Michael Scott | November 3, 2018
2018 Malaysian MotoGP Saturday News
Photos by Gold & Goose
Lorenzo Out, Pirro In at Ducati
Jorge Lorenzo pulled out of the Malaysian GP, the fourth race in a row in which the soon-to-be-ex-Ducati rider will have missed.
The former triple MotoGP champion had tried to ride, after having keyhole surgery to repair ligament damage to his left wrist. But after placing last in yesterday’s free practice and waking to increased pain, he decided to pull out.
Lorenzo’s second season with Ducati had brought three wins, but a purple patch of four pole positions in a row came to an abrupt end in the last European round at Aragon, when he sustained foot injuries in a first-corner crash.
At the next round in Thailand, a mechanical failure triggered a brutal high-side on Friday afternoon, causing left wrist injuries at first diagnosed only as a hairline fracture.
He withdrew after just two laps at the Japanese GP a fortnight later, where a more serious fracture was found; and flew home to Spain where they ligament repair was performed, missing the Australian GP altogether.
He returned to Malaysia, for at attempt at the third of three consecutive flyaway races, but elected to withdraw in the hope of being stronger for his last Ducati outing in Valencia, and (even more importantly) his first test on the Repsol Honda he will ride next year in the following week.
Ducati factory test rider Michele Pirro was on hand to take over in Malaysia. Last weekend independent-team Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista stood in, claiming an impressive fourth place. Pirro was engaged in testing next year’s Ducati at the time.
Sudden Downpour Catches Out Several Riders
A sudden monsoon attack disrupted the Malaysian GP by more than just delaying qualifying by an hour and 20 minutes. Race Direction responded to the chance of the same thing happening on Sunday by instantly rescheduling the entire race programme two hours earlier.
It also triggered potential controversy after several riders crashed when a downpour struck without warning towards the end of MotoGP’s FP4 session. The rain had taken marshals by surprise, and no warning flags were shown.
This revived memories of disastrous events in 2011, when the same thing happened in Moto2 free practice. Marc Marquez, leading the World Championship, crashed and suffered injuries that ended his season and opened the championship to Stefan Bradl, and threatened his whole career. He was left with double vision that was only cured some months later with eye surgery. The Sepang circuit was sanctioned and fined as a result.
The same lack of signals was cited by Avintia Ducati replacement rider Jordi Torres, who suffered a broken finger when he fell at high speed, eliminating him from this race. “It was completely dry, then suddenly it was heavy rain, with no flags.”
The rider, replacing the injured Tito Rabat (ironically also hurt by unexpected rain) was expecting to fly home to Spain for surgery on Tuesday.
Maverick Vinales and Karel Abraham also crashed; Valentino Rossi narrowly escaped.
The ensuing Q1 session started on schedule, but by then the rain was heavier and standing water was flooding the track, and it was promptly red-flagged.
Rabat’s Possible Return
Tito Rabat, who suffered serious leg injuries after aquaplaning on standing water in practice at Silverstone in August, is hoping to return to action for the final GP of the year at Valencia in two weeks.
This was confirmed by a spokesman for the Reale Avintia Ducati team. But he was far from sure the ride would go ahead.
“Tito intends to try on Friday at Valencia, but it is up to the doctors, so we will see,” he said.
Aprilia Updates a Hit
Aleix Espargaro has greeted the changes to his Aprilia with enthusiasm, renewing hopes for a significant improvement for the Italian effort next year.
The season so far has been a struggle for the Spaniard, although a supreme effort brought him a best of sixth at Aragon, in only his third top ten of the season.
Then Aprilia brought him what he has dubbed “a lab bike” to Australia, combining elements of last year’s bike with ideas for next year. He rode it to ninth at Phillip Island, in spite of a painful incident when debris from the Marquez-Zarco incident struck his hand, and shifted the plating from a previously repaired injury.
“The improvement is in rear grip, and the acceleration is much better; and the bike is more stable,” he said. Then he got through Q1 into Q2 for fourth time this year.
Crutchlow Heading Home
Cal Crutchlow is set to fly home to continue his recovery on Sunday night or Monday morning, after successful screwing and plating surgery to repair his broken right ankle in Australia during the week.
New Sunday Schedule
Due to weather concerns after the downpour before qualifying for the premier class, Sunday’s race times have been brought forward. All are LOCAL TIME (GMT +8):
Moto3™ race 10:00 – Moto2™ race 11:20 – MotoGP™ race – 13:00
Penalty Costs Marc Marquez Pole
Marc Marquez qualified on pole for the Malaysian GP. But after a stewards penalty, he has been dropped to the third row of the grid.
The Repsol Honda rider was judged to have baulked Andrea Iannone during Q2, riding slowly on the racing line.
Marquez explained he had seen another Suzuki (Rins’s) behind him and stayed tight for that corner; but was unaware that Andrea Iannone was also there and about to pass him on the inside.
Iannone gestured angrily, and the FIM stewards backed him up, dropping Marquez from first on the grid to seventh.
“It doesn’t matter. The important thing is I was fastest,” Marquez had said.
This promoted Johann Zarco to pole position, with Rossi now second and Iannone up on the front row.
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