Clément Vigniel’s Post

Eight reasons MotoGP will be even better in 2024 https://lnkd.in/eyiaskAW MotoGP 2023 had its flaws, but it grew into the championship’s greatest title fight in years as Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin’s battle ebbed and flowed through twist after twist in the final three months of the season. And it was equally good value off-track too, thanks to Marc Marquez and the machinations over his future. OK, I can hear the sceptical voices as I type. Some of the loudest probably come from my colleagues on The Race MotoGP Podcast, where I’m happy to be the Tigger to my fellow pundits’ Eeyores at times. Yes, there is the possibility that once back on a competitive bike Marc Marquez will reveal that everyone who's won titles during his compromised years was just an inferior pretender. Yes, Ducati may still be near-unbeatable. Yes, the season is punishingly long, especially with sprints added, and the injury rate last year was unacceptable and couldn’t be shrugged off as a coincidence. Yes, the tyre pressure rule situation risks causing farces. Yes, it’s a huge shame that ‘dirty air’ is invading even motorbike racing and aero has been allowed to get out of control. I get all that. MotoGP 2024 will be flawed, too. But here are eight reasons why it’s also going to be even better than a 2023 season that will still be remembered as a classic (...).

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.

Putting the rest of the MotoGP puzzle together. In what has been undoubtedly the most manic rider market in perhaps even the history of MotoGP, there are still a handful of spots left to fill. These seats are namely at Trackhouse Aprilia, LCR Honda and Pramac (who make the switch to Yamaha). Though it is yet to be officially, announced, Fermin Aledguir is a Gresini rider in all but confirmation. While Miguel Oliveira seems to be the odds-on bet for the lead seat at Pramac, there isn’t a clear indicator of who will partner the Portuguese rider. It was speculated that either Alonso Lopez or Sergio Garcia could make the step up from Moto2. Both riders have had strong Moto2 campaigns thus far. There have been flashes of brilliance from Lopez, whilst Garcia has been the dark horse of Moto2 this year, the Spaniard currently a top the Moto2 standings. However, it has been reported by Motorsport.com’s Dutch site that the title sponsor of Pramac, Prima, wants neither Lopez nor Garcia on their bikes next season. This is reportedly due to the company wanting an Italian rider to fill at least one of the vacant spots. Tony Arbolino’s name has been thrown into the ring as a potential candidate for stepping onto the satellite Yamaha next year. Despite a difficult season, that has yielded the best of a 6th thus far, the Italian may have to find an increase in form to get his name on the dotted line. Another struggling rider in potential contention for the second Pramac seat is Jack Miller. The four-time race winner has had a bruising second season in orange, so much so that he was dropped in favour of rookie Acosta before the midway point of the year. Though Miller had previously stated that he hadn’t had a single offer, it was rumoured that Ducati had offered him Alvaro Bautista’s World Superbike seat. With still no confirmation of plans for next year from Bautista, a return to red could be an option for the Australian. Remy Gardner has also been linked to moving into the Pramac outfit, in what would be a return to the GP paddock. The Australian has been looking like the strongest Yamaha rider in World Superbikes this season, stepping onto the podium back in Assen. Gardner has made two GP appearances already this season, filling in for Alex Rins in Germany before taking over an injured Cal Crutchlow’s spot at the British GP. So, with at least some experience of the M1, Gardner could be a solid option for a second rider. It’s not just Pramac that has a spot that needs filling, as Trackhouse Aprilia are still searching for a rider to partner Raul Fernandez next season. After a pretty stellar start to his campaign, the smart money would have been on American Joe Roberts, seeing that it is an American-owned team...... https://lnkd.in/emetN2r8

𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵: 5.380 kilometres / 3.343 miles 𝗪𝗶𝗱𝘁𝗵: 12 metres 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: 6 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: 10 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 1.068 kilometres / 0.664 miles 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱: 2004 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 1m 51.762s (173.2km/h) Luca Marini (Ducati, 2023) 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗽: 1m 52.978s (171.4 km/h) Enea Bastianini (Ducati, 2023) 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿: Jorge Martín (Ducati) 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿: Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati) Constructed in just over a year at a cost of $58 million for the inaugural MotoGP™ event in 2004. Designed primarily with motorcycling in mind, featuring a flowing 5.4km layout popular with riders. Became the largest lit venue in the world in 2008 with permanent outdoor lighting for night races. Hosted MotoGP's first night race in 2008, won by Casey Stoner on a Ducati. Hosted the MotoGP season opener for 13 consecutive years from 2007 to 2019. Daytime races experienced track temperatures over 45°C, motivating the switch to night events. In 2009, rain postponed the MotoGP race to Monday, showcasing the circuit's unexpected weather challenges. Features alcohol-free cava for the podium ceremony, respecting Qatar's Muslim majority. Noted as one of the circuits with the greatest fuel consumption in the season. Extensive lighting installed without creating glare for spectators or riders and minimizing shadows. The strong braking into turn 1 or the high speed turn 13 are highlights of this track. Lusail International Circuit #LusailCircuit #LusailCircuitSportsClub #LCSC #MotoGP #MotoGP2024 #MotoGP75 #QatarGP #Lusail #Qatar #LusailInternationalCircuit

Exploring the Exciting World of MotoGP: A Complete Guide

All the MotoGP liveries for British GP - and what they reference https://lnkd.in/eWVekhCq MotoGP teams have unveiled an array of 12 special liveries that will contest the series' throwback-themed British Grand Prix, celebrating the championship's 75-year anniversary. There are only 11 teams on the current MotoGP grid, but LCR runs split liveries due to one entry being backed by Castrol and another by Idemitsu - so has likewise prepared two different colour schemes for the Silverstone race. The key word there is 'race', singular, as - as is usually the practice in MotoGP versus other championships - bikes usually only run in special colour schemes on the final day of the race weekend, and this is again expected to be the case here. Here are the liveries in current championship order, and what the inspiration behind them is (...).

Austin MotoGP 2024 - The ups and downs, winners and losers of Austin MotoGP 2024 at the Circuit of the Americas. Read more at the SBI FEED. #sbination

Get ready to rev up your engines, MotoGP fans! 🚨🏍️ The 2024 season is in full swing, and we've got everything you need to know! 📰🔍 We invite you to RACE OVER to our website to check out our latest article for the full scoop on this year's MotoGP, including: 🏎️ Rider Line Ups 🏁 Full Race Calendar 🔧 Rule Changes 🏭 New Team Updates Don't miss out on the action! 🔥🏁 Read the full article on our website. #MotoGP #Moto2024

Marquez's benchmarks: 5 seismic moves by MotoGP icons ranked https://lnkd.in/e7Xuz33W MotoGP's 'aliens' era is more or less over, but one of those aliens remains - and for 2024 he cooked up exactly the kind of move that the premier class had been a little starved of. A proven superstar pushing his chips in on a gamble that not only can alter the entire competitive landscape, but should do so, is always special. And when it comes to MotoGP, its modern era has been punctuated by those kinds of moves every half-decade or so. Marc Marquez swapping his Honda for a Gresini-run year-old Ducati is the latest example. For it to be the greatest, it has to surpass the five team switches below - a task ranging from a virtual given for the earlier entries to being almost mission impossible when it comes to the saga in the number one spot.

Alex Marquez triumphed in a breathtaking 2023 Malaysian MotoGP™ Sprint race, outpacing Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia in a stunning display of skill and strategy. This marked his second Sprint victory of the season, following an impressive performance in wet conditions at Silverstone. The race was a rollercoaster of action and tactics, with reigning champion Bagnaia initially leading but ultimately struggling with pace, finishing ahead of Enea Bastianini and Brad Binder. The early stages saw an intense battle, with Marquez swiftly moving up from the second row, overtaking Martin and then Bastianini. The pivotal moment came on lap 6, when Marquez executed a masterful move to take the lead from Bagnaia, eventually winning by a comfortable 1.5-second margin. Martin capitalized on Bagnaia's difficulties, reducing his title lead to just 11 points. KTM AG riders Binder and Jack Miller followed closely, with Aprilia Official’s new cooling solution making its debut under the challenging conditions. In a day of mixed fortunes, Maverick Vinales finished tenth, ahead of the top Yamaha ridden by Franco Morbidelli, while Fabio Quartararo faced a challenging race, plummeting from 8th to 19th. Marc Marquez, starting from 20th, experienced a fall, adding to the season's challenges. This race reshapes the championship landscape, setting up an exhilarating full-length Grand Prix on Sunday. Stay tuned for more thrilling MotoGP action! 🏁 #MotoGP2023 #SepangGP #AlexMarquez #MarquezVictory #MotorcycleRacing #DucatiDominance #RacingThrill #MotoGPSprintRace #469Motorsports