current riders, with immediate reports of improved lap times compared with the smaller Honda engine.
At Silverstone, Dorna pit-lane reporter and former 500cc GP winner Simon Crafar tested a Triumph-powered Moto2 bike, and gave it a rave review. The larger capacity and fewer cylinders mean much better torque than the Honda, and a wider power spread.
Another improvement for the revised class is more sophisticated electronics, giving riders a better chance to gain experience in this area before moving up to MotoGP.
GP Racing before 16?
An unexpected clarification of a rule change decided at Assen before the summer break opens the door for runaway Red Bull Rookies winner Can Oncu to make an early grand prix entry before the end of this season, probably as a Red Bull KTM-team wild card.
At 15, the young Turk is below minimum age; but the rule change decided at the Grand Prix Commission was that the winner of the Red Bull series, which runs at selected GP events, would be entitled to an FIM GP licence, even if not yet 16. This is the same privilege already enjoyed by winners of the CEV “Junior World Championship”, which allowed Fabio Quartararo to make an under-age GP debut in 2015.
Oncu took five wins in this year’s series and was on the podium at every race, before securing the title at Misano a fortnight ago.
Replacement Riders Will Need Approval
In a footnote to yesterday’s news on the disquiet surrounding the MotoGP novices riding in place of injured Tito Rabat in the Reale Avintia Ducati team, the Grand Prix Commission has responded to riders’ complaints in the Safety Commission.
In all classes at present, contracted riders in all classes are subject to approval by the Selection Committee.
Friday’s commission meeting agreed to modify regulations so that substitute or replacement riders will also need to be approved in the same way.
Corser Comeback
Former double World Superbike champion, AMA Superbike champion and 500cc GP rider Troy Corser is planning a racing return, in next year’s all-electric MotoE championship.
With former GP rider Randy de Puniet already marked down for the series, the addition of Corser’s name adds further depth to the new eco-series, which will run at five European GPs next year.
Corser, a regular star and memorial race winner at the Goodwood revival meeting, told Dorna: “I’ve been talking to teams, and IRTA and Dorna about next year.”
Trend to Carbon-Fibre Swingarms
Aprilia has followed the trend to carbon-fibre swing-arms, pioneered some years ago by Ducati, but copied this year by Honda and now also the Italian manufacturer.
He also admitted that at post-Misano tests rider Aleix Espargaro had tried last year’s bike, and had preferred it to the extent that he’d asked to use it for the rest of this season. This request had been denied.
Aside from Ducati, only the factory Hondas have been using carbon-fibre swing-arms, and until the summer break only in qualifying and in the race, due to limited supply.
Cal Crutchlow, contracted to HRC but in the independent LCR team, has been agitating to get one for several races, without success.
Corner Named for Marquez
Marc Marquez is the latest Spaniard to be honoured with a corner bearing his name, after Aragon’s Turn Ten was re-christened in his honour before the race weekend.
The corner is a left-hander, echoing his well-known preference.
Experienced race-watchers were waiting to see if he could avoid the jinx that sometimes attends these honours. In 2013, Lorenzo celebrated the final hairpin at Jerez being given his name. Then in the race he was punted off and almost out of the race by Marquez, when they were battling for second on the final lap.
Biaggi Back to the MotoGP Paddock?
Former 250 and World Superbike champion Max Biaggi’s name headed the rumour mill in the smaller classes, with the multiple 500/MotoGP race winner tagged to take over as figurehead-manager of the Sudmetal Schedl team, where former 125 racer Peter Oettl currently fields his son Philipp.
With Oettl Junior headed for Moto2 next year in the Tech 3 squad, current Honda rider and race winner Aron Canet is tipped to join the squad, under Biaggi’s patronage.
Another rumour has current Bester Capital KTM rider Marcos Ramirez switch to Honda, to take over Enea Bastianini’s seat at the Leopard team. Bastianini is also moving up to Moto2.
Meanwhile, ructions in the Gresini team are threatening to leave Brno Moto3 winner Fabio Di Giannantonio out in the cold. The Italian has a contract to stay with the squad in the smallest class next year, but is anxious to move up to Moto2. With Sam Lowes joining that team next year, there is no place for him there.
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