OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW
I’m glad to be the bearer of great news. The 2019 MotoGP season is already here. Sure, the one-day winter break wasn’t as long as some might have hoped yet 2019 has all the ingredients of being an absolute classic. But first...
Out!
At Valencia the top class bid goodbye to a number of familiar faces who won’t be back in 2019. Top of that list was newly inducted MotoGP Hall of Famer Dani Pedrosa. A three-times World Champ in both the 125cc and 250cc classes, Pedrosa also now carries the unfortunate tag of ‘the greatest rider never to have won a premier class title’. Say what you want about the diminutive Spaniard, but his record speaks for itself. Eighteen seasons, 54 wins – 31 of those coming in the premier class and the three World Titles coming in ’03, ’04 and ’05. Too often the bridesmaid and never the bride, class-act Pedrosa will be sadly missed.
Also waving farewell are Brits Bradley Smith and Scott Redding – Smith has at times been greatly under-appreciated and also a victim of the MotoGP game of musical chairs which left him without a ride for 2019. Keen to stay in the MotoGP paddock two new roles beckon for Smith; he will undoubtedly start the season as one of the big favourites for the inaugural, electric MotoE season, where he will line up for the One Energy Racing (Sepang) team. A true professor when it comes to the technical side of the sport, KTM’s loss will almost certainly be Aprilia’s gain with Smith joining the Noale factory as test rider, which has secured him several wild card entries around the five-round MotoE season.
As for Scott Redding, MotoGP’s loss will be BSB’s gain. Scott is one of the most popular guys with everyone in the Paddock and also, thanks to his completely bonkers social media exploits, one of the most popular riders with fans around the world. Did Redding sign off on a sour note at Valencia? Nah, he did what Scott Redding does – throw your leathers into the crowd in the pouring rain so that you can do a stand-up wheelie in your pants. Sadly, the Aprilia wouldn’t start (are we surprised?) so we can only imagine what that particular image might have looked like.
In!
With a line drawn under the 2018 season, the class of 2019 assembled a mere 48 hours later for work. There’s every indication that 2019 could be the best yet of the modern era. One thing I’m personally excited about is the truly exceptional crop of Rookies stepping up to the top flight – Moto2 Champ Bagnaia, Moto2 Runner up Oliveira, 2017 Moto3 Champion Joan Mir and 19-year-old French prodigy Fabio Quartararo.
Bagnaia immediately looked at home on his new Pramac Racing Ducati GP18, lapping comfortably within a second of the quickest times at the Valencia Test. If you didn’t know better, you could be forgiven for thinking he’s been a GP rider for years. Also taking to the big bike like a duck to water was Mir on the factory Suzuki, who was dragging his elbow by the end of day one. The battle between these two for the Rookie of the Year crown should be a cracker. Oliveira probably has the toughest job on the new Red Bull KTM Tech3. It’s an exciting project but very much in the embryonic stages. We shouldn’t expect too much from Oliveira in his rookie season. One of the biggest smiles at the test was that of Quartararo’s teammate Franco Morbidelli. In Yamaha’s quest to make up ground lost to Ducati and Honda they’re arming the new Petronas SIC Team with the same factory spec machines as Rossi and Vinales. Morbidelli won’t get his hands on the ’19 machine until the Sepang test in February. Even so, Morbidelli could barely contain himself after his first outing on the M1: “When you jump on it, it’s already like riding on butter, it’s quite a nice feeling.” This was backed up by Morbidelli setting the sixth quickest lap, a mere 0.2 seconds from the top.
So, fear not. The winter won’t be bleak. There’s going to be loads to keep us interested; can Honda make a soft front tyre work? Can Ducati get through corners better? Can Yamaha fix their engine woes and rear grip issues? Can Suzuki win without their concessions? Can KTM and Aprilia become podium contenders? How long before Marquez and Lorenzo fall out? Not to mention you lot planning a few Euro rounds (more on that next month). So, it’s not all over. In fact, the way I see it, we’ve only just begun.