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Breaking boundaries and making waves! Newly minted WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista is set to bring his champion’s touch to the MotoGP™ race at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit! Riding the roaring Ducati Motor Holding Desmosedici GP, which he's already tamed during this year’s tests, he's no stranger to its power and pace. With a blistering best time of 1’32.590s at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Alvaro’s not just returning to MotoGP™️ - he’s aiming to make a statement! And after stepping in for Michele Pirro to test 2024 parts, he’s already dialed into the Ducati’s rhythm for 2023. As Aruba Racing – Ducati’s Team Principal, Stefano Cecconi, says: "It’s hard to say because Alvaro is not going there just to be on the grid. He did the test and enjoyed it; it was a prize test. He did a second one by chance. I think, in his heart, he’s started to think big. Of course, you cannot aim for the win in just one event. I don’t see him going there just to have some fun. I think he’s expecting to be strong on that track, especially if it’ll be hot. With no pressure because the Championship is over here, so he can enjoy the wildcard without caring about his own Championship. It’ll be fun, I think." No expectations, no pressure – just pure racing spirit! Will the heat of Sepang ignite a new chapter for this Superbike hero in MotoGP? Keep your eyes on the track, because when the helmet’s on, it's anyone's game! #WildcardBautista #MotoGP #SepangCircuit #MalaysianGP #WorldChamp #RacingRoyalty #AlvaroBautista #Ducati #Desmosedici #Champ #469Motorsports

Former MotoGP™ and WorldSBK star Ben Spies recently shared his insights on the distinct differences between riding in MotoGP and Superbikes, and how rider styles play a crucial role in each. ❝It's just that you don't feel it. Everything is stiffer, the bike and the tyres,❞ Spies stated, highlighting the tactile contrast between the two. He notes that in Superbike racing, the grip may be less but the feedback is a lot more pronounced, offering a different riding experience. Spies, known for his analytical approach, also discussed the adaptability required for MotoGP. ❝My riding style was generally not suitable for MotoGP,❞ he admitted, acknowledging the unique demands of the premier class. Spies praised Toprak Razgatlioglu, drawing a parallel with Marc Márquez's talent. He shared a candid conversation with Razgatlioglu post his tests with the M1, advising him on the potential challenges ahead. The conversation also turned towards Jonathan Rea, another Superbike legend. ❝He has enough talent to ride in MotoGP – but he would have to change his style,❞ Spies remarked. He speculated on Rea's decision to remain in Superbikes, prioritizing title wins over a shift to MotoGP. Spies' reflections offer a fascinating perspective on the intricate dynamics of motorcycle racing and the decisions riders face in their careers. For more insights and updates from the world of motorcycle racing, stay tuned! #BenSpies #MotoGP #Superbikes #WorldSBK #MotorcycleChampions #ToprakRazgatlioglu #JonathanRea #469Motorsports

Last week, I decided to file a complaint at the DG-Comp about the reduction of slots in the MotoGP championship performed by Dorna. Dorna is the company in charge of managing the championship and decides unilaterally what teams can compete in the championship. After the exit of the championship of Suzuki at the end of the 2022 season, KTM applied to acquire the two slots left vacant to start a new independent team for the 2024 season. However, Dorna rejected this application unilaterally. This can be regarded as an abuse of dominance by Dorna (it would be saving on the subsidies the company provides to the MotoGP teams) or as a hub-and-spoke cartel formed with the independent MotoGP teams, who benefit from the reduction in slots by being able to charge more to the sponsors (less motorbikes in the grid means less real estate for sponsors to advertise). Regarding this last hypothesis, Carmelo Ezpeleta put it as follows to the press: "Independent teams have rights and value that they would not have if you gave everyone who arrived a motorcycle". Other markets affected by the decision by Dorna are the ones for MotoGP riders (relatedly, they are in talks to start a union), for technical staff and the spectacle as a whole (I would argue that a race with 22 bikes is less enjoyable than one with 24). I am sharing here the report I submitted to the EU for anyone to check: https://lnkd.in/dDzmCRwY Disclaimer: I do not have any current or past links with any of the parties involved in the matter. I am just a fan of motorcycle racing concerned about the sport. #antitrust #monopoly #Dorna #MotoGP

2023’s end looms large as just three more Grands Prix are left on the longest MotoGP™ season to date, the Repsol Honda Team ready to work until the end. Round 18 begins the final push of 2023, one last triple header to conclude an intense year. The familiar PETRONAS Sepang International Circuitç will kick off this last stint, its 5.54km familiar to the entirety of the grid. Marc Marquez has twice taken premier class victory in Sepang and has finished on the podium an additional two times. On the other side of the garage, Joan Mir arrives in Sepang with ambitions of continuing his upward trajectory. Each round of the most recent flyaways has seen Mir’s confidence and feeling with the Honda RC213V grow over race distance. Qualifying remains the big area to work on for No.36, a higher grid position will allow him to keep out of early trouble. #FinalAssault #MalaysianGP #MotoGP #MotoGP2023 #RepsolHondaTeam #MarcMarquez #JoanMir #MotoGPRacing #SepangCircuit #Sepang #Malaysia #469MotorsportsIndia

Turkish motorcycle warriors conquer international racing challenges: … Uçar, president of the Turkish Motorcycle Federation (TMF), commended Turkish … quot; In the realm of motorcycle racing, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu … On the other hand, the Ducati rider, Spanish rider Bautista, clinched … WSBK races with the Rokit BMW Team in the 2024 … #motorcycle #motorcycles #motorbike

#MotoGP #GRRhistoric. Modern MotoGP is overwhelmingly Spanish, both in the number of top riders and in management by Dorna; with a significant side-order of Italian. #goodwood #goodwoodelevenses MotoGP™ The Goodwood Group #bike #motorbike #motorcycle #bikes #motorbikes #motorcycles #WSB #superbikes #autos #autosport #automotive #automotiveindustry #cars #racing #sports #classiccar #classiccars #motorracing #motorsport

#Pirelli #rewritesalltherecords in #Assen #Moto2 & #Moto3: #Pirelli #rewritesalltherecords in #Assen; victory for Ogura in #Moto2™ and Ortolá in #Moto3™ New all-time lap records, race lap records and races much faster than in 2023: these are the results of [...] The post Pirelli rewrites all the records in Assen Moto2 & Moto3 appeared first on Total Motorcycle.

Everything you need to know about MotoGP's revamped first 2024 test https://lnkd.in/dF8tAzA4 MotoGP's customary pre-season shakedown test will be a particularly anticipated event in its 2024 form, thanks to the series' new concession rules. Ahead of the two full-field pre-season tests, every MotoGP factory will hit the track at Sepang for the shakedown on February 1-3. But while this outing is normally reserved for just test riders (as per MotoGP's stringent testing rules) and rookies, the shakedown will be opened up to factory Honda and Yamaha riders. That’s because both of the Japanese marques were placed in 'Rank D' under MotoGP's new concession systems after they hugely underwhelmed in 2023 relative to their European competition. Now allowed to use its race riders and not just test riders in private testing - which the shakedown is effectively an extension of - Yamaha will wheel out its 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo and highly-rated new signing Alex Rins, as well as decorated tester Cal Crutchlow. First and foremost, the extra shakedown test days at Sepang - which will be followed by three full-grid days at Sepang and three full-grid days in Qatar - will be crucial for the new arrivals within the Japanese brands' ranks. However, it is not viable for both manufacturers to just have their entire fleet of riders test morning-till-night for the duration of the shakedown, because both are still limited by a test tyre allocation of 130 sets for the season. For Yamaha, a presumed priority will be the 2024-spec engine, given what had been tried during 2023 were just minor steps in terms of power. Over at Honda, a prototype RC213V for 2024 was met by rave reviews at Valencia - lighter, more responsive and seemingly faster. But Honda too has a lot of gains to be made with the engine, as well as aero. At the same time, both Yamaha and Honda have more freedom to make gains on both fronts in 2024, unbound by an engine freeze and beholden to looser aero homologation requirements (in terms of number of designs rather than any aspects of design) than their rivals.

MotoGP may have cured a long-time rider frustration https://lnkd.in/ejti76PT MotoGP’s control tyre manufacturer Michelin has quietly made a significant change to the series’ rules for 2024 - in order to remove one of the biggest perceived causes of performance inconsistency in the championship. It has done this by making sure that racers and teams will no longer receive preheated tyres. The result of teams placing a rear tyre into their warmers and bringing it up to race temperature only to then not use it, preheated tyres have not been very popular among riders - with the process of warming them up and down repeatedly is believed by many teams to cause inconsistencies to develop when they are eventually fitted to the bikes. Initially randomly included to riders' allocations in order to reduce waste, this was changed after an increasing number of complaints - with a rider’s own preheated rubber flagged as such and allocated back to them so that it could instead be used up in the less crucial practice sessions rather than qualifying or races. However, with even practice sessions becoming increasingly important thanks to the pressure on Friday afternoons to secure a path straight to Q2, rider complaints had remained - and have prompted Michelin to modify the procedure again to now remove preheated tyres from the allocation altogether. The new 2024 season also sees the introduction of new compounds of rubber on both the front and rear, something that Michelin boss Piero Taramasso says is so far performing above expectations and contributed significantly to the lap record being shattered at both Sepang and Lusail during preseason testing.

#WRC 🏎🏔 All eyes are on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia this week, as the 2024 championship season approaches its midpoint at Rally Italia Sardegna; round six of thirteen. FIA World Rally Championship #rally #rallying #worldrallychamps #worldrallychampionships #autos #autosport #automotive #automotiveindustry #automotiveinnovation #cars #racing #sports #classiccar #classiccars #motorracing #motorsport