        Andrea Iannone has spent the last four years far from the racetracks. In 2019, he tested positive for doping - drostanolone &ndash; but is now able to race again after serving the penalty, a long period of disqualification, imposed by WADA. In 2024 the Italian will be a Superbike rider, competing as part of the Go Eleven team, with which he has recently completed a two-day test at Jerez aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 R. How did your return to racing come about? &ldquo;I never considering not returning. That spark of speed and the desire to race has never gone out and has been with me throughout my career, up until today. I think that&rsquo;s been crucial, having the strength to continue to train, to continue to look at bikes as a source of inspiration. It&rsquo;s always been a dream for me to ride race bikes and that&rsquo;s still the case today even though I&rsquo;m a little older.&rdquo; You set the fifth fastest time in those tests &ndash; did you expect to do that? &ldquo;I had some initial doubts and was seeking answers. The tests went really well, I surprised myself, but it doesn&rsquo;t mean we&rsquo;re ready, that we can win. We made a good start, but we need to stay focused and not delude ourselves. We all know racing, nothing is a given. The road is long and it will be challenging. We have all decided to challenge ourselves&rdquo;. Iannone and Ducati: a strong relationship You&rsquo;re back on a Ducati, after the four years you spent in MotoGP from 2013 to 2016. &ldquo;Ducati is the bike with which I won my first MotoGP race, it&rsquo;s the bike with which I went through hell at first before falling in love with it. It&rsquo;s the bike of my life, no doubt about it. And the people at Ducati too - coming across the people I spent key moments with back then really lifts me up.&rdquo; How were the negotiations with Borgo Panigale? &ldquo;Ducati&rsquo;s support is important. And it&rsquo;s also been important in terms of my return. I met Gigi Dall&rsquo;Igna (Ducati Corse general manager) at Misano. He looked me in the eyes and asked me: &ldquo;How badly do you want to come back? You know it&rsquo;ll be tough?&rdquo; And I said: &ldquo;Yeah, I know it&rsquo;s very difficult, but you know me, you know that if I say something, I&rsquo;ll do all I can to keep my word&rdquo;. I can&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;ll do it, but I&rsquo;ll give it my all. And from there we started to put it all together. And know we&rsquo;re here. And I&rsquo;m happy.&rdquo; Everyone said it would be very hard for you to return. &ldquo;And I agreed with them. Blessed is the best word for it, I think. I&rsquo;m not easily shocked but this is how it&rsquo;s gone, all good. It&rsquo;s always hard to find those reflexes again after so long.&rdquo; Were you ready, physically speaking? &ldquo;I struggled on the bike. I had a problem with my arm. On the last day I took a break between one run and the next and spent at least 20 minutes in the garage because I didn&rsquo;t have the strength that I&rsquo;d had at the start of day one. There are muscles that you only use on a bike, and the race bike has drive and deceleration that a road bike doesn&rsquo;t have.&rdquo; The lesson Iannone learned during his disqualification How do you regard WorldSBK? &ldquo;The level is very high. The bike are on a level playing field. They have certain strengths while we have others. It&rsquo;s a pleasure and an honour to be part of it next year. My rivals are strong. I&rsquo;m sorry that there&rsquo;s no Imola on the calendar and racing at Vallelunga wouldn&rsquo;t have been bad either.&rdquo; How was your feeling during the tests? &ldquo;I just wanted to have fun. I wanted to enjoy it all&ndash; exiting the garage, my first lap, my first run. I was laughing inside my helmet, like a kid getting into mischief. It was important to find the feeling during this first test, rather than focusing on speed.&rdquo; How have you changed in recent years? &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve realised that everything can change from one moment to the next. And this is a great lesson in life. One that perhaps no one really understands until it happens. I&rsquo;m an eternal romantic, because I think that this way of thinking attracts positivity. I like to think like this, it energises me.&rdquo; Ducati is now a winner in both MotoGP and SBK, is that something you expected? &ldquo;Yes, I know how hard they&rsquo;ve worked since Gigi came on board. They were working on Christmas Eve and were back there again on Boxing Day. They&rsquo;ve pushed hard to get the Ducati to where it is today&rdquo;.       

The Italian rider is back. He talks to us about the recent tests, his relationship with Ducati and his return to racing

SBK, Iannone: “Ducati is the bike of my life"

        The Mandalika International Street Circuit, or rather the specially build track on the Island of Lombok. A second visit for MotoGP &ndash; aside from the 2022 test - and it proved a success, dramatically shaking up the general standings in the space of 24 hours. Jorge Martin was leader for about a day, before Pecco Bagnaia moved back out in front on Sunday afternoon MotoGP Indonesia: the best marks Pecco Bagnaia - Grade 9/10 He inverted the trend, going from hunted to hunter and then hunted again, before demoting Martin from the top spot. When Pecco is forced to play catch up, he gives his very best and is focused and fast. Perhaps because, although still high, the pressure to be managed is different. INVERTOR Jorge Martin &ndash; 7.5 Having won the Sprint hands down, he wanted to do the double. The mistake he made while leading the race was reminiscent of those crashes for Pecco that saw him go down unexpectedly and without warning. It&rsquo;s a hard life for the hare in MotoGP. Let&rsquo;s see what effect this Indonesian error has on the standings come the end of the season. SIN(NER) Fabio Di Giannantonio &ndash; 8.5 He said it himself: &ldquo;I ride cleanly and precisely, perhaps I need to be more badass&rdquo;. That may be, but nothing can take away from his best ever MotoGP weekend, who flew the flag for team Gresini. He&rsquo;s right when he says: &ldquo;This class needs a rider like me". BOLD The worst MotoGP grades at Mandalika Brad Binder - 5 A double Long Lap Penalty, which he took in like cold water on a hot day. A pity about the crash in the Sprint race, and a pity about the mistakes in Sunday&rsquo;s race, as he could have reached the podium. The incident on Sunday involving Binder and Luca Marini saw the South African run long, too long. He didn&rsquo;t do it on purpose and apologised for his mistake. TOO LONG Joan Mir - 4 It&rsquo;s true that he little cares who his new team-mate will be but we'd be worried, if we were him. He&rsquo;s already struggling with Marc Marquez, imagine a rider who doesn&rsquo;t know the RC213 V like the eight-time champion. The Majorcan is probably focused on his own development path, preferring not to draw any comparisons. COULDN&rsquo;T CARE LESS Marc Marquez &ndash; 3.5 A mistake in practice, poor in qualifying, a crash in the Sprint, another in Sunday&rsquo;s race. A Marc like this reminds us of the Sachsenring disaster, when he decided to stop. Like Zarco, he&rsquo;s thinking about the future, but with Ducati and not Honda. The exact opposite. GERMAN.       

Mandalika smiles on Pecco, betrays Martin, encourages Di Giannantonio and buries Marquez: Ducati scores its umpteenth win on Lombok Island

Indonesia MotoGP report card: the grades for teams and riders at the 2023 Mandalika GP

        Preparations are already underway for the FIM Awards, an important event that will recognize 40 world champions across the various two-wheel disciplines. The 2023 edition is now in the planning, with the work set to culminate in a gala evening in the city of Liverpool. Activities planned in the run up to that 2 December event are already underway. FIM present at the Silverstone MotoGP The International Motorcycling Federation was in attendance at the British GP at Silverstone with its unmistakable hospitality structure, which hosted both staff and fans alike in its meeting rooms and restaurant area. Every detail was carefully thought out, like the initiative relating to a simple QR code, that allowed entry into a draw to win two VIP Experience Tickets and the chance to walk the red carpet at the 2023 FIM Awards gala dinner. The UK round was also the stage for the famous Two Wheels for life - Day of Champions charity auction. World championship riders donated personal race items, with the profits from the auction going towards the Association&rsquo;s charity projects in the third world. The FIM raised 4200 pounds, contributing to the auction with its two VIP Experience Awards tickets, a gesture much appreciated by Andrea Coleman, CEO of Two Wheels for Life: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re very proud to be supported by the FIM Foundation, proof of just how much motorsport is actually doing to save human lives in sub-Saharan Africa." FIM at the MXGP and Motorcycle Live On 23-24 September, the MXGP motocross of nations will play out at Matterley Basin in the UK, during which the second &ldquo;Ride to FIM Awards&rdquo; event will take place. On 22 September, sixty youngsters from different motorcycle disciplines will take part in workshops, the focus of which will be on the young people&rsquo;s approach to the media and work environment. All this thanks to a collaboration between the Federazione Motociclistica Nazionale, Infront Moto Racing and ACU. Special guest &lsquo;judges&rsquo; will be on hand, from former MX rider Roger Harvey, now an Advisor to HRC, to Shaun Simpson, Team manager of the Gabriel SS24 KTM squad, as well as various experts and press officers from the main factory teams. Then, the Federation will be at the Black Horse Stage, a dedicated area within Motorcycle Live, the British trade show taking place at the Birmingham NEC from 18 to 26 November. Representatives will answer questions from James Whitham and members of the public, and there will also be a contest that will see visitors and champions quizzed about past world champions. 2023 FIM Awards: the stage is set in Liverpool, home to The Beatles And so to the grand finale. One of the many interesting aspects of the 2023 FIM Awards is the concept of sharing. On 2 December, in the city of Liverpool, there will be a chance to meet all the 2023 world champions from across 40 disciplines. Every star will be at the ACC Arena from 3-5pm, making themselves available for selfies and autographs. This will be followed by the &lsquo;red carpet&rsquo; and gala dinner. We attended the 2022 edition in Rimini, which serves as the cover image here, featuring champions Raul Fernandez, Pecco Bagnaia and Izan Guevara. Everyone very much enjoyed this formal occasion, and we can&rsquo;t wait to repeat this wonderful experience.       

The prestigious 2023 edition will take place in the city of The Beatles, on the back of special MotoGP and trade show events

FIM Awards: 40 world champions will be recognised in Liverpool

        Fervono i preparativi del FIM Awards, importante e prestigioso evento che vedf&agrave; premiati ben 40 campioni del mondo delle diverse specialit&agrave; a due ruote. L'edizione 2023 &egrave; in fase organizzativa, per un lavoro gi&agrave; partito e volto a culminare nella serata di gala nella citt&agrave; di Liverpool. Le attivit&agrave; a precedere quell'atteso 2 dicembre sono gi&agrave; partite. FIM presente alla MotoGP di Silverstone La Federazione Internazionale Motociclistica era presente in grande allestimento nel paddock di Silverstone, in occasione del British Grand Prix. L'inconfondibile hospitality blu &egrave; stata apprezzata dagli addetti ai lavori e dai tanti appassionati: dalle sale di lavoro alle sale riuninioni, sino al ricco e qualitativo catering. Ogni dettaglio &egrave; stao curato e pensato ad hoc, come la bella iniziativa legata a un semplice QR code: previa estrazione di due VIP Experience Tickets, i pi&ugrave; fortunati potranno partecipare al Red Carpet - tappeto rosso, sul quale camminare eleganti ed elegantemente - alla Cena di gala contestuale ai FIM Awards 2023. Sempre in Inghilterra, di fronte a un numero pubblico, si &egrave; tenuta la famosa asta di beneficienza Two Wheels for life - Day of Champions. I piloti del Motomondiale hanno offerto propri oggetti personali di carriera, i cui proventi andranno all'Associazione che si occupa di charity per il Terzo Mondo. Ben 4200 i pounds raccolti dalla FIM, che ha contribuito all'asta grazie proprio a due Awards Vip Experience tickets, per somma soddisfazione di Andrea Coleman, CEO di Two Wheels for life: &ldquo;Siamo molto orgogliosi di essere supportati dalla FIM Foundation" la felicitazione &egrave; spiegata dalle parole " a dimostrazione di quanto il motorsport stia fattivamente impegnato per salvare vite umane in tutta l'Africa sub-sahariana&rdquo;.  MXGP e Motorcycle Live: la FIM c'&egrave; Nei giorni 23 e 24 settembre a Matterley Basin andr&agrave; in scena la tappa iridata del Motocross MXGP, durante la quale si terr&agrave; il secondo evento legato a Ride to FIM Awards, calvacata dal crescendo rossiniano che premier&agrave; i campioni nella citt&agrave; nativa dei Beatles. Il 22 settembre sessanta giovani appartenenti a diverse discipline motoristiche aderiranno al workshop, il cui tema sar&agrave; incentrato sull'approccio dai giovani stessi nei confronti dei media e dell'albiente di lavoro.Tutto questo, grazie alla collaborazione instaurata dalla Federazione Motociclistica Nazionale insieme a Infront Moto Racing e di ACU. Ci saranno "giudizi" d'eccezione al workshop: dal crossista degli anni &rsquo;60 Roger Harvey e oggi Advisor di HRC, Shaun Simpson&nbsp; &nbsp;Team manager - Gabriel SS24 KTM, oltre ad esperti in materia e Press Officers dei maggiori team ufficiali. Infine, ma non sar&agrave; finita l&igrave;, tutti al Black Horse Stage, area inserita nel Motorcycle Live, fiera britannica dedicata alle due ruote, che si terr&agrave; presso il NEC, area espositiva di Birmingham dal 18 al 26 Novembre. Attenzione, perch&eacute; l'occasione sar&agrave; ghiotta: risponderanno alle domande di James Whitham, e del pubblico presente. Prevista anche una sfida che metter&agrave; alla prova pubblico e campioni sulla cultura motoristica dei passati Campioni del Mondo.&nbsp;  FIM Awards 2023: tutti a Liverpool, la citt&agrave; dei Beatles Eccoci al sodo del bellissimo percorso qui elencato. Uno dei tanti aspetti interessanti proposti dal FIM Awards 2023 &egrave; la condivisione. Sabato 2 dicembre nella citt&agrave; inglese di Liverpool, ci sar&agrave; la possibilit&agrave; di incontrare tutti i Campioni del Mondo 2023, inclusi nelle 40 specialit&agrave; motoristiche.Ogni protagonista sar&agrave; disponibile presso l'area ACC Arena per selfie, autografi, in un appuntamento fissato dalle ore 15 alle 17 locali.&nbsp; Pi&ugrave; tardi, "tappeto rosso" e cena di gala. Noi eravamo all'edizione 2022 di Rimini, della quale abbiamo pubblicato la foto di copertina, che ritrare i titolati Raul Fernandez, Pecco Bagnaia e Izan Guevara. L'occasione formale a braccetto con il bon ton &egrave; piaciuta a tutti, sicch&eacute; non vediamo l'ora di ripetere la fantastica esperienza.       

La prestigiosa edizione 2023 si terr&agrave; nella citt&agrave; dei Beatles, anticipata da eventi organizzati ad hoc tra MotoGP e fiere di settore

FIM Awards: a Liverpool saranno premiati 40 campioni del mondo!

        This is Bautista&rsquo;s championship to lose. People started to say this last year after Magny-Cours, the Spaniard having left the French track with a 30-point lead before heading into a triple-header of favourable tracks, or rather Barcelona, Portimao and Villicum. And it has now become something of a mantra during this 2023 season. Eighteen races into the season and Alvaro has won sixteen, his remaining results a second place in the Superpole Race at Donington and a crash at Mandalika. The Spaniard leads the way in the standings with a 93-point lead over Toprak Razgatlioglu, an impressive advantage, yes, but not a record in SBK, in fact this kind of deficit has been made up in the past, a fact that might leave his rivals with at least a little hope. Bautista impressive but the record season was 2003 Alvaro Bautista&rsquo;s performance so far might look like the best ever start to a SBK season but this is in fact not the case. If we go back exactly 20 years, to 2003, the fans were still reliving that last lap duel between Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss at Imola. But both riders switched paddocks come the end of 2002, moving to MotoGP with varying degrees of success. And in SBK Ducati debuted the brand-new 999R F03, very different to the &ldquo;perfect series&rdquo; designed by Sergio Robbiano under the guidance of Massimo Tamburini. The 999 designed by South African Pierre Terblanche never won a place in the heart of the ducatisti but still now, twenty years later and despite new regulations, it continues to hold a record that will be hard to repeat. The Bolognese manufacturer chose Neil Hodgson to ride on the Ducati Fila team alongside Ruben Xaus. The English rider seized the opportunity and after finishing third in the 2002 championship, 226 points behind Colin Edwards, he began a new &lsquo;factory&rsquo; life and began to win big. &nbsp;Aboard the 999R F03, Neil Hodgson appeared unbeatable, the Brit winning eleven of the first twelve races and was only stopped by James Toseland in race 2 at Oschersleben. Neil left Silverstone after the sixth race weekend with 295 points out of a possible 300. He was followed in the standings by &lsquo;the pianist&rsquo;, although he had been less consistent, reaching the podium on just five occasions and slipping back to find himself 130 points behind the frontrunner after just six weekends. 137 points behind Hodgson was his team-mate Ruben Xaus, with six podiums but also two DNFs to his name. Neil would go on to win two more races and score six more second-place finishes, building a 140-point lead after Brands Hatch. The Englishman won the title at Assen thanks to a second place in race 1 behind Toseland, rounding out the season with a 103-point lead over the man who would replace him on the factory Ducati the following year. The American who beat the Japanese Back in that magical 2003 season, Ducati had nine bikes finish inside the top ten, with only Gregorio Lavilla, now the WorldSBK Executive Director, able to break the trend by placing fifth aboard the Suzuki. But there were other seasons in which the championships looked to be decided after just six rounds. In 2005 Troy Corser and Suzuki lay 73 points ahead of Chris Vermeulen, and the following year Troy Bayliss left Misano 94 points in front of Noriyuki Haga. In 2015 Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam were separated by 101 points in what was the Northern Irishman&rsquo;s first year on the factory Kawasaki. He did it again in 2018, when he built a 64-point lead over Chaz Davies. Going further back in time to 2011, Carlos Checa lay 72 points ahead of Max Biaggi in the year he scored Ducati&rsquo;s last SBK title prior to Bautista&rsquo;s win last year. But in 2009, &ldquo;Nitro Nori&rdquo; Haga, who had moved from Yamaha to the factory Ducati 1098 in place of Troy Bayliss, held an 85 point lead over team-mate Michael Fabrizio although neither of the pair went on to become champion. The 2009 season was memorable for several reasons. The Ducati rider, thanks also to the many mistakes made by rookie Ben Spies in the early rounds, won six of the first twelve races and finished second in another five. The American won the five races in which Haga places second but crashed four times, slipping back to third in the standings after twelve races, 88 points behind Nitro Nori. But then, during the second half of the season, Spies won nine races and the Japanese rider only two. By Portimao the latter was lying just ten points ahead of the American. With a &ldquo;harakiri&rdquo; that was not uncommon throughout his career, Haga crashed in race 1, gifting Ben Spies the win. The American then managed this advantage in race 2 to secure the title, a first for him and Yamaha. Given the shape of Alvaro Bautista and the Panigale V4 R right now, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine Toprak Razgatlioglu making a similar comeback, but if there&rsquo;s one rider who could do it today, it would be the Turk.       

The Spaniard holds a 93-point lead but this is not a record and there are those &lsquo;in red&rsquo; who have been able to make up an 88 point deficit in the past

Does Bautista have the championship in hand? A look at the records and “almost” impossibile comebacks

        Having got a first taste of MotoGP during the Valencia post-race tests, Moto2 champion Augusto Fern&aacute;ndez was in Rimini for the 2022 FIM champions prize-giving ceremony. An ideal opportunity to have a chat with the Spaniard about last season and his first impressions of the Tech3 GasGas. &ldquo;My first experience was amazing&rdquo;, starts Fern&aacute;ndez. &ldquo;The MotoGP is great to ride, there&rsquo;s a lot of power and the braking is very strong. I had a lot of fun. There&rsquo;s a lot to understand and learn but my first impressions are positive. I was struck by the way riders throw themselves into the corner, the MotoGP has great potential compared to the Moto2, and I&rsquo;ll need to understand how to exploit this so I can be fast.&rdquo; The Spaniard continues, &ldquo;2022 was a great season, but there were some tough times early on when we weren&rsquo;t able to achieve results - we were fighting to run up front but weren&rsquo;t able to win or reach the podium. It was like that until Le Mans and then after the first win it all became a lot easier, and we were very consistent for the rest of the season, managing everything well. It was the best season of my life.&rdquo; &ldquo;The two previous years were difficult&rdquo;, explains the current Moto2 champion, &ldquo;and I was lacking the confidence to believe I could win again. So when the win came, I knew I could do more and it all became easier.&rdquo; &nbsp; Augusto Fern&aacute;ndez: &ldquo;I sought out a more economical route in developing my career&rdquo;  You took an unusual step early on in your career, how come? &ldquo;Essentially for financial reasons, as the path that everyone takes from the FIM CEV Moto3 or CIV Moto3 wasn&rsquo;t economically feasible for our family. I tried to find a route that was more financially sustainable and I had to win in every category in which I raced before moving up. That was my training before I moved to the world championship.&rdquo; What did you learn in taking a different path to your rivals? &ldquo;I had to win and stand out before moving up a category, racing for free or paying a little. That pressure definitely helped me to mature which meant I was better able to manage what came later.&rdquo; You&rsquo;ll be the only MotoGP rookie in 2023. How do you feel about that? &ldquo;More rookies means you measure yourself against them, but at the Valencia test I was measuring myself against Rins, who&rsquo;s been in MotoGP for many years already. You need to be more patient, considering that you&rsquo;re up against very experienced top class riders. I have a great team, with Pol Espargar&oacute; who has a lot of experience with the KTM, and also Brad Binder and Jack Miller on the factory KTM team. I can&rsquo;t wait to learn from them.&rdquo;       

&ldquo;I had so much fun but there&rsquo;s still a lot to learn&rdquo; says the current Moto2 champion after his first test with the Tech3 team&rsquo;s GasGas at Valencia

2022 FIM Awards, Augusto Fernández: “My first experience of the MotoGP was incredible”

        Luca Marini rounds out his second season in the top class on a high, both in terms of his results and his race management. From Mugello onwards, Valentino Rossi&rsquo;s brother put in a strong performance, often placing towards the top of the timesheets and attracting significant attention in the process. The only negative note is that the 25-year old Italian was unable to score a podium, despite coming close on more than one occasion. &ldquo;I came close to the podium, which definitely felt like it was within reach a few times. What didn&rsquo;t work? There are only three spots on the rostrum (he laughs)! There&rsquo;s no real reason, we were often among the fastest on track, but it&rsquo;s not easy to be one of those three at the end of the race. It's not a given anyway. Sometimes we were short on luck, other times we lost a little in qualifying and had to start too far back.&rdquo; Marini: "Next year we need to aim for the win"  As Marini himself points out, he really began to bloom as of the Mugello GP: "Something changed between the Le Mans and Mugello races. We identified a really good base setting there and were able to use that for the rest of the season. Straight after Jerez we completed a day of testing and, for the first time, we were able to work on all those aspects that we never had time for during race weekends.&rdquo; The 25-year old Italian continues to speak about his results: "In terms of results, the second part of the season was incredible. I&rsquo;m really optimistic heading into 2023, because we&rsquo;ve learned and grown this year and need to aim high next year, aiming to win. Would I have believed these results at the start of the season? I think I hoped for a little more. I knew we could do well and be competitive, even before we began.&rdquo; Thanks to VR46  Marini also touches on VR46&rsquo;s first season in MotoGP, the team having first competed in Moto3 in 2014: &ldquo;If we consider that this group only landed in the top class a little under a year ago, we can say the atmosphere&rsquo;s fantastic, both in and out of the paddock. We&rsquo;re very close and spend a lot of time together, doing normal things like going to dinner. Many of my technicians have small children and so we find ourselves talking about everyday life. We&rsquo;re a great group!" The 2020 Moto2 runner-up underlines: "From a purely technical standpoint, and after a complicated season start, we've been practically perfect. It&rsquo;s amazing to think that a large part of the team were rookies this year. Everyone had to make sacrifices at first; it&rsquo;s a big jump in terms of workload to go from Moto2 to MotoGP. We had to understand the bike and the mechanisms of this new category and the guys have been fantastic.&rdquo; &nbsp; Marini praises the Italian manufacturer: "The Ducati is the most competitive bike"  Marini will be back aboard the Ducati in 2023, on a bike that has been a winner all season long: "The Ducati is the most competitive and quickest bike on the track. Both the results and riders tell us this. It&rsquo;s powerful and easy to ride in its own way. From the start of the season to now, the Ducati engineers have taken an impressive step forward. In the pre-season tests, the situation was critical, difficult, particularly for me as I immediately had the 2022 spec. From mid-season onwards, Ducati was able to open a massive gap to the other constructors. Congrats to them for all their hard work; it&rsquo;s paid off and I hope they continue like this. They really won it all in 2022!&rdquo; Lastly, the Italian confirms just how high the current MotoGP level, adding an interesting consideration of his own: "It&rsquo;s been an incredible season in terms of the riders and bikes. A real show with hard-fought races in which we rarely saw one rider break away. 2022 marks a turning point in MotoGP history &ndash; we&rsquo;ve never seen so many riders at this incredible level and so close to each other.&rdquo;       

It&rsquo;s time for the Team Mooney VR46 rider to look back at his season and consider his growth path

MotoGP, Marini: "2022 a turning point in MotoGP history"

I grandi campioni del cross, dell&#39;enduro, della velocit&agrave; e lo spettacolo del freestyle scendono in pista per una buona causa: appuntamento il 29 e 30 ottobre 2022 all&#39;Arena Cross di Carpi con l&rsquo;evento benefico Ride for Life.  Gli appuntamenti  Per assistere all&rsquo;evento basta acquistare il ticket del costo di 10 euro, che d&agrave; anche la possibilit&agrave; di partecipare alla lotteria. Non solo. I motociclisti che vogliono mettersi alla prova possono gareggiare in prima persona: nessuna vittoria in questo caso, si corre per la solidariet&agrave;. Ride for Life, infatti, viene organizzata per aiutare i motociclisti pi&ugrave; sfortunati, donando il ricavato alla ricerca per trovare una cura alle lesioni spinali.  L&rsquo;evento termina con la cena di sabato 30 ottobre: campioni, partecipanti e ospiti tutti insieme. Tra i volti noti, il comico di Zelig Andrea Vasumi. Il costo della cena &egrave; di 40 euro, 20 per i bimbi fino a 12 anni e per gli iscritti al Trofeo: tutto verr&agrave; ovviamente devoluto ai progetti di Riders4Riders.&nbsp;  MotoGP: Orari TV Australia su Sky e TV8 

Appuntamento il 29 e 30 ottobre 2022 all&#39;Arena Cross di Carpi con l&rsquo;evento benefico in favore degli studi sulle lesioni spinali

Ride for Life: a fine ottobre si gareggia per la ricerca

        Andrea Dovizioso will line up for just three more races before hanging up his helmet. The Italian has announced his retirement from MotoGP in a press release issued by Yamaha in the run up to the Silverstone GP. It confirms that his last appearance will be at his home round, the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini GP. &nbsp;The return with Yamaha has not brought results  Some may be surprised by the news, but the 2022 season has been nothing but an uphill climb for Dovizioso, who hasn&rsquo;t been enjoying himself aboard the Yamaha M1 and has failed to score the desired results. The WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Racing rider comments: &ldquo;In 2012, the experience with the Iwata manufacturer in MotoGP had been very positive for me and since then I have always thought that, sooner or later, I would have liked to have an official contract with Yamaha. This possibility presented itself, actually in a somewhat daring way, during 2021. I decided to give it a try because I strongly believed in this project and in the possibility of doing well". But time has run its course: &ldquo;Unfortunately, in recent years the MotoGP has changed profoundly. The situation is very different since then: I have never felt comfortable with the bike, and I have not been able to make the most of its potential despite the precious and continuous help from the team and the whole of Yamaha&rdquo;. The real value of this adventure  To date, his best result has been an eleventh-place finish in Portugal: &ldquo;The results were negative, but beyond that, I still consider it a very important life experience&rdquo;. From a human standpoint, the results were more significant: &ldquo;When there are so many difficulties, you need to have the ability to manage the situation and your emotions well. We did not reach the desired objectives, but the consultations with the Yamaha technicians and with those of my team have always been positive and constructive, both for them and for me. The relationship remained loyal and professionally interesting even in the most critical moments: it was not so obvious that that would happen&rdquo;. He finishes by extending his thanks: &ldquo;For all this and for their support, I thank Yamaha, my team and WithU, and the other sponsors involved in the project. It didn't go as we hoped, but it was right to try. My adventure will end in Misano, but the relationship with all the people involved in this challenge will remain intact forever&rdquo;. He will be replaced at the last six rounds by Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow.&nbsp; Jarvis: Yamaha accepts Dovizioso&rsquo;s decision  Yamaha managing director Lin Jarvis admits: &ldquo;We are all sad that Andrea will be leaving the sport earlier than expected. He is a big name in MotoGP, and he will be missed in the paddock". He then takes a step back to recall how this second opportunity came about: &ldquo;We considered ourselves very lucky last year that he was available and willing to join our MotoGP programme. Andrea&rsquo;s great expertise, experience, and methodical nature were of great interest to Yamaha and the RNF team&rdquo;. But the complicated situation was clear for all to see: &ldquo;Unfortunately, Andrea has struggled to extract the maximum potential out of the M1 and thus the results have not been forthcoming, which has created understandable frustration for Andrea". Hence, Dovizioso&rsquo;s decision: &ldquo;Finally during the summer break, he confirmed to us his desire to retire before the end of the season. After mutual discussions it was deemed appropriate for Andrea to ride his final race in Misano at his home GP. Naturally, Yamaha will continue to give &lsquo;Dovi&rsquo; its full support over the next three races. In the meantime, let&rsquo;s enjoy his last three GPs and celebrate in Misano the end of a spectacular career.&rdquo; Traslated by Heater Watson Fantic and Valentino Rossi: Moto2 partnership to begin at Silverstone       

The news breaks just prior to the British round: the Italian has decided that the ltalian event at the Misano World Circuit will be his last

Andrea Dovizioso to retire from MotoGP after the San Marino GP

        In the exact place where he suffered the lowest point of his career just twelve months prior, Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales experienced a rebirth, putting his problems behind him and embarking on a new chapter in MotoGP. In reaching the podium at Van Drenthe, the 27-year old Spaniard had a breakthrough, becoming (almost) one with his Aprilia. And that &lsquo;almost&rsquo; should worry his rivals, as the number 12 rider can grow further. And he will. Twelve months, a life that changes  It was late June 2021 and Maverick was wearing Yamaha colours. And they were tight on him, let&rsquo;s be honest. He did well to finish second on the podium at the end of a race won by Fabio Quartararo &ndash; his then team-mate no less &ndash; but something had been wrong for a while. Something big&hellip; Between the Sachsenring disaster and the &lsquo;DNF&rsquo; at the Red Bull Ring, his contract was rescinded with the subsequent legal and financial consequences. This didn&rsquo;t go down well with Yamaha bosses, as the contract was set to run until 2022. And that&rsquo;s why the Spaniard didn&rsquo;t race in Austria. The move to black  Maverick was black, or no, even worse&hellip; Maverick was grey, a colour that we can bet very few people like. Definitely not an &lsquo;all or nothing&rsquo; type like Vi&ntilde;ales, who found himself at a significant crossroads &ndash; should he stop racing altogether, or start over elsewhere, perhaps in a place where (mutual) trust could be felt in the garage? And so it was that he took part in a life-changing test, aboard the RS-GP bike at Misano. And the Spaniard clearly got on well with the Italian four-cylinder, as he immediately found himself competing in a race. As of Arag&oacute;n last year, a new MotoGP adventure began for &lsquo;Vinny&rsquo;, who continues to ride for the Noale factory team today. He was a rose ready to bloom. The Assen podium - new lifeblood for Mav  The third step of the rostrum is already impressive, if we&rsquo;re talking MotoGP. Let alone if it comes after a twelve month fast. And Mav did just this, rounding out the podium at Van Drenthe. In a race won by Pecco Bagnaia, and in which Marco Bezzecchi proved himself on the world stage, the Catalan rider found himself again. But he was never really lost. It was more a matter of environment. Without judging whether one team is better than another, as that&rsquo;s not up to us, Vi&ntilde;ales found what he was looking for with the Noale-based squad, or rather understanding, trust and respect. And the right bike. Aleix has Vinny, the others don&rsquo;t  Like when we were kids, playing with our models: I have this one, you don&rsquo;t. Exactly what Aprilia might say now, with Vi&ntilde;ales in its ranks. The black squad now knows that it can count on a &lsquo;second&rsquo; rider who is as quick as the first. Because Maverick will do it again, doing better than he did at Assen. You&rsquo;ll see. And who will benefit? He will of course, as much as Aleix Espargar&oacute;. The latter has a team-mate who is ready to offer a supportive shoulder. Who else can say the same? Quarta at Yamaha? No. Pecco in Ducati? Not always. Suzuki, KTM and Honda? Forget about it. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Aleix Espargar&oacute; from ugly duckling to frontrunner       

In reaching the podium at Assen, Maverick has had a breakthrough. It is he who will tip the balance in the fight for the title, Aprilia can benefit from him

Viñales, Aleix Espargaró’s extra weapon in the fight for the MotoGP title

        The 2022 edition of the Assen GP is the first without Valentino Rossi, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2021 to dedicate himself to life as a dad and racing driver. But Valentino&rsquo;s name will be forever linked to that of the Dutch track, where the Doctor won ten races, the last of which in 2017. Rossi: "Assen, a stadium-type atmosphere"  The nine-time world champion is not present in the Assen paddock due to previous commitments with Team WRT at both Zandvoort and Spa-Franchorchamps, but he&rsquo;s still keen to extol the virtues of the Dutch track, albeit at a distance. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d have liked to be at Assen to see the MotoGP, my team, my brother and the VR46 riders. But unfortunately it wasn&rsquo;t possible as we already had a test scheduled in Belgium&rdquo;, Rossi tells website RaceSport.nl, without concealing his love for the track known as the university of motorcycling. &ldquo;The track layout is fantastic &ndash; admits Vale &ndash; I had the honour of riding the old configuration too, before the modifications were made in 2006. That version was long, fast and tough, amazing to ride. After that work it became a bit more like a normal circuit, but it&rsquo;s still beautiful&rdquo;. Rossi and his memory of 2017  And it&rsquo;s not only the track, as the Dutch fans are also special: &ldquo;The atmosphere is fantastic, especially through the final sector &ndash; in the race it&rsquo;s like entering a stadium. I hope to return to TT Assen, even if it&rsquo;s only as a spectator&rdquo;. Valentino then delves into the memory books: &ldquo;Assen was one of my favourite tracks on the MotoGP calendar. I won ten races at Assen, the same as Barcelona. I also scored my final GP win there, in 2017, and I think that's my best memory of this track&rdquo;. Speaking of Dutch tracks, Valentino thinks it would be impossible to stage a MotoGP event at Zandvoort: &ldquo;No, I think the track has two or three points that are too dangerous. There&rsquo;s not enough space there for MotoGP. So it&rsquo;s best to keep Assen for MotoGP and Zandvoort for Formula 1", concludes the Audi WRT driver and GT World Challenge Europe competitor. Translated by Heather Watson Rins and Oliveira: a guaranteed future in MotoGP, but no signatures yet       

The former MotoGP rider, who now competes in the GTWC Europe, has never hidden his love for the Dutch track: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry not to be there this year&rdquo;

Valentino Rossi: “I adore Assen, I carry the 2017 win in my heart”

        In just a short space of time, Danilo Petrucci has experienced a range of adventures and emotions, leaving MotoGP, taking part in a wonderful Dakar, before competing in MotoAmerica Superbike. And now World Superbike looms, with increasing intensity, on the horizon, the Italian looking to be a possible wildcard entry at the Portim&atilde;o round. Speaking to us over the phone, he admitted: &ldquo;There is this possibility that has come about thanks to my Warhorse HSBK Racing team, but it&rsquo;s just an idea for now. Here in America we still have a lot to do, we&rsquo;re not even half way through the championship. It would be a great thing to do, but it&rsquo;d all need to be organized.&rdquo; So it&rsquo;s all still up in the air. "Logistically, it&rsquo;s not easy and, above all, it&rsquo;s not cheap to send the crates from America to then send them back here. It&rsquo;s an idea to develop. We&rsquo;ll see how the championship pans out and, more importantly, whether I&rsquo;ll be in WorldSBK next year. In that case, it would make sense, otherwise just a one shot... I haven&rsquo;t yet thought about what to do next year, I&rsquo;m trying to live in the moment and do as well as I can here in America.&rdquo; Do you have offers on the table? "If I win the championship this year, I might have a chance to race with Ducati in WorldSBK, but it&rsquo;s still a decision I need to make. I had the same opportunity last year and a couple of years ago, but I didn&rsquo;t take it because I needed to take a break and reduce the pressure of MotoGP. That&rsquo;s why I chose the Dakar and why I&rsquo;m here in MotoAmerica. I need to get that hunger back, the motivation to do WorldSBK.&rdquo; How attracted are you by the championship? "Very. I&rsquo;d really like to take part, but I want to do it well. This year, mentally and physically speaking, I couldn&rsquo;t have done both the Dakar and Superbike, it&rsquo;s a big commitment. I view Superbike as being a similar commitment to MotoGP. I&rsquo;d have to be absolutely 100% in order to compete.&rdquo; So for 2023, either Superbike or the Dakar. "Yes, I&rsquo;d like to do both but now I know what the Dakar is really like (he laughs)&hellip; I struggled, six months of injury and even in my everyday life I couldn&rsquo;t train normally. First my ankle, then my knee, the burns, it was worrying. I struggle as I&rsquo;m not 20 anymore and so the recovery times are longer.&rdquo; What would you expect from a wildcard entry? "I&rsquo;d like to do it because Portim&atilde;o is a beautiful track and I won my last Superstock race there with Ducati back in 2011, before moving to MotoGP. It would also be great to ride with Pirelli tyres and get a good look at the SBK riders, but we&rsquo;ll see, I don&rsquo;t expect anything.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson Ducati effective in MotoGP, but a first rider is needed in order to win the title       

The Italian talks exclusively about his possible entry in the Portim&atilde;o round and also elaborates on his present and future projects

Petrucci wildcard: “It’s an idea to develop. SBK is very attractive”

Ricarica la pagina, per aggiornare la diretta   Segui con noi la decima gara della stagione della MotoGP, attraverso gli aggiornamenti giro per giro e le immagini dei momenti salienti del GP!  La classifica della gara     Gli aggiornamenti in diretta   Bandiera a scacchi  Quartararo vince davanti a Zarco, Miller e Aleix Espargaro. Ottimo quinto posto per Marini, che precede Martin, Binder e il rookie Di Giannantonio. Decimo Bastinini.  Continuate a seguirci per interviste e approfondimenti!   Ultimo giro  Prende un piccolo margine Miller, che inizia ad assaporare il podio   Giro 28  Lungo Espargaro, che spalanca a Miller la porta verso il podio. Intanto, continua la rimonta di Bastianini, 10&deg; a 3 giri dalla fine   Giro 26  Tutto invariato nelle posizioni di vertice, con Quartararo che conduce con 4&quot;5 su Zarco, che a sua volta ha 5&quot; sul duo Espargaro-Miller.  Potrebbe essere insidioso, in questo finale, Marini, che si trova a 1&quot;2 dall&#39;australiano   Giro 23  Miller tenta l&#39;affondo su Espargaro, ma non passa, mentre alle loro spalle &egrave; bagarre tra Marini e Martin, per la quinta piazza.  Intanto, confermato il problema all&#39;abbassatore sulla Rs-GP #12, che ha costretto al ritiro Vinales. Un vero peccato per Maverick, che stava conducendo la miglior gara dell&#39;anno   Vi&ntilde;ales has retired  There appears to be an issue with his ride height device and has had to return to the pits #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/hcSNBb4bev &mdash; MotoGP&trade; (@MotoGP) June 19, 2022    Giro 20  Problemi per Vinales che riporta ai box un&#39;Aprilia che sembra aver ceduto al posteriore. Potrebbe essersi trattato di un guasto all&#39;abbassatore, o alla sospensione, che ha tenuto &quot;accucciata&quot; la RS-GP   Giro 19  Brivido per Vinales! Maverick perde l&#39;anteriore in curva, va largo e perde ben 6 posizioni   Giro 17  Recupera un&#39;altra posizione Bastianini, 12&deg; alle spalle della Honda di Pol Espargaro. Intanto Quartararo &egrave; sempre pi&ugrave; leader, con 2&quot;4 di vantaggio su Zarco. Il francese ha messo una vera e propria ipoteca sulla vittoria, che sancirebbe una vera e propria fuga anche in campionato   Giro 15  Mentre il duo Aprilia avanza compatto, Miller quatto quatto si fa sotto a Vinales, riducendo il gap a soli 8 decimi. Quando mancano 16 giri alla fine, potremmo prepararci per vedere una bella battaglia per l&#39;ultimo gradino del podio   Giro 13  Vinales ha preso Espargaro: lotta tutta in famiglia per la terza posizione   What a difference a year makes  Vi&ntilde;ales finished P19 in Germany last year but is now battling his teammate for the podium #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/BYBcqzs91V &mdash; MotoGP&trade; (@MotoGP) June 19, 2022    Giro 11  Zarco rosicchia un paio di decimi a El Diablo, sempre leader della corsa, mentre Vinales mette nel mirino la RS-GP di Espargaro. Intanto, nelle retrovie, recupera posizioni Bastianini, che ora occupa la 13esima posizione, alle spalle di Bezzecchi   Giro 7  Caduta anche per Nakagami, mentre Quartararo continua la sua cavalcata, mettendo 1&quot;3 tra s&eacute; e Zarco. Resiste Di Giannantonio, quinto davanti a un Miller penalizzato con un Long Lap Penalty per una caduta in regime di bandiera gialla   Taka is out  Nakagami has a very fast crash in sector 3 but is up on his feet #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/TMzAJeL8eu &mdash; MotoGP&trade; (@MotoGP) June 19, 2022    Giro 5  Altra caduta e questa volta &egrave; Darryn Binder a salutare la compagnia scivolando in Curva 13. Buona gara di Vinales, quarto alle spalle del compagno di squadra Espargaro. Tutti pi&ugrave; o meno sulla stessa linea i piloti, che a parte rare eccezioni, hanno optato tutti per le hard   Tyre life is going to be the decider at the #GermanGP  Here&#39;s a rundown from @Michelin_Sport on who is riding what #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/3R5iH7tYCA &mdash; MotoGP&trade; (@MotoGP) June 19, 2022    Giro 4 - Bagnaia nella ghiaia, seguito da Mir  Che disastro per Pecco! Il piemontese perde il posteriore della sua Ducati in Curva 1 e finisce a terra, seguito da Joan Mir, che sbaglia alla stessa curva   Race over for @PeccoBagnaia  Absolute heartbreak for the Italian as his title hopes look dashed #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/NDVQxYVS8v &mdash; MotoGP&trade; (@MotoGP) June 19, 2022    Another crash  It&#39;s the end of @suzukimotogp&#39;s day as @JoanMirOfficial goes down #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/ceH9Ahi92B &mdash; MotoGP&trade; (@MotoGP) June 19, 2022    Giro 3  Quartararo firma il giro veloce e allunga su Bagnaia   Partiti!  Quartararo subito al comando davanti a Bagnaia. Terzo Zarco seguito da Aleix Espargaro. Brutta partenza per Bastianini, solo 19&deg;   Ben ritrovati per una nuova diretta della MotoGP. Al Sachsaring si &egrave; appena chiuso il giro di Warm-Up e tutto &egrave; pronto per la partenza  Lo schieramento   Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo, Johann Zarco: questa la prima fila del GP di Germania, che ha visto un implacabile Pecco conquistare la pole position con 76 millesimi di margine. Un gap risicatissimo, che prelude a una gara altamente combattuta, visto che a scattare dalla seconda fila saranno il costantissimo Aleix Espargaro e le Ducati di&nbsp;Fabio Di Giannantonio e Jack Miller, seguite dalle Desmosedici di Luca Marini e Jorge Martin, rispettivamente settimo e ottavo. Che fine ha fatto Enea Bastianini? Eliminato in Q1, il pilota romagnolo dovr&agrave; scattare dalla 17esima posizione in griglia. Non il modo migliore per festeggiare la firma del biennale con la Ducati, ma il Bestia pu&ograve; ancora recuperare, cos&igrave; some Joan Mir, che scatter&agrave; 12&deg;, con l&#39;unica Suzuki in griglia.  La griglia di partenza      

Finisce al quarto giro la corsa di Pecco, che consegna la vittoria nelle mani di El Diablo, leader dall&#39;inizio alla fine. Ecco come &egrave; andata la gara

MotoGP, LIVE: Quartararo domina in Germania, Bagnaia ancora a terra

        Marc Marquez is going through one of the toughest periods of his career, having to deal with the technical delays relating to the Honda RC213V as well as the physical difficulties resulting from the accidents that have marked his last seasons. Marquez, loyal to Honda  A situation about which the Spaniard has spoken openly with DAZN: &ldquo;I now have to ride with a different style, I have to study different strategies. Riding like this isn&rsquo;t my preferred way, but sometimes the thinig you don&rsquo;t like is the very thing that works&rdquo;, explains the eight-time champion, who is doing all he can to preserve his vision, which has been put to the test with recent episodes of diplopia: &ldquo;Every month I go for a check-up where the doctors check the eye, the retina and everything&rdquo;. The meagre results scored in the first seven races of the year haven&rsquo;t undermined Marquez&rsquo;s faith in the Tokyo manufacturer: &ldquo;Leave Honda? No, it&rsquo;s my team for life&rdquo;, he clarifies. &ldquo;I have other motivations, rather than trying another brand or another team, I have other motivations, like fighting for another title, but with this team, not with another. After all, it&rsquo;s becoming increasingly clear that the ideal bike, the fastest bike, doesn&rsquo;t exist, it depends on your riding style&rdquo;. Rossi and Pedrosa  Marquez ends by touching on Daniel Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi: &ldquo;Dani taught me a lot. When I arrived, he had been in MotoGP for eight or ten years, I looked at his telemetry and can say that I learned a lot in 2013&rdquo;. &ldquo;Valentino? I admire what he did, what he accomplished in motorcycling, not only in terms of titles. He&rsquo;s the rider who has moved people and taught the most to so many riders. Maybe you get on with eachother, maybe you disagree, but we don&rsquo;t all have to be friends&rdquo;, concludes the Spaniard. Translated by Heather Watson Moto3, Simoncelli tough on Fellon: &ldquo;He tries to justify his inability&rdquo;       

The Spaniard opens up in a long interview with DAZN, talking about his physical condition, Honda and his historic rival

MotoGP, Marc Marquez admits: “I admire Valentino Rossi”

        Paolo Simoncelli never holds back, and the Le Mans weekend brought no exceptions, the Italian team boss always very clear and candid. Simoncelli: "Fellon, a senseless race"  The Sic58 Squadra Corse team boss has scolded his Moto3 riders, particularly Lorenzo Fellon, who Simoncelli thinks ran a &ldquo;senseless race&rdquo; in France. &ldquo;First things first&hellip; On Friday Fellon said that the bike &lsquo;is crap, it won&rsquo;t go!&rsquo;, words he used to justify his less than inspired performance on the bike (or inability)&rdquo;, writes Paolo in his post-race blog. Harsh words, which are followed up with more: &ldquo;On Saturday though &lsquo;the bike was amazing&rsquo;, to our puzzlement. But mathematics is not an opinion and even if we change the order in which we multiply numbers, the result does not change, this is what commutative property teaches us. On Sunday he finished 23rd.&rdquo; Simoncelli doubles down: &ldquo;On Sunday he ran a senseless race &ndash; after a decent start, he let everyone pass him. Fellon&rsquo;s been with us for two seasons but despite our advice and support, I&rsquo;m yet to see him make a pass&rdquo;. Rossi and the smartphone  Simoncelli also criticises Riccardo Rossi: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a guy with the right numbers, he knows that the bike needs to be modified to improve it. He understands, and the same can&rsquo;t be said of all riders, but he needs to be able to focus already on Friday. This is the lifestyle of youngsters today, always on their phones, their life clouded by social media, and this has me thinking that he&rsquo;s distracted and not on the ball. Grana (his crew chief) and I are considering confiscating it over the race weekend&rdquo;. Rossi failed to score points at Le Mans due to a crash: &ldquo;He needs to get back in the race even more aggressive than before, you can&rsquo;t close the throttle and make a cautious start. A crash can&rsquo;t define your entire day&rdquo;, remarks Simoncelli. Fellon and Rossi are in for a tough time in the run up to Mugello, where they will both be tasked with making up for their recent lacklustre performances. Translated by Heather Watson What&rsquo;s it like to ride a MotoGP that&rsquo;s missing a wing? Brad Binder reveals all       

The Sic58 Squadra Corse team boss is quick to criticise his riders after a disappointing Le Mans round

Moto3, Simoncelli tough on Fellon: “He tries to justify his inability”

        MotoGP lands in Europe, the Portugal GP the first in a long series of races. Luca Marini is pleased about this, as he&rsquo;s keen to race at the Circuito do Algarve: "I&rsquo;m happy to be here, because I like the climate and the structures on the Old Continent. The paddock is fully operational, I feel comfortable and have more fun. Life&rsquo;s good in Europe, there&rsquo;s lots to do, and I really like this track. Ducati was strong here in 2021, me too. I feel positive and pumped up". You&rsquo;re quick in practice, what do you still need to be quick in the races too? "Nothing in particular, it&rsquo;s just getting the right combination. We&rsquo;re working to get everything sorted, the team is new and the bike too. At the start of the year we struggled a little, realising that the race is the time to collect the most indicative and useful data. The team and rider too can only understand certain things during the race. I need some rounds under my belt. But now that we&rsquo;re in Europe at tracks we know better, we can harness the experience gained over the last four rounds and try to run up front". Is there work to do on the bike or on yourself? "On the bike - we need to refine the electronic management and the tyre performance. In every race so far this year, we&rsquo;ve had a few particular issues. We know what the weak points have been and where we were less than perfect and understand how to improve. We&rsquo;ll put it all together here.&rdquo; Marini: "Me, heavy for MotoGP? As if"  There has been talk about Luca&rsquo;s weight but is it really an issue? As if: "Well, I weigh maybe a couple of kilos more than other riders, but I&rsquo;m not too heavy for MotoGP. Also because I couldn&rsquo;t weigh any less than this (he laughs). I&rsquo;m very careful about everything, staying as light and as in shape as possible. Obviously everything has its limit. But my current problem isn&rsquo;t my weight, on the contrary&hellip; At Austin, I was lacking acceleration and speed, but I wasn&rsquo;t the only one to complain. Weight has nothing to do with it.&rdquo; Once the tyres are worn, is the bike very different to ride? "Not particularly. From last year until now, tyre wear has gradually become less of an issue. We can now complete each lap of the race pushing almost 100%. The only thing is the overheating of the rear tyre, a situation we have to manage. We often use the soft solution in fact. With respect to 2019, not much has changed, you have to adapt in the saddle.&rdquo; Considering Bastianini, would you like to use the GP21, already developed and complete? "The team couldn&rsquo;t have known how the first races would go, so I think that the GP22 was the right choice. I couldn&rsquo;t ask for more. Analysing the data, perhaps we can say that the GP21 would have been easier, it might have helped me a little. During testing, I suffered and also had to get to grips with everything, a new crew chief, the bike. We&rsquo;re a little behind, but I&rsquo;m in no hurry - this is my second year in MotoGP, I&rsquo;m not in a hurry to win. I&rsquo;m sure the results will come.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: Bagnaia criticises the Portim&atilde;o gravel, Tardozzi explains why       

Ahead of the Portugal GP, Luca clarifies one thing: "I&rsquo;m maybe two kilos more than other riders, I can&rsquo;t go any lower. Win? There&rsquo;s no hurry, this is my second year in the reigning class&rdquo;

Portugal GP, Marini: “My weight? That’s not the problem in MotoGP”

        A big surprise in Qatar, still in the lead after Indonesia, downsized in Argentina. Enea Bastianini started the 2022 MotoGP season in the best possible way, winning the Lusail race and gifting the Gresini team an inaugural victory that was perhaps unexpected but definitely deserved. At Mandalika, the 2020 Moto2 champion fought hard, taking on the challenges of very hot temperatures, rain, pieces of asphalt breaking away, tyres that wouldn&rsquo;t grip&hellip; And, with effort and patience, his Ducati Gp21 held on to first place in the standings, with a points tally of 30. This lead then vanished at Termas de Rio Hondo however, after a difficult weekend in which material arrived late to the paddock, leaving teams with little time to prepare. In addition,&nbsp; it was the number 23 rider&rsquo;s first visit to the South American track, and so perhaps it was unlikely that he&rsquo;d do any better than he did. Enea prepares to fight back at the US MotoGP  Beyond wanting to score the best possible results for himself and the Gresini team, Bastianini is fighting another battle, and it regards his professional future&hellip;. It&rsquo;s no secret that Bestia wants a factory ride in 2023. Or rather a factory team, bike, spares, support, company and&hellip; salary, all privileges that those belonging to factory squads enjoy. If possible, the Ducati Lenovo&nbsp;team. The 24-year old Italian was already strong last year with Avintia Esponsorama, he&rsquo;s very strong now with the team headed up by Nadia Padovani, and he&rsquo;d clearly do well with the Borgo Panigale factory machine, although he&rsquo;s not alone in targeting this ride, as there&rsquo;s another Ducati man with similar ambitions. We&rsquo;re talking about Jorge Martin, who came so close to a win last weekend but was ultimately pipped to the post by Aleix Espargar&ograve; on the Aprilia. The Pramac Racing rider currently has a GP22, but he wants a Lenovo factory GP23. And he wants it just as much as Enea. While the Termas round saw the Italian&rsquo;s share prices drop, the Spaniard&rsquo;s began to climb. Enea will do his best to claim victory  Enea enjoys the Americas GP and scored a strong sixth-place finish in last year&rsquo;s race. He did even better back in Moto3, reaching the second step of the podium in 2018. But now the situation is different, as well as more complicated. The track is challenging, with potholes and bumps that made life difficult for the riders in 2021. The lap times will also be extremely close. Enea is well aware of all this, but we&rsquo;re certain that he is keen to respond to the recent downhill trend. It will be important to reach Europe with the highest possible morale and the best possible position in the standings, because the Italian is then in for a tough sprint from Portim&atilde;o to Arag&oacute;n. And decisions will be made as to 2023, the riders&rsquo; market seemingly quiet but in fact already buzzing. Bastianini will need to raise his voice already in the States if he wants to be able to sing further down the line. Translated by Heather Watson Argentina MotoGP: Jack Miller teetering on the edge       

Enea struggled in Argentina, finishing tenth and losing the championship lead. In the US, the team Gresini rider needs to respond to Martin, in the mix for the 2023 factory Ducati &nbsp;

Bastianini, a small false move at Termas: will he bounce back at Austin?

        We had already published the news that Ana Carrasco will race in Moto3 with team Bo&eacute; this season, but now the Kawasaki team with which the rider has raced for five years also confirms the &ldquo;separation&rdquo;. &ldquo;Not only a highly successful racer in her own right, Carrasco has also been a role model for women globally&rdquo;, reads the press release. A winning partnership  Ana was able to win the Supersport300 title aboard the Kawasaki Ninja 400. Carrasco scored seven race wins and reached the podium on twelve occasions, amassing a total of 420 points. Guim Roda, KRT WorldSBK team manager and co-owner of Provec, had this to say about Ana&rsquo;s departure: &ldquo;Ana&rsquo;s move to Moto3 is a fitting end to a journey we started together in 2018. We are so proud to be part of the history now, and a Kawasaki Ninja will forever be recognised as the first ever bike that powered a woman to an FIM Motorcycle Open Championship. In 2018 she won the Championship, which was magical year, but I think 2019 and 2020 were when she performed the best. In 2019 she fought every race just losing second position in Championship on the last lap of the last race. In 2020 she pushed for the title again before her big crash in Estoril that was very nearly life changing &ndash; but Ana fought back to health as only she can. On behalf of in all in the Kawasaki family we wish Ana all the best and hope she can continue making history motivating women and demonstrating that they deserve the same opportunities in life as men.&rdquo; Carrasco: &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve been a family&rdquo;  Carrasco herself states: &ldquo;Racing is tough, not just on track where people see but also at times like this when you have to make tough decisions. My ambition is always to grow as a rider, to set myself new goals that other&rsquo;s see as impossible and to achieve them.&nbsp; When my parents bought me my first minibike and then I started racing of course my dream was like any rider &ldquo;one day I want to be a World Champion&rdquo;. This I achieved in 2018 and even today that feeling is magical; but anyone that understands racing will know that every racer needs to push, to be ambitious and to test themselves again and again. This opportunity to ride in Moto3 is a logical step in my mind even if the emotional step is hard. I would like to thank everyone at Kawasaki who truly made me feel part of a racing family. I hope I can repay your kindness with a second World Championship. Thank you.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Bezzecchi: &ldquo;The shakedown's done, it&rsquo;s incredible to reach certain speeds&rdquo;       

The former SSP300 rider will compete in Moto3 with team Bo&eacute;. The Kawasaki Racing Team with which she&rsquo;s raced for five years confirms the news

Carrasco: “Leaving Kawasaki means leaving a family, but I want new challenges”

        KTM is ready for a relaunch in 2022. With the championship just around the corner and team presentations already underway, the Austrian manufacturer has high hopes for the season. Not only with regard to its factory team, but also its Tech3 line-up. Herv&eacute; Poncharal&rsquo;s team will field the two most promising rookies on the grid, Moto2 world champion Remy Gardner and runner-up Raul Fernandez. Gardner - Fernandez: no shortage of talent  But will the two young KTM talents prove to be a winning bet? Both have the goods on paper of course. Australian Gardner has recently secured the Moto2 title and&nbsp;let's not forget that Fernandez, second in the 2021 standings, was able to achieve this result in what was his rookie Moto2 season, fighting for the title from start to finish. This could bode well for him in MotoGP. The Spaniard has shown he is quick to adapt to change and he was immediately quick in initial testing at Jerez despite it being his first outing with the MotoGP bike. Raul is clearly not short on talent. And the same goes for Gardner who, unlike Fernandez, is a more mature rider and can also boast a certain level of experience, having competed in Moto2 for six seasons. This will clearly be useful when it comes to his work in the garage and his approach to the new team. With so many young riders in its ranks, KTM is spoiled for choice  We&rsquo;ve come to understand the KTM strategy over the years, the manufacturer clearly focusing on young riders and all that is new. And so it's equally clear that both Raul and Gardner could also represent the future for the factory team (already in 2023), stepping in to replace Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira. The two factory riders didn&rsquo;t put together the kind of season that KTM expected in 2021, and so this coming season will be the year of truth. If the pair fail to power the RC16 to the front and round out the year close to the top of the standings, they will have no chance of retaining their rides with the Austrian manufacturer. With a view to 2023, Beirer himself has said that no one is safe and that KTM will need to either renew or change up its contracts for both the factory squad and the Tech3 team. And the two most likely substitutes for the factory team are of course Gardner and Fernandez. Although Pedro Acosta may also be on the horizon, ready to mix things up and perhaps enter the running for a factory KTM ride already in 2023. The young Spaniard won the Moto3 title in 2021 and will compete in Moto2 in 2022, remaining with KTM (team Ajo). So it wouldn&rsquo;t be too much of a stretch to see him in MotoGP in 2023. And the Austrian manufacturer won&rsquo;t want to lose this kind of rider, though many other teams are already showing a strong interest in him. The KTM strategy is nevertheless clear, and the manufacturer has many young and talented riders in its ranks right now. Binder and Oliveira should take heed, as the pressure is most definitely on. Translated by Heather Watson Andrea Dovizioso: a second life in MotoGP begins       

The two rookies represent the future for the official team and, if Binder and Oliveira don&rsquo;t deliver, they&rsquo;ll be replaced by the Austrian manufacturer without too much trouble. But is Acosta also in the running?

MotoGP: Gardner and Fernandez, the factory KTM is calling for 2023

        It&rsquo;s been 82 days since Marc Marquez last won a MotoGP race, 82 days that have also brought a series of plot twists. Just as everything seemed to be improving, diplopia knocked on Marc&rsquo;s door, sending him spiralling back into hell, the rider hoping only to fly high again as soon as possible. &ldquo;The accident occurred on a day like any other. I was riding enduro at a track near my house when I crashed through a right-hand turn and hit my head&rdquo;, recounts the Spaniard. &ldquo;I got back up anyway and completed my training. I went home and it was only a few hours later that I started to have problems, so I called the doctor, who told me to keep calm because the problem can often sort itself out in just a few days. Unfortunately that wasn&rsquo;t the case, but if you want to be the best in the world, you have to train and take risks&rdquo;. Things are much improved now, something we can see from the smile on number 93&rsquo;s face as he talks about his situation. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy now, while the last three months were really tough. Eye problems are never simple, but luckily things have got better day by day. I&rsquo;ve been following all the doctors&rsquo; advice since the incident and it&rsquo;s been a long process, as it involved the same nerve that was affected in my 2011 incident, which in this case also involved a muscle. I&rsquo;ve had a check-up this week and fortunately things are improving as I thought&rdquo;. The months spent at home haven&rsquo;t been easy for Marc, who states that he wouldn&rsquo;t wish what he&rsquo;s been through on anyone. &ldquo;Mentally speaking, it&rsquo;s been one of the most difficult periods of my career, the fourth winter in which I&rsquo;ve had physical problems. After I won at Misano, everything seemed to be going well, but then a new injury came along. You have to stay positive in life, and I wouldn&rsquo;t wish what I&rsquo;ve been through in recent months on anyone. Right from the day of the injury, the goal was to be back on track for the first test or the first race, and I think we&rsquo;re on the right track&rdquo;. And if anyone is wondering how a champion like the Spaniard survives without his bike, here&rsquo;s the answer. &ldquo;I tried to forget the world, living a normal life with my loved ones, particularly in the first weeks. It was difficult of course, also because it&rsquo;s not easy to have a normal life with an eye problem, but when you get back in the saddle, the feeling is perhaps better than ever. In any case, the problems I&rsquo;ve had, I wouldn&rsquo;t wish them on anyone.&rdquo; Marquez: &ldquo;The team is planning a new test&rdquo;  The worst appears to be behind him, and the first MX test that he completed a few days ago is no doubt an encouraging sign. &ldquo;I got back on an MX bike because it&rsquo;s similar to the one I hurt myself with and needs real attention, so it was an important test bench. It all went well, so now I&rsquo;m thinking about the next step. The team is organising a test at a real track, maybe with the CBR that I rode last year when recovering from my arm injury&rdquo;. Thoughts turn quickly to the Sepang test, but Marc confirms that he&rsquo;s still to make a decision about that. &ldquo;An eye problem is no joke and you can&rsquo;t head out on track &lsquo;just to try&rsquo;. I&rsquo;d like to have got straight on the bike but experience has taught me to be patient, also because even the doctors were unable to give me a specific recovery time at first. I&rsquo;ve gradually got moving again, first on the bicycle and then with the MX bike, but before confirming whether I&rsquo;ll be in Malaysia or not, I need to do another test, so that I can see whether I&rsquo;m really 100%&rdquo;. What is certain is that an operation appears unnecessary right now, and his shoulder also seems to be healing well. &ldquo;it doesn&rsquo;t look like I need surgery for now, but the doctors and I want to see how my eyes react at a real track. There are many things to understand before I can be given the OK to ride in Malaysia. If there&rsquo;s not enough time to solve the issues I&rsquo;ll need surgery, but that doesn&rsquo;t like likely for now. My shoulder? It&rsquo;s definitely better, but for now I need to focus on my eyes.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson Honda presents its 2022 season, from car racing activity to the desire to win       

"The first test went well, but now I need to ride at a real track. Until then, I won&rsquo;t know whether I can test at Sepang or not. For weeks I tried to forget the world"

59 risultati per 'Ride for Life'