Michael Scott | October 20, 2018
2018 Motegi MotoGP Saturday News
Photos by Gold & Goose
Marquez Close to Clinching 2018 Title
All Marc Marquez needs to do to secure his fifth MotoGP World Championship – reinforcing his run of “youngest-ever” statistics in the process – is to lose no more than two points to Ducati rival Andrea Dovizioso.
If so (if for example Dovi is fourth and he is fifth), his current 77-point advantage will drop to 75, equalling the number of points still available over the last three races. But he has seven wins so far to Dovi’s three, so even if the Italian was to win the next three races, Marc would still be champion.
If Dovizioso was to win on Sunday, however, and Marquez fail to score; the Ducati rider would still need to finish ahead of him next weekend in Australia as well, and win at least twice more this year, to overturn the situation.
The pressure on Marquez to succeed at Honda’s home track, as he did in 2014 and 2016, is reinforced by the presence of not only HRC senior management, but also Takehiro Hachigo, the president of the entire Honda Motor Co.
Qualifying on the second row was not the best omen, but in FP4 – when riders generally test race set-up, tyres and endurance – he was significantly fastest, and almost half-a-second better than fourth-placed Dovizioso.
He explained his subsequent qualifying showing.
“In FP4 I crashed on the bike that I was feeling very strong and constant with, while my second bike had quite a different setup that I didn’t like as much. We had no time to change it, so I started qualifying expecting to struggle a bit, although still with the aim of earning a start position on the front two rows.”
He continued: “We know that our race pace is good for tomorrow, and we’re happy with that.”
Marquez deposed Freddie Spencer as the youngest-ever champion when he took the MotoGP crown at his first attempt in 2013. This year, he stands to become the youngest to achieve five premier-class titles. He already has the Moto2 and 125cc crowns.
Footnote: All riders of Japanese bikes will be feeling the pressure tomorrow, with their company presidents looking on. Yamaha Motor Co president Yoshihiro Hidaka and Suzuki president Toshihiro Suzuki will also be in the crowd.
Simeon to MotoE
The line-up for next year’s MotoE championship continued to take shape, with the announcement that current MotoGP rider Xavier Simeon will be leading the Avintia team’s effort in the five-round all-electric series next year.
A former Moto2 race winner, 29-year-old Simeon joined the Spanish squad in MotoGP this year, but has had a disappointing season, yet to score any points; and it was previously confirmed that his two-year contract was in peril, and that Karel Abraham would take over his seat alongside Tito Rabat next year.
Today’s announcement is something of a stay of execution for the Belgian. Being part of the completely new championship “will be an important step in my racing career,” he said.
“I can’t wait to go testing and see what we can achieve, because even though the bikes are different, the level of competition will be as high as the other classes.”
He will be joined in the Avintia team by erstwhile Moto2 rider Eric Granado from Brazil.
Other riders already confirmed for the series include former 125cc World Champion Nico Terol and GP veteran Randy de Puniet. Former double World Superbike champion Troy Corser is another candidate, with current KTM rider Bradley Smith hoping that his testing and wild card duties at Aprilia will also allow him to take part.
MotoE will be classified as a World Cup rather than a World Championship; and will comprise five rounds supporting GP races, at Jerez, Le Mans, Sachsenring, Red Bull Ring and Misano. Riders will compete on identical race-modified Energica Ego electric bikes. The 18-strong grid will be made up of six two-rider teams, and sic more single-rider entries.
Folger on Comeback Trail
Future Yamaha test rider Jonas Folger will be back on a MotoGP bike at official tests in the days after the Valencia GP in mid-November, as he commences duties for the currently winless manufacturer.
This was confirmed to Dorna by Movistar Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli.
Folger was forced to withdraw unexpectedly from the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha satellite team during the winter break, with troubling health issues. He was diagnosed with Gilbert’s syndrome, a rare and debilitating disorder. He was replaced by Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin, but during this season he was confirmed as rider for Yamaha’s planned new Europe-based MotoGP testing squad.
The 2019 season officially starts directly after the last round in Valencia, with group tests at the same circuit.
Former 125, Moto3 and Moto2 race winner Folger made his MotoGP debut with the Tech 3 team last year, and shone with a strong challenge to Marquez at the German GP, where he finished second. But in the latter part of the season, his results suffered as his health took a turn for the worse.
Nagashima Set for SAG Moto2
Japanese Moto2 rider Tetsuta Nagashima will join Australian Remy Gardner in the SAG (Stop And Go) Moto2 team next year, with the long-awaited confirmation of the Spanish team’s line-up.
As previously reported, Gardner – son of 1987 500cc World Champion Wayne – was recruited soon after the summer break, but promised official confirmation had to wait until his new team-mate was confirmed, in the days before the Japanese GP.
Nagashima is in his third full Moto2 season, with a best finish of eighth (his second top ten) at the Thai GP two weeks ago.
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