Valencia MotoGP: Can Ducati deny Marquez the perfect season?

With a MotoGP Triple Crown on the line Marc Marquez and Honda have the opportunity to complete a perfect 2019 - but can Ducati spoil the party in Valencia?

Marc Marquez has the opportunity to close out a perfect MotoGP campaign in 2019 if he can help Repsol Honda seal the world teams’ title and duly complete its Triple Crown.

Having already sealed the world riders’ and constructors’ crown back in Thailand and Japan respectively, Marquez set a new all-time points scoring record by moving on to 395 points thanks to second place at the Malaysian round last time out.

With just one piece of his perfect 2019 missing, Marquez and Repsol Honda actually took a small step back in the teams’ fight against the factory Ducati squad at Sepang.

While the 26-year-old bagged 20 points with second place, plus team-mate Jorge Lorenzo’s contribution of two points in 14th place, Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso (third) and Danilo Petrucci (ninth) combined tally of 23 points saw the Italian team extend its advantage to a slender two-point lead heading into the season finale.

As a result it sets up a genuinely tight contest for the MotoGP teams’ world championship in Valencia and while the crown would act as small comfort to Ducati it would deny Repsol Honda and Marquez their a triple hat-trick – a third consecutive MotoGP Triple Crown following up its 2017 and 2018 feats.

Dovizioso: Barcelona “cut off our legs” in title fight

Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso says he believes his MotoGP title chances effectively ended as early as June’s Barcelona round after another race in which Marc Marquez extended his points advantage.
Despite a strong recovery ride to second, Dovizioso could offer no challenge to a dominant Marquez in last weekend’s Aragon Grand Prix, as the Spaniard romped to his eighth triumph of the season by a little under five seconds.

It means Marquez has a commanding 98-point lead in the championship over Dovizioso, who has won only two races this year, with only 125 points left up for grabs in the remaining five rounds of 2019.

As well as Ducati’s well-documented performance struggles, the Italian’s title bid has been hampered by crashes at Barcelona, where he was caught up in a multi-bike melee triggered by Jorge Lorenzo, and Silverstone, where he was an innocent victim of Fabio Quartararo’s first-corner fall.

Reflecting on the state of play in the championship, Dovizioso highlighted those DNFs, but also admitted he has only been able to challenge the Honda man on-track “in flashes”.

“I am not one who finds excuses and I don’t want to start now,” said the Italian. “But when free zeroes arrive in the championship, that don’t depend on you, it changes everything.

“Until Barcelona we were behind, but close [12 points]. The incident there cut off our legs, but anyway we were not close to Marc like last year.

“We were only able to challenge him in flashes in the middle part of the season, then the crash at Silverstone happened. But don’t want to say that without those two incidents I would be able to challenge Marc, because we only finished ahead of him in Austria.

“This is the reality and we have to be better in certain aspects that we are aware of. But nobody at the moment is beating Marc, so we [all] have to find some solutions.”

Marquez will have his first chance to wrap up the title next weekend in Thailand, where he only needs to outscore Dovizioso by two points to put a sixth MotoGP crown beyond doubt.

“It will be very difficult but nothing is impossible, so we will try to the end,” said Dovizioso of his chances of delaying his rival’s coronation at the Buriram track.

“Here we didn’t arrive too optimistic and the practice sessions didn’t go very well, but at the end we came second and this shows that we shouldn’t give up.

“We understand quite well what is happening and we work calmly, in the races we almost always bring home the maximum.”

Spectacular MotoGP Crash Sets Ducati On Fire

Both riders were OK, but what a moment!
Watching the 2019 MotoGP round at Silverstone from the start, with no spoilers before you saw it, you could be forgiven for thinking it was just going to be the Marc Márquez Show. After all, he was doing two things he excels at: starting from pole, and getting a blazing fast start from that position. However, it was a first-lap race incident involving Fabio Quatararo and Andrea Dovizioso that was the first big moment in this race.

If you simply spectated, all you saw was Quatararo’s Petronas Yamaha SRT going down in a high side, and of course Quatararo flying. Then, you saw Dovi’s Mission Winnow Ducati having absolutely nowhere to go, launching up over Quatararo’s bike, sliding away, and bursting into flames as Dovi also flew and landed hard—but at least, thankfully far from the flaming wreckage of his bike.

Miller staying with Pramac Ducati MotoGP team in 2020

Australian Jack Miller will stay with Pramac Ducati next season after agreeing a contract extension, the MotoGP team said on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old had expressed uncertainty about his future after talk of Spain’s triple MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo returning to the Italian manufacturer despite being contracted to Honda.

“I am very happy to have reached this agreement,” Miller said in a team statement.

“Pramac Racing is a team that made me feel comfortable right from the start and the relationship with Ducati is very close. I will have again the official bike at my disposal and will do my best to achieve great results.”

Miller, who races for the non-works team but has a factory contract, finished third in this month’s Czech Grand Prix and in Texas in April. He is eighth in the MotoGP standings.

Austrian MotoGP: Will Ducati make it four wins in a row?

Ducati head into this weekend's Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring with their eyes on a fourth win in four years.

The team has won every race since MotoGP returned to Austria in 2016 after a break of 18 years, with the country hosting a motorcycle Grand Prix event at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg - the last time being in 1997 (Mick Doohan won in a Honda), according to MotoGP.com.

The Bologna-based outfit has factory riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci keen to make it four in a row for Ducati in Austria but there's also Pramac Racing's Jack Miller who rides a Ducati.

Dovizioso had went wheel-to-wheel with championship leader Marc Marquez in 2017 and with the latter in stupendous form we can only hope for a fantastic race on Sunday.

Marquez currently leads Dovizoso by 63 points in the riders' standings.

Petrucci retains Ducati MotoGP seat for 2020

MotoGP race winner Danilo Petrucci will remain part of the Ducati factory team in 2020, the Italian manufacturer has announced.

Petrucci was brought in to replace Jorge Lorenzo at the team on an initial one-year deal for 2019, and convinced Ducati to extend his tenure with the outfit through a solid start to the campaign, which included a maiden win at Mugello.

Ducati confirmed its intention to offer Petrucci a new deal in the middle of June, but the Italian rider admitted last time out at Assen that the two parties were yet to agree terms.

However, the extension was firmed up and made official ahead of the following weekend's German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring.

"I'm very happy to continue with Ducati for another year," said Petrucci. "It was my goal ever since the beginning of this new chapter, because we immediately found great chemistry with the team.

"In this first half of the season we were able to progressively increase our competitiveness, taking two podiums and an unforgettable win. To renew our collaboration before the summer break makes me even more serene and confident about the future."

Petrucci sits third in the riders' championship after eight rounds, trailing teammate Andrea Dovizioso by eight points and runaway championship leader Marc Marquez by 52.

The renewal assures Petrucci of a ninth season in the premier class, and puts him in sync with the rest of MotoGP's factory rider market - with the contracts of all of his fellow works riders, including teammate Dovizioso, likewise set to expire at the end of 2020.

"We're very happy to have reached an agreement with Petrucci and to continue to work together on track also next year," said the Ducati team's general manager Gigi Dall'Igna. "Danilo has shown his professionalism and talent ever since the first outings with the factory Desmosedici GP, and I believe his qualities are now clear to everyone, as evidenced by the strong results he already achieved this season, which culminated in a fantastic maiden win at Mugello.

"With Danilo on track alongside Andrea, our goal is to fight for the title, both in the riders' and the manufacturers' championships."

Pramac rider Jack Miller, who had been Petrucci's main rival for the 2020 works ride, remains without a deal in place for next year.

The Aussie is keen to continue on a works-specification Ducati for Pramac, but this would require the Italian manufacturer to supply two GP20 entries for its satellite team next year - for Miller and under-contract teammate Francesco Bagnaia.

Ducati improved turning weakness in Barcelona test

Ducati MotoGP rider Danilo Petrucci says the new parts brought for the post-Catalan Grand Prix test have improved the turning of the GP19, while also keeping the bike strong in braking.
Corner speed has long been regarded as Ducati's Achilles' heel in MotoGP, as it relies on strong top speed, acceleration and also late braking.

Petrucci confirmed that it was indeed his weak point during the Sunday race as he was overtaken by Alex Rins and Fabio Quartararo in fast corners.

But in the Monday test, Petrucci tested new parts on the chassis of his GP19 and he reported improvements in long corner speed without compromising the bike's strong braking which, allowed him to keep Rins at bay for several laps.

"I did all the race with the Yamaha and Suzuki and we are very strong in acceleration and braking but I suffer in the long corner," explained Petrucci, who salvaged third in the race.

"Alex passed me on Turn 4, Fabio Turn 3, because we can't carry the speed because the bike is stable but there is always the problem of understeering.

"Then in that part for sure we keep the bike good on braking and we improve this part of turning. So it is good."

Petrucci, who ended the test 11th, said that he will start with the new parts in the new race at Assen, where cornering speed is crucial.

"For sure is a small thing but I think is very good for Assen," he added. "We think is good for Assen so we start with this. We found many many other things, for the aerodynamics and electronics that work."

Andrea Dovizioso ended the test 0.008s slower than his teammate, having tested a brand new chassis. He was also pleased with the new parts, which allowed him to be stronger on corner entry, and will also consider using it at Assen.

"I try one different chassis. It wasn't easy to feel the difference because every time you change something on the chassis, very difficult.

"I am happy because I feel the difference, looks like the entry is a bit better, this is positive but is difficult to say how much is the improvement.

"I am happy, we are working on that, normally in the race weekend, you understand something more about that when you are with the other riders.

"When you change something like that, you need the experience to understand exactly the characteristic.

"Maybe [we will use it in Assen], still, when you have one piece and one week, is not easy. Still we have to make the plan but I think so."

Dovizioso was an innocent victim of a four-rider crash in Sunday's Catalan GP and suffered his first retirement of the season, his deficit to Marquez growing to 37 points.

Petrucci: Breakthrough MotoGP win doesn’t change targets

Danilo Petrucci says his landmark victory at the Italian MotoGP won’t change his targets and is already expecting Marc Marquez to be Ducati’s strongest rival in Catalunya

Danilo Petrucci says his landmark victory at the Italian MotoGP last time out won’t change his targets and is already expecting Marc Marquez to be Ducati’s strongest rival in Catalunya.

In an emotional Mugello fight the Italian rider secured his maiden MotoGP win and has the opportunity to emulate both team-mate Andrea Dovizioso and former Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo after the pair claimed back-to-back wins in Italy and Catalunya across 2017 and 2018.

Ducati's Petrucci takes first MotoGP win at Mugello

Danilo Petrucci, an Italian riding for local team Ducati, held off Marc Marquez to gain a first ever MotoGP victory on Sunday in the Italian Grand Prix.

The second place allowed Spaniard Marquez to increase his lead in the world championship ahead of another Italian on a Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso, who finished third on Sunday after a prolonged three-way battle.

Five-time MotoGP champion Marquez on a Honda briefly took the lead in the last lap but Petrucci recaptured first place and won.

"It's amazing, I'm thrilled," said 28-year-old Petrucci, who finished eighth in the 2017 and 2018 world championships.

"On front of my home crowd and in my town, it's incredible, I can't describe how I feel."

Marquez -- winner of three out of six races this season -- started on pole but had to battle with the Ducati riders and Suzuki's Alex Rins, who challenged hard despite starting back on the grid.

The four riders overtook each other several times but Petrucci found the power to pull clear on the final lap of the fast Mugello circuit.

Italian star Valentino Rossi crashed out of his home race where the Yamaha rider has not won since 2008 after an impressive series of seven consecutive victories.

Ducati offers glimpse into MotoGP aerodynamic 'magic'

Ducati provides insight into the 'magic' of MotoGP aerodynamics with a special exhibition at its Bologna museum.

Ducati, which kick-started the modern era of MotoGP winglets in 2015, has opened a temporary 'Anatomy of Speed' exhibition at its Bologna museum to highlight the key role of aerodynamics 'as a technological ingredient which rewrites the notion of performance'.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna inaugurated the exhibition on the eve of this weekend's Italian GP, being joined by factory MotoGP riders Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci and Michele Pirro...

Jack Miller gets a go on the WorldSBK-dominating Ducati Panigale V4 R in Spain

Leading MotoGP rider Jack Miller has swapped out his Ducati GP19 for a WorldSBK specification Ducati Panigale V4 R during an open track day in Spain.

The Australian, currently in his second season within the Ducati stable as a Pramac Racing rider, was at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as part of an open test featuring Moto2 and Moto3 riders.

As such, Miller took the opportunity to ride the machine that is well on course to give Ducati its first WorldSBK riders’ title since 2011 following a run of 11 wins from 13 races in hands of ex-MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista.

No official lap times or comments were made, with a Ducati spokesman did confirm its MotoGP riders have been given a Ducati Panigale V4 R road bike for personal use on track days at their pleasure.

Miller, who has competed in the MotoGP class since 2015, is currently sixth in the overall standings after securing a trio of top five finishes so far this season.

Andrea Dovizioso feels more competitive front-running order is present at Le Mans compared to last year’s French MotoGP

Andrea Dovizioso feels a more competitive front-running order is present at Le Mans compared to last year’s French MotoGP and is eager to find overnight gains from his Ducati to move up the timesheet.

The Italian rider, who was tipped as favourite for victory in this race 12 months ago before crashing out, has ended Friday practice fifth fastest but just 0.308s off pace-setter Maverick Vinales on the Monster Yamaha.

Miller: New Ducati MotoGP bike a 'gun for a gun fight'

Jack Miller says he feels like he has a 'gun for a gun fight' now he's on Ducati's GP19 MotoGP bike.
The Aussie is on a current-spec bike for the first time since joining Pramac, having jumped straight from the GP17 to the GP19 for his second season as a Ducati rider.

His results have been mixed since making the switch, his season opener in Qatar ruined by a bizarre seat issue, before he recovered with a fourth place in Argentina.

However he reckons on both occasions he felt better equipped to run at the front of the MotoGP field.

"I'm really enjoying riding this GP19 Ducati," he wrote in his latest Red Bull column.

"I said to someone that I feel like I'm bringing a gun to a gun fight now, and that's the best way of explaining it. The speed is easier to come by and you don't feel you’re riding it right on the ragged edge every corner just to get a lap time out.

"That's why Qatar was frustrating; with the way [Andrea Dovizioso] rode that race and controlled the pace, I reckon I could have stayed with the front group and been in a position to do something in the last few laps.

"In the first few laps on this bike is when I notice it, you're not constantly over-braking and cooking the front tyre just to stay with those guys, and not trying to make up for not being able to stay with them on the straights.

"I can manage the tyres better because the speed of the bike is there, that's probably the biggest factor."

Tyres still played a pivotal role in Miller's Argentine GP, a decision to run the medium compound front, rather than the hard, potentially costing him a podium finish.

Speaking after the race he said: "It was my decision, I felt better on the medium. But with the heat we had we probably would have been better on the hard.

"Since the third lap I was pushing the front. As the tyre got worn down on the rear I was able to control the front a little bit more, and it helped me make some moves towards the end of the race.

"Maybe, my strategy could have been a little better. I got into some tussles with [Franco] Morbidelli and stuff like that when I should have just maybe just let them burn themselves out and waited, rather than trying to fight them.

"I learnt a little bit today.

"We were probably lacking a little race experience, but from what I learnt today I feel can help us improve and make that last little step to fighting with [Valentino Rossi] and 'Dovi' for the podium."

Buriram Test: Confidence issues led Lorenzo to try 2017 bike

Jorge Lorenzo says he reverted to Ducati's 2017 MotoGP bike on the final day of testing at Buriram because he was struggling for confidence with the manufacturer's '18 challenger.

Lorenzo finished no higher than 10th on the first two days at Buriram, but was even further down the testing times on Sunday after running on old tyres and wound up 22nd.

He decided to revert to Ducati's GP17 for the final few hours of Sunday's test, but said afterwards he believes the new bike, which he said on Saturday he still did not feel "comfortable" with, remains the better bet.

"Today has been difficult, [I had] not so much confidence, and I was very far from the first riders," said Lorenzo.

"That's why we decided to try again the old bike.

"It was important to try the old bike again - it still has some points that are better than the new one, also some points that are worse.

"[But] if I had to choose at this moment and make a conclusion, I would choose the new bike. We have a bigger potential [with it]."

When asked to specify what he was struggling with on the new bike, Lorenzo replied: "The new ['18] chassis still has negative points that I don't like so much."

Ducati: Both riders can fight for the Championship

It’s a rosy start to the new season for the Borgo Panigale factory and Team Manager Davide Tardozzi smiles us through Sepang

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) topped the #SepangTest with the best ever lap of the track, and that made some big headlines. But teammate Andrea Dovizioso wasn’t so far off either, and Team Manager Davide Tardozzi affirms that the Borgo Panigale factory can be competitive this season with both men. Fighting for the podium, he means? No, “for the Championship.”

After looking at the field in Sepang in the first Official Test of 2018, the Italian wouldn’t be drawn too much in comparisons, but kept it simple yet effective. “We’re happy with things in our garage. I think we can be competitive for the Championship this year, with both riders.”

So after the impressive timesheets, it was certainly a good start on paper - and Tardozzi and details the key changes the factory were asked for and have delivered, again repeating that buzzword…

“We are very happy,” he repeats. “Both our riders and Petrucci have had very positive comments. They really appreciate the power delivery and the new engine. We tried to make the engine smoother and less aggressive, this is something the riders requested. During the winter we worked on that and it looks like we got the results. They’ve found good things in the chassis in corner entry, and we still lack something at the exit of the corner but we’re happy.”

Jack Miller shines in testing on Ducati debut at Sepang

AUSSIE MotoGP star Jack Miller was buoyant after a promising debut on the Pramac Ducati during testing at Sepang.

Miller finished the final of three days of track time as the fifth-fastest rider, even after crashing out early, in hot and sometimes wet conditions at the Malaysian circuit.

The 23-year-old Queenslander has joined Ducati after three years with Honda to partner Italian Danilo Petrucci in 2018. His teammate was 10th fastest at Sepang.

Miller clocked 1 min 59.346 sec, just over half a second behind Ducati factory rider Jorge Lorenzo (1:58.830), ahead of Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow.

It gives the young star, now in his fourth year in the premier class, encouragement going into the next testing in Thailand from February 16 to 18.

“I’m really very satisfied with these first test,’’ Miller said. The feeling with the bike is really good and I think we still have some margin to explore here and there.

“Great couple of days testing, can’t wait to get back on it in Thailand,’’ he said. His Ducati team described Miller’s 36-lap performance on Tuesday as “extraordinary”.

Many teams including the factory Honda outfit tested aerodynamic wings on their bikes.

Lorenzo set his fastest ever lap on the track, while reigning world champion Marc Marquez was seventh fastest, riding without the aero fairing on the third day. Yamaha legend Valentino Rossi was seventh fastest.

Testing will continue in Thailand and then Qatar on March 1-3. The first race will be in Qatar under lights on March 18.

Lorenzo below lap record pace to dominate Day 3

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) decimated the competition on the third and final day of the #SepangTest, setting the fastest ever lap around the Malaysian venue with a 1:58.830. His closest challenger was Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa – the fastest man on Day 1 of the test – who was just over a tenth and a half behind his compatriot. The number 26 is also the holder of the pole lap record. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) took P3, only half a tenth behind the RC213V of Pedrosa ahead of him.