GET UP TO SPEED FOR 2021!
If there was an award for organisation Yamaha would be clear winners. Back in February, in the space of three days, Yamaha gave Maverick Viñales a new contract, promoted Fabio Quartararo to the factory team, promised Valentino Rossi a factory-spec bike at Petronas assuming he carries on and welcomed Jorge Lorenzo back as a test rider. Excellent work. Yamaha’s future is bright thanks to their clearly defined strategy and intelligent negotiations. Viñales gets the number one status he’s craved for years, whilst the next poster boy of MotoGP gets the chance to shine on full factory machinery. It’s a factory line-up that will worry Honda and Ducati, and one that could take Yamaha back to the top of the class.
It’s not been all plain sailing though. Covid-19 has ruined any wildcard plans for
It’s been a difficult few months for Ducati. The Italians had a long list of targets but were unable to persuade Viñales, Quartararo, Marc Marquez or Alex Rins to join. To make things worse, negotiations with star rider Andrea Dovizioso appear to have hit a brick wall. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Dovizioso may choose to retire should he not agree a deal with the firm. Unable to beat Marquez in red, it wouldn’t make sense to move anywhere else. Fortunately, Ducati were able to promote Jack Miller from the Pramac team. The Aussie is on an upward trajectory, securing five podiums and his highest points total in 2019. Francesco Bagnaia is expected to remain with Pramac, with future prospect Jorge Martin rumoured to be joining him after
Lorenzo, whilst Rossi has been unable to test his competitiveness. That being said, the nine-time champion is expected to join VR46 Academy member Franco Morbidelli at the missing out on a KTM ride. Tito Rabat stays at Avintia, but it’s unclear where new recruit Johann Zarco will end up.
Petronas Satellite team. Lorenzo’s future is unclear…
Valentino Rossi won his first premier class title on a satellite Honda in 2001.
Johann Zarco has ridden for five of the six MotoGP manufacturers – only Aprilia are left!
In 2019 Suzuki secured more than one victory in a season for the first time since 2000.
After losing their main man to Honda, KTM moved quickly to secure the experience of Danilo Petrucci and the upcoming talents of Brad Binder, Miguel Oliveira and Iker Lecuona. Binder gets to continue in the factory team despite not yet competing in MotoGP, whilst Oliveira gets the 20201 factory seat ride that he felt he deserved this year.
Brad Binder joined KTM in 2015, competing for them in Moto3, Moto2 and now.
Life within the Sepang Racing Team setup started well for Jake Dixon, surviving a late tangle with Luca Marini in Qatar to score points on his team debut. It was a promising and, perhaps more importantly, educational race for Dixon who, in perhaps the tightest class of all, needs to make a lasting impression in Moto2. His aim back in March was to continue where he left off at the end of 2019, in the battle between 10th and 15th.
Target achieved, so far.
“As the race went on, I got stronger and stronger,” Dixon told MCN after Qatar. The fuel tank started to get lighter, I started to get faster, and I got into my rhythm. I now need to figure out what we can do in the first part of the race with the full tank.”
Dixon is in a strong, knowledgeable team setup, one that should lead him to the points on a regular basis. It certainly helps that Dixon has a year of GP racing under his belt, having raced at all of the circuits on the calendar.