GP of Valencia – Race Classification:
1. Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 41’21.469
2. Fabio QUARTARARO Petronas Yamaha SRT +1.026
3. Jack MILLER Pramac Racing +2.409
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team +3.326
5. Alex RINS Team SUZUKI ECSTAR +3.508
6. Maverick VIÑALES Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +8.829
7. Joan MIR Team SUZUKI ECSTAR +10.622
8. Valentino ROSSI Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +22.992
9. Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +32.704
10. Pol ESPARGARO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +32.973
11. Tito RABAT Reale Avintia Racing +42.795
12. Mika KALLIO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +45.732
13. Jorge LORENZO Repsol Honda Team +51.044
14. Karel ABRAHAM Reale Avintia Racing +1’04.871
15. Hafizh SYAHRIN Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +1’16.487
Not Classified
29 Andrea IANNONE Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
21 Franco MORBIDELLI Petronas Yamaha SRT
9 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati Team
5 Johann ZARCO LCR Honda IDEMITSU
27 Iker LECUONA Red Bull KTM Tech 3
35 Cal CRUTCHLOW LCR Honda CASTROL
51 Michele PIRRO Ducati Team
MotoGP World Championship Standings:
1 Marc MARQUEZ Honda 420
2 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati 269
3 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha 211
4 Alex RINS Suzuki 205
5 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha 192
6 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati ITA 176
7 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha 174
8 Jack MILLER Ducati 165
9 Cal CRUTCHLOW Honda 133
10 Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha 115
11 Pol ESPARGARO KTM 100
12 Joan MIR Suzuki 92
13 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda 74
14 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia 63
15 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati 54
16 Andrea IANNONE Aprilia 43
17 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM 33
18 Johann ZARCO Honda 30
19 Jorge LORENZO Honda 28
20 Tito RABAT Ducati 23
21 Stefan BRADL Honda 16
22 Michele PIRRO Ducati 9
23 Hafizh SYAHRIN KTM 9
24 Karel ABRAHAM Ducati 9
25 Sylvain GUINTOLI Suzuki 7
26 Mika KALLIO KTM 7
27 Bradley SMITH Aprilia
28 Iker LECUONA
MotoGP Press
Marquez makes it the triple crown for Honda, Quartararo and Miller follow him home
Some familiar faces were on the podium in Valencia, with the final glory of the season decided
Sunday, 17 November 2019
Marc Marquez claimed victory number 12 of the season at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, making the Repsol Honda Team Team Champions to add to his rider title and the constructors’ Championship – the triple crown. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo also scored points in his final MotoGP™ rider, with the five-time World Champion bidding an emotional farewell to the sport. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), meanwhile, signed off with another impressive podium in second, and he pipped Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) to the title of top Independent Team rider as the Aussie followed him home in third.
Miller launched his Pramac Racing machine into the holeshot, with Marquez getting a sluggish getaway from the middle of the front row to drop down to P6, having run slightly wide at Turn 1. Polesitter Quartararo then grabbed the lead from Miller as the Australian ran wide at Turn 2, with the Frenchman quickly creating a small gap to his rivals. Heading into Turn 1 on Lap 2, Marquez was into P3 past the fast-starting duo of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), however, and it wouldn’t take the 2019 Champion long to pick off Miller as he locked his radar onto Quartararo.
The Rookie of the Year’s lead was 0.7 over Marquez, with the latter racing to an eight-tenths advantage over Miller. Marquez was creeping up to the back of the leading M1 slowly but surely, and on Lap 8 a surprise, late but super fine move at Turn 11 saw the number 93 lead. Suddenly third place Miller – with Dovizioso and Rins in tow – had closed the gap to less than half a second, the top five covered by 1.7. However, Marquez was in the groove and the eight-time Champion had pulled to over half a second clear of Quartararo, with the gap hovering between 0.6 and 0.8 for a number of laps after. Miller wasn’t letting Quartararo have P2 all his own way either, that margin was remaining at a second – enough to keep the number 20 on his toes.
Everyone held firm before a tenth here and a tenth there saw Marquez stretch his advantage to one and a half seconds with six laps remaining, with Miller cutting the gap to Quartararo down by four tenths. It was 0.6, but was there a late twist for P2 inbound? Not quite, Miller didn’t have enough speed to catch the back of the M1 by the time the chequered flag was waved, with Marquez taking another 25-point haul to land Repsol Honda Team the 2019 triple crown, Quartararo taking another podium and beating Miller to top Independent Team rider.
Dovizioso and Ducati’s aims of picking up the Teams title didn’t materialise in Valencia, but P4 was a solid result for the Italian who was comfortably best of the rest in 2019. Rins capped off a fine season by claiming P5 at his home Grand Prix, however it wasn’t enough to grab P3 in the Championship from sixth place finisher Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – the Malaysian GP winner having a quiet final round of the season before jumping onto the 2020 Yamaha on Tuesday.
Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in seventh was a great way to round off a very solid rookie MotoGP™ campaign, the Spaniard ending 2019 with five consecutive top 10s after an impressive comeback from his testing crash at Brno. Valentino Rossi’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) P8 sees the nine-time World Champion end the season P7 in the overall standings, with Aleix coming out on top in the battle of the Espargaro brothers – P9 for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), P10 for Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). That makes it all factories in the top ten.
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) all crashed at Turn 6, on Lap 14, in separate incidents, although Lecuona was close behind Zarco and the Frenchman got flipped by the KTM. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also crashed – all riders ok.
On his final ever MotoGP™ ride, five-time World Champion and future MotoGP™ Legend Jorge Lorenzo finished P13. It was an emotional day for the Spaniard who arrived back into pitlane to rapturous applause, with the Valencia fans paying their full respects to one of the sport’s greatest ever riders on his cool-down lap. #ThankYouJorge!
So, 2019 draws to a close. But don’t worry, 2020 is just around the corner! Testing begins in Valencia on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 November – so stay tuned! Rookies, new bikes, old rivalries and another season of awesome competition is just around the corner.
Marc Marquez: “The perfect season. So difficult to improve this season because the way we rode all season, the consistency and everything, has been amazing. Finishing the season with a victory, riding with a gold helmet – which is always extra pressure because if you ride with a gold helmet you need to be smart and clever – is special too but also for all the Repsol Honda Team it was important too. The Teams Championship. We achieved it, the triple crown. An amazing, amazing season and all the team deserve it.”
Repsol Honda
Perfect end to 2019 for Triple Crown winners Repsol Honda Team as Lorenzo says good bye
Jorge Lorenzo ended an incredible 18-year Grand Prix career with an emotional Valencia race, helping the Repsol Honda Team to clinch the Triple Crown alongside another dominating Marquez win.
For the third year in succession the Repsol Honda Team celebrate the end of a MotoGP season with the Triple Crown after winning the Riders, Teams and Constructors Championships. The accomplishment completes an incredible year full of records and achievements as Honda celebrates their 60th anniversary of racing.
Marquez made quick work of the riders ahead of him as the lights went out on the final race of 2019, moving into second place on the third lap. With just Fabio Quartararo ahead of him, Marquez methodically cut the gap from almost a second to just two tenths in five laps. Striking at Turn 11, Marquez only needed one chance to move to the front and quickly amassed an insurmountable lead.
A 12th victory signs off Marquez’s 2019 season in perfect style and matches the number of wins he achieved in his dominating 2014 season. Earning 420 points across the 19 races of 2019, Marquez becomes the first rider in history to score more than 400 points in a single season. With his 95th premier class podium, he draws level with Mick Doohan as the second most prolific Honda podium finisher in the premier class.
After 297 Grand Prix starts, Jorge Lorenzo’s marked the end of his legendary MotoGP World Championship career with his best finish since returning from injury. The five-time World Champion bid a fond farewell to Grand Prix racing with a 13th place finish in front of an adoring Spanish crowd. With 68 wins, 152 podiums and 69 poles, Lorenzo bows out with some the most impressive stats to his name in Grand Prix history.
This is the Repsol Honda Team’s ninth Triple Crown since the MotoGP class began in 2002, cementing them the most dominant team and constructor in the premier class. For the first time in the four-stroke era, the team has managed to take three Triple Crowns in a row.
Riders will be back out on track on Tuesday, November 19 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo for the first test of 2020 before moving to Jerez a few days later.
Marc Marquez
1st
“A perfect end to a perfect season with the victory! I put a little extra pressure on myself with the gold helmet, so I needed to be extra smart! We did exactly what we wanted to do and won the Team Championship, taking the Triple Crown in this amazing season. Always the Riders Championship is the first objective, but I was happy to help win the Team Championship, not just for them but also for Jorge who has been a great champion, a hard rival and a great teammate. It will be difficult to improve on this year because we rode in a perfect way.”
Jorge Lorenzo
13th
“Today was a special day. On the grid I had a very different feeling to all my other races and certainly in the opening laps I was more cautious than other races because the conditions were very difficult and I wanted to finish my last race. I focused mostly on myself in the race and I am pleased to end with some points certainly. It is great to help the Repsol Honda Team win the Teams Championship after an unbelievable season from Marc. I want to say thank you to all of Honda as they have treated me with the utmost respect and professionalism. I wish them all the best for the future.”
LCR
ZARCO UNHURT AFTER SERIOUS CRASH IN VALENCIA
PRESS RELEASE: 17 November 2019 | Valencia GP
Johann Zarco was lucky to walk away without serious injury after a nasty incident in the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix. Making his third and final appearance in LCR Honda IDEMITSU colours as Takaaki Nakagami’s deputy, the Frenchman had crashed out of Sunday’s race at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo before being struck by another bike.
Starting from the fifth row, Zarco had battled his way up to 11th spot by the midway point. But after Danilo Petrucci had crashed in front of him, the Frenchman fell at the same corner and was then hit and knocked off his feet by the bike of Iker Lecuona, who had also gone down. Although he was stretchered away, Zarco did not suffer any broken bones, but admitted he was sad to finish his time at the team in such a way.
Johann Zarco – DNF
“I’m ok, I think the injury could have been worse. It was a difficult race. I knew it was going to be a long race, so I thought that with a used tyre maybe I would have the right pace. Thankfully I was around the tenth position which was good. After overtaking Pol Espargaro I tried to get a better pace, I saw (Danilo) Petrucci crash and I don’t know if I lost a bit of focus because a little bit later I also crashed in the corner. I was sliding and thinking it was a shame I’d lost the race, and I didn’t check on the bike and then the bike of (Iker) Lecuona totally took me away. I had big pain on the left ankle and I was scared, but now it’s not so bad as there are no broken bones. We’ll have to do some more tests tomorrow, but it’s ok I think. It’s a shame to finish the season in that way.”
KTM
Espargaro signs off 2019 MotoGP with top ten result as Binder wins in Moto2 again
MotoGP 2019 Round 19 of 19, Ricardo Tormo Circuit (ESP) – RACE
Red Bull KTM ended their third season of MotoGP competition at an overcast Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia with Pol Espargaro scoring 10th position as three RC16s breached the top fifteen. Brad Binder claimed Moto2 honours for the third Grand Prix in a row and finished as runner-up in the FIM World Championship standings, only 3 points from the top.
The final round of nineteen in 2019 MotoGP took place at the staple venue of the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. 27 laps of action brought the season to a close in front of 99,000 spectators and in cool temperatures that barely rose above fifteen degrees.
Pol Espargaro launched from 11th place and the fourth row of the grid (having lodged the team’s fourteenth Q2 appearance of 2019 on Saturday) and settled into the group disputing slots on the periphery of the top ten. Again the KTM rider found himself in the company of his brother, Aleix, and on this occasion the elder Espargaro was able to prevail. Pol crossed the finish line just two tenths of a second away from 9th but having secured his eighth top ten classification (seven results better than 2018). Espargaro ends 2019 with seventeen points scoring results (one DNF and one DNS). His total of 100 points is his highest yet and for KTM in the premier class.
Mika Kallio completed his six-race fill-in role with 12th position in Valencia. The Fin set-off from his joint-best qualification position of 17th and posted points for the third time.
Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Iker Lecuona made his MotoGP debut and ahead of a full 2020 campaign with the team. The Spaniard improved his pace on every outing with the RC16 during the weekend. He rode from 19th spot to within MotoGP points by mid-race distance but then lost control on Turn 6. Teammate Hafizh Syahrin finalised his KTM MotoGP career with 15th and his sixth set of points.
Pol Espargaro: “It was not a race like we wanted today. We were missing a lot of grip, traction and turning. We have been faster this year than 2017 in the qualifying, even with my ‘highside’ we were faster on one lap and that’s fantastic because we have gained a lot in stopping but we are struggling a lot on the grip side. The year has finished and we took 100 points in the championship, which is not bad, 11th position and it was not a bad season but we need to improve for 2020. We did three good years but next year it should be better, it must be better. We need to fight for that top six-seven in the championship constantly and be more consistent.”
Mika Kallio: “Yesterday I said I needed to collect some points and we managed to do it but there was some help from other guys crashing in front of me so I’m still not that satisfied with 12th position. I could not feel the grip from the tyres today. I want to say thanks to KTM for letting me ride these six races. It was a nice journey but not as successful as I wanted it to be. Anyway I enjoyed it and we got some points today. The atmosphere was there all the time and that was nice.”
Hafizh Syahrin: “2019 is done, I’m really, really sorry to my team, especially my crew, because they were pushing so hard, but for me it was very difficult to find the rhythm to be consistent compared to my first year in MotoGP. I tried my best! This race was very slow for me. One point is better than nothing in the end, but we were hoping for a lot better race pace. Anyway, thank you to everybody to support me and believe in me and also especially Hervé for giving me this opportunity for two years. I will try to come back stronger, so this is part of my journey now.”
Iker Lecuona: “It was my first race in MotoGP and second because I was fast all the weekend with the team, that helped me a lot, so thanks for all the good work! I crashed [and] honestly, I don’t know what happened because I didn’t brake later or change the line but first [Danilo] Petrucci crashed in this corner, then [Johann] Zarco in the same place and behind it was me. I’m just sorry for the team. Now we continue working for next year!”
Mike Leitner, Red Bull KTM Team Manager: “It has been a long season but with some highlights for us. Pol’s result of 10th was our tenth top ten finish of the year and eleventh in the championship is good, very good actually, and the first time we managed to get three digits for points. Pol made a great season and the team did a good job all year, even if it was a difficult race today and hard conditions. It is tough to make Q2 and we did it fourteen times: this is an indicator that our package becomes more and more competitive and we are playing more and more in the top ten. We have to say thanks to Mika; he managed to get into the points and did these last six races for us. On the Tech3 side Iker did a great job through all the sessions and not crashing in difficult conditions. He made his first race experience and did good lap-times. It will be an experience he can take into the winter and he will be focussed for next year. Hafizh is leaving so thanks for all his effort he did this year. We wish him all the best in the Moto2 and Brad comes the other way and we’re excited to start our project with him. From Tuesday the new season starts and we are looking forward to it already.”
LCR
The 2019 MotoGP season ended on a disappointing note for Cal Crutchlow as he failed to finish Sunday’s Valencia Grand Prix. The LCR Honda CASTROL rider slid out towards the midway stage at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo as he ended the season in ninth place in the riders’ championship.
Starting from ninth on the grid, Crutchlow lost a place on the opening lap but had settled into a decent rhythm and fought his way past Valentino Rossi to reclaim ninth spot. However, at the start of lap ten, the Briton was late on to the brakes at the first corner and was unable to avoid crashing out.
Cal Crutchlow – DNF
“I feel ok. It was disappointing to crash here in the race in the last round in Valencia. Ironically, I felt quite good in the race, but I braked a bit late going into turn one and went into a dirty part of the track. I nearly saved the bike, but didn’t quite manage to and so now we’ll see what tomorrow brings. I’m looking forward to the test, I don’t know what the full testing schedule is yet, but we’ll be trying to improve the bike for next year”.
Ducati
Andrea Dovizioso finishes fourth in the GP de la Comunitat Valenciana. Danilo Petrucci crashes out and has to retire, while Michele Pirro pulls in after feeling ill
Andrea Dovizioso finished the GP de la Comunitat Valenciana, held today at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste, in fourth place. The Ducati Team man, who started from the second row of the grid, after passing Rins on lap 5 began to chase down the Ducati Pramac of Miller but in the end had to settle for fourth position, which he defended from the Suzuki rider’s attacks to the chequered flag.
A crash on lap 14 instead put an end to Danilo Petrucci’s race. The Italian, after losing several positions at the start, was working his way back up the field with a pace that was in line with the frontrunners, but unfortunately, after passing Rossi, he crashed at Turn 6 and had to abandon the race. Petrucci finished sixth overall in the 2019 championship, his best ever end-of-season result in MotoGP.
Michele Pirro’s race was undermined right from the start when he began to feel ill, so he decided to return to the pits and pull in at the end of the fourth lap.
The Ducati Team finished the season second in the Teams Classification, with Ducati classified third in the Constructors standings.
Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 4th
“All in all I’m happy with our speed in the race: our pace was very constant and in the end the gap to Marquez wasn’t very big. I tried to catch Miller for third but he was riding very well and was quicker than me in several places, so he deserved the podium. I’m satisfied with the way we finished the season because both at Sepang and here at Valencia we were fast. We have confirmed a solid second place, unfortunately with a very big gap from Marquez in the standings, but also with a large gap over the third-placed rider, despite two zeros at Barcelona and Silverstone that were not our fault”.
Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – DNF
“That was really a pity, because it was an important race for the team. Unfortunately, at the start the launch control failed to engage so I lost a lot of positions right away. I was making up places over the next few laps, and my pace was really good, but unfortunately after passing Rossi I crashed without understanding the reason why. I feel bad about ending the championship in this way, but in any case it is still the best season in my career in MotoGP: I know I must still improve in a number of different areas but now I can’t wait for the new season to start”.
Michele Pirro (#51 Ducati Test Team) – DNF
“For sure it wasn’t a positive Sunday for us: my race was ruined right from the start when I didn’t feel well. Already on the sighting lap I had a drop in my blood pressure and when I started the race I felt sick, so I decided to return to the pits and pull in. I’m disappointed because my target was to finish in the top 10 and I felt I could have achieved it and maybe do even better. Unfortunately, that’s the way things went, we’ll try again next year”.
The MotoGP riders will be back out on track again on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th of this week for two days of testing at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, which officially mark the start of the 2020 championship season.
Yamaha
Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi have completed the 2019 MotoGP Season with a chilly but dry race at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo. Thanks to their never-ceasing efforts, despite today’s tricky track conditions, they secured sixth and eighth place respectively, earning Viñales and the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team third places in the rider and team championships.
14:00 LOCAL TIME GMT+1 AIR 15°C / TRACK 16°C HUMIDITY 44% WINDY (SUNNY)
MORE CIRCUIT INFORMATION
Pictures for editorial use only
Copyrights 2019 Yamaha Motor Racing Srl
6th
MAVERICK VIÑALES
+8.829 / 27 LAPS
8th
VALENTINO ROSSI
+22.992 / 27 LAPS
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team wrapped up the 2019 MotoGP World Championship today at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo. In the cold but perfect conditions, Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi struggled to put in overtakes due to a lack of rear grip and finished in sixth and eighth place respectively. However, these important championship points earn Viñales third place in the final rider standings and helped maintain Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s third place in the 2019 Team rankings.
Viñales had a good start, moving up a position from fourth on the grid in the first corner, but the busy opening laps were challenging. The low track temperatures meant it took him a long time to get heat into the tyres. By lap 4 he had fallen back to seventh place.
The Spaniard bided his time until, with 13 laps to go, he started to ask questions of Franco Morbidelli, inching closer to the back of the satellite Yamaha. Five laps later, the Italian crashed out in front of Viñales in Turn 4, moving the number-12 rider up to sixth. He made sure to bring his YZR-M1 safely across the finish line, 8.829s from first, to end the 2019 MotoGP Championship in third place, equalling his best premier class season result from 2017 (also with Yamaha).
Rossi started from the end of the fourth row but muscled his way through the pack on the opening lap to settle into ninth place. Considering the low grip levels, the experienced nine-time World Champion knew he had to stay cautious yet maintain a steady pace so as not lose heat in the tyres.
There was a brief interruption in the number-46 rider’s search for the limit when Cal Crutchlow overtook him, but with 17 laps to go the Brit crashed out, putting the Italian back in ninth. History repeated itself when Danilo Petrucci gave it a go to take ninth from the Doctor: he suffered the same fate as Crutchlow as he tried to pull away. When fellow Yamaha rider Morbidelli took an unfortunate fall nine laps before the end, the Factory man moved up to eighth place, which he held until the chequered flag, 22.992s from the top.
Today’s results see Viñales hold on to third position in the championship standings. Rossi finished the 2019 season in seventh place, while the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team take third in the team standings. Thanks to Fabio Quartararo’s second place in the race, Yamaha moved up to second place in the Constructor Championship.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action at the Ricardo Tormo circuit on Tuesday for the first Official IRTA test of the 2020 pre-season.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
“It was a very challenging race day for us here in Valencia. Maverick and Valentino made the most of a tough GP. It’s difficult to understand why we had a problem with rear tyre grip with both riders, because this didn’t occur in the other cold sessions, including the Warm Up. It‘s a shame, because we had really hoped to end the season on a high note and today‘s results aren‘t very exciting. That said, the effort our riders put in was not in vain: Maverick and the team maintained their third place in the championship rankings. We should also give credit to Fabio, because his second place today helped Yamaha earn second place in the championship standings, the result of a Yamaha-family effort. It‘s quite the achievement, especially considering that Petronas SRT is a new team, Fabio a rookie rider, and Franky new to Yamaha. Despite facing difficulties this season, we have kept our work mentality and fighting spirit high. However, we would have liked to end the season closer to the front in this race, so we can‘t afford to linger during the crucial Valencia Test that starts this Tuesday.”
MAVERICK VIÑALES
“Actually, my main objective was to try to be third in the championship. We did it today, we forgot a bit about being on the podium or winning. My objective was to finish the race well. It was a difficult race, I struggled a lot with the rear grip, which happens sometimes for us and today again, so we have to check that. Today I was very concentrated on finishing close to Rins and trying to get the maximum points. I’m very pleased to be the first Yamaha and to be inside the top 3 again. I can’t wait to test the new bike. We face this new test season with a lot of motivation, a lot of enthusiasm, and that is the most important. We have very important tests coming up here and in Jerez, and I feel great on the bike. So, we need to create a good atmosphere again and keep challenging, because I think with Yamaha we can do a really good job this winter and prepare for next year.”
VALENTINO ROSSI
“More than with the weather we struggled with the grip. This has happened to us before, earlier this year. I didn’t have enough rear grip and after some laps I had to slow down because my tyre lost a lot of performance. In the second half of the season we suffered a lot from this and at the end we were not able to fix it. Today was more or less the same, so we have to work from next Tuesday to start the new season well. We have two important tests here in Valencia and in Jerez before the end of the year. We hope we’ll have good weather and we’ll try to improve. We’ll have some new stuff from Yamaha, and also in the team we’ll have a new Crew Chief. These tests will also be important for us to understand how to work, and we’ll try to return stronger next year.”
Aprilia
ANOTHER TOP-TEN RACE FOR ALEIX ESPARGARÓ WHO FINISHES NINTH IN VALENCIA
NICE RACE BY ANDREA IANNONE WHO COMES BACK FROM TWENTIETH TO NINTH PLACE BUT CRASHED ON THE FINAL LAP
THE APRILIA RS-GP MACHINES BID THE 2019 SEASON FAREWELL IN THE SPECIAL (RED) LIVERY TO MAINTAIN AWARENESS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST HIV
Aleix Espargaró took home another top-ten placement, closing out the Valencia race in ninth place after a thrilling battle with teammate Iannone, who crashed on the final lap, and finishing ahead of his brother Pol. After starting from the fifteenth spot on the grid, Aleix skilfully moved his way up through the pack, thanks in part to a few crashes, until battling for the spots just outside the top ten. In the end, he gained the upper hand against his brother Pol, taking ninth place.
Andrea rode a great race. After starting twentieth, he quickly moved up until catching the Espargaró brothers, then moving into the lead of the trio battling for ninth before crashing out just a few turns from the end, when a double top-ten finish seemed imminent for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini. The satisfaction remains of having progressing from the opening sessions to a race far beyond what had seemed possible at the beginning of the weekend.
As per tradition, the final race of the world championship was a special occasion for Aprilia Racing and the Piaggio Group. The RS-GP machines entered the race in the totally red (RED) livery in support of the organisation founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006 to combat the spreading of HIV. In the last three years, the Piaggio Group’s collaboration with (RED) has ensured more than one million days of treatment for the prevention of hidden transmission of the virus from mothers to children.
ALEIX ESPARGARÒ
“After a weekend with a lot of crashes, I was very cautious in the race. Finishing this long season well was important and I am pleased that I managed to do that. The track conditions were very treacherous today too. I saw other riders ahead of me crash as soon as they tried to increase the pace. Overall, finishing in the top ten is a good result for me and for the guys on the team who have worked hard all season.”
ANDREA IANNONE
“I am rather happy with the race today. In spite of starting from very far back, I was able to recover a lot of positions and engage in a fun battle with my teammate for the top ten. Compared to yesterday and Friday, we were able to find a good pace, although the front tyre temperature dropped quickly when I was leading the group. In the direction change between turn 9 and 10, I pushed a bit harder to defend my position and I crashed. It’s a pity about the final result, but we had a good race all the way down to the last lap.”
Tech 3
Syahrin secures last MotoGP point – Lecuona with strong debut in Valencia
Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Hafizh Syahrin showed a brave ultimate ride in MotoGP today at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. He did a steady race to finally bring home a point in 15th position. He concludes his second year in MotoGP in P23 of the overall standings.
On the other side, Iker Lecuona, who replaced Miguel Oliveira for the Valencia GP, showed a strong debut race in the premier class. Starting from 19th, he made up several positions in the course of the first laps and was already inside the top 15, before he unluckily went down in lap 13.
Hafizh Syahrin
Position: 15th
Championship: 23rd
Points: 9
“2019 is done, I’m really, really sorry to my team, especially my crew, because they were pushing so hard, but for me it was very difficult to find the rhythm to be consistent compared to my first year in MotoGP. I can only say I’m sorry, I tried my best! This race was very slow for me. One point is better than nothing in the end, but we were hoping for a lot better race pace. Anyway, thank you to everybody to support me and believe in me and also especially Hervé for giving me this opportunity for two years. I will try to come back stronger, so this is part of my journey now. Hervé built up my experience and my confidence. I just wish all the best to the team! I will miss this family! Thank you very much also to KTM for trusting in me, I’m sorry, that I couldn’t show my best this season.”
Iker Lecuona
Position: DNF
Championship: –
Points: –
“I feel sorry for the team because I crashed. I didn’t want to finish this weekend like this, as it was amazing! First, it was my first race in MotoGP and second because I was fast all the weekend with the team, that helped me a lot, so thanks for all the good work! I crashed, honestly, I don’t know what happened, because I didn’t brake later or changed the line, but first Petrucci crashed in this corner, then Zarco on the same place and behind it was me. I don’t know what happened, but I’m happy to stay here. I’m just sorry for the team for it! Now we continue working for next year!”
Lecuona – 2019
Hervé Poncharal
Team Manager
“Just one word: what a shame! What a shame, because Iker did a more than perfect weekend until he went on that part of the track, that was greasy or with some oil, where these guys crashed without any warning. I don’t know what to say. It was the end of a perfect weekend, the lap times were unbelievable. He could have almost ended up in the top 10, but anyway, you need to finish a race before talking about results. But what he showed today and the whole weekend is, that Iker is a great talent, he is for sure going to be a very, very strong MotoGP rider in the near future. The good news is, that he’s got a lot of laps under his belt now before we start the proper 2020 testing on Tuesday here in Valencia. Let’s look at what’s going to happen soon. We are now in 2020, it was not an easy year, but I think the journey was interesting together with KTM. One year ago, there was the first touch of the bike and I think we made a lot of progress, which people sometimes don’t really see and realize. We missed Miguel this weekend, although we were happy to have him physically with us. We wish to have him back as soon as possible back with us. I want to say a big thank you to Hafizh Syahrin. It was not an easy season for him, but he was always full of joy, he was a very positive and constructive rider. I wish him the best of luck for 2020! There is also something, that I would like to mention before we finish; apparently from Tuesday we will have Dani Pedrosa on Miguel’s side, because Miguel is not fit to ride and this is something that is going to be very, very interesting and it’s a great honor to have a legend like Dani working with us. I believe we will do a great job and hopefully enjoy a fruitful collaboration. So, thanks to the whole team, thanks to Red Bull, thanks to KTM, thanks to Elf, thanks to Hafizh, Miguel and of course Iker! Try to celebrate and enjoy tonight before we start 2020!”
LCR
Takaaki Nakagami is back with the LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team at this weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix. The Japanese rider is recovering from shoulder surgery which he underwent after his home race at Motegi, but has flown out to Spain to watch the team’s progress at the final round of the 2019 season.
Nakagami has kept a close eye on the work of his replacement Johann Zarco at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo with a view to next year’s championship. He also spoke about his recovery from the operation on his right shoulder, revealing he has already started his physical rehabilitation programme and remains hopeful of returning for the pre-season test at Sepang in February 2020.
Takaaki Nakagami
“It’s a bit of a strange feeling, normally at a race weekend I jump on the bike, but now I’m outside the box. But you don’t experience things from this position normally, so these two days I’m spending in the box I’m trying to understand the strategy of the Team and I’m staying beside Johann (Zarco) so I can hear what he’s saying during the sessions”.
“We still plan to come back for the Malaysia test in February, so we still have time, although it won’t be easy. The doctors say it will take a minimum of three months (to recover) so it will be tight. I cannot say with 100 percent that I will be fixed by Malaysia, but I will try. That’s why I decided to have surgery after Motegi, if we had waited until now, maybe I wouldn’t have been ready for Malaysia. We’ll do our best to get fit and well as soon as possible”.
“I’ve already started doing exercises. The stitches have been taken off and in the last two or three days we’ve started doing little movements, although it’s still painful. But this is the very first part of the process after surgery so it’s normal. The doctors say things are going quite well, so day by day we’ll try to keep doing more.”
Petronas
Fabio Quartararo has finished the 2019 MotoGP World Championship in seventh heaven by taking yet another podium position at the season-ending Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana through finishing second. However, it was a less fortunate end to the season for fellow PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team rider Franco Morbidelli, who crashed out of the race at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo from sixth place.
Quartararo was able to convert pole position into the lead in the early laps of the race, breaking away from the chasing pack to stretch the gap out to nearly a second after only two laps. Hunted down by Marc Marquez as the race progressed, the World Champion was eventually able to squeeze past Quartararo for the lead, with the PETRONAS Yamaha SRT rider slotting in behind him to the chequered flag and podium number seven of his rookie season.
Morbidelli also had a strong series of opening laps, closing down the battle for the podium from fifth on the grid before dropping back a little and finding himself in a lonely sixth place. Making a small mistake on lap 19 of 27, he unfortunately ended his season with a DNF – but thankfully escaped uninjured from the crash.
Today’s results mean that Quartararo adds Independent Riders’ Champion to his list of accolades from his rookie season, as well as Rookie of the Year and helping PETRONAS Yamaha SRT clinch the Independent Teams’ Championship. He finishes the 2019 MotoGP World Championship in fifth overall, with Morbidelli also inside the top ten in tenth and the team taking fourth in the Teams’ World Championship to round out a stunning debut season.
The 2020 MotoGP World Championship season will get underway with the Qatar Grand Prix on March 8th 2020, with Quartararo and Morbidelli having their first pre-season this Tuesday at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Result
Franco Morbidelli
DNF
Result
Fabio Quartararo
2nd (+1.026)
“What a weekend it was in Valencia! Unfortunately, it was a disappointing result in Moto3 as we struggled for pace all weekend and both John and Ayumu had tough races. John ended his season fifth in the rider standings and we’re fifth as a team which is the best we’ve achieved in Moto3. Our sights were a little higher, but we have a very strong basis for John and Khairul Idham Pawi for next year. We bid Ayumu a fond farewell, and look forward to seeing him in a new uniform next season.
“Adam gained more experience in Moto2 and continues to climb a steep learning curve. The last seven races have been invaluable to him and perfect preparation for CEV next year. Beyond that, we’d love to be able to welcome Adam back for a ride in the future. We’re really excited to test with Jake Dixon and Xavi Vierge for the first time later this week. We’re looking forward to some very strong performances from them next season.
“In MotoGP we’re yet to get the elusive win, but taking second again is a very good result all things considered! It was an unfortunate end to the race for Franco after showing so well throughout the year, but we believe that he can have a very strong season in 2020. We’ve come out of our rookie season with best Independent Team, top Independent Rider, Rookie of the Year and a fantastic fourth in the overall team standings. We also helped Yamaha to take second in the constructors’ award, which is great. 2020 will be a challenging year again, and the target will be to be on the podium every weekend. We all know what we need to do and we’re looking forward to the new challenge starting on Tuesday at the test.”
“It’s been an incredible season, with seven podiums, Rookie of the Year, Independent Team and Rider – all the items on our wishlist. I’m very proud to say what we’ve achieved, not only with Fabio and Franco but with the entire team. If you look over the year, there were no human error mistakes at a single race and for a rookie team, that’s incredible. We’re over the moon to finish the season with second place in Valencia. Our focus is already on testing, and 2020 will be very interesting!”
“The crash is a pity because I was feeling fast in the race and I was rapidly catching the guys in front of me. Sometimes without someone in front of you to help with the wind, your front tyre temperature can get very cold. I knew it was happening and I had two choices; to stop pushing and drop back, or to push and hope it warmed up again – and unfortunately I reached turn four and crashed like I had just left the pits. I was aiming for the podium as I was hunting down the guys in front, and the positive from the weekend is that we were feeling capable of being in the top three.”
“I knew yesterday that Marc was going to be really strong, but if we couldn’t win then I would have been happy with second – and being the first Yamaha is a nice bonus too. We weren’t so far from the victory, so I can be very proud of the result. It’s an amazing end to the season. In 2018, a lot of people told me that I didn’t deserve a seat in MotoGP and that I wasn’t ready for it – but I think now with seven podiums and six pole positions I can show them they were wrong! I’m so happy with the entire year and it’s something the whole team should be proud of.”
Suzuki
TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR CLOSES VALENCIA MotoGP WITH 5th AND 7th
Team Suzuki Press Office – November 17.
Alex Rins: 5th (+ 3.508)
Joan Mir: 7th (+ 10.622)
• Alex Rins sticks himself in lead group and brings home 5th.
• Joan Mir manages solid 7th to end positive debut year.
The season finale of the 2019 MotoGP Championship ended with a pair of consistent finishes for the Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s riders. And a full house enjoyed Ricardo Tormo’s ‘stadium’ views for the 27 lap race in Valencia.
Alex Rins started strongly, slotting into 3rd place immediately. He then proceeded to spend a large majority of the race in 4th place, showing consistent pace. Joan Mir took 8th off the start and found himself in a ‘safe’ Top 10 position with clear air around.
At the mid-way point of the race, Rins was in 5th place but looking determined to go after a podium as he kept Dovizioso and Miller in sight. As the end of the race neared, the Spanish rider began to close Dovizioso, getting very close to him in the closing laps. However, after struggling to pass he brought home a solid 5th place finish – his 11th Top 5 placement of the year.
Mir finished his rookie season with a consistent 7th place, he struggled a little to capture the same feeling as he had throughout Friday and Saturday but was nevertheless pleased to end the season with a good finish.
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:
“This last race wasn’t bad, and both riders finished in good positions, with Alex fighting for the Top 3 at times. It’s a pity we couldn’t end the season with another podium, but I want to thank both the riders, and the entire team, for all the great results we’ve had together this year. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we have a test, and we’ll be trying the latest version of the engine and we will mostly concentrate on that.”
Davide Brivio – Team Manager:
“We’re pleased about our results today. Alex was up with the top group and very close to the podium, but it was difficult to get into the Top 3 and he gave the maximum, still managing 5th. It’s another important and strong finish for us. Joan made a lot of progress this year, and that is very exciting for 2020. We’re looking forward to continuing this advancement with him..”
Alex Rins:
“For sure, this year has been really good, I was fighting for 3rd in the championship. I tried hard today to take back 3rd in the standings, and I was able to beat Viñales who was my nearest rival for that. I was battling with Dovizioso right up to finish line, but it was very difficult to pass him. Let’s keep working and prepare for the new season!”
Joan Mir:
“This race was a bit frustrating for me, because I couldn’t find the same feeling as I had during the practices. It was a shame, but I was still able to fight well, and I was close to the Top 5 and close to riders who have won races this year. I thought I had something more to offer in this race, but I’m happy regardless. This rookie year has been really nice, and I’m looking forward to next year already. I’m very excited for the test next week too.”
GP of Valencia – Race Classification:
1. Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 41’21.469
2. Fabio QUARTARARO Petronas Yamaha SRT +1.026
3. Jack MILLER Pramac Racing +2.409
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team +3.326
5. Alex RINS Team SUZUKI ECSTAR +3.508
6. Maverick VIÑALES Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +8.829
7. Joan MIR Team SUZUKI ECSTAR +10.622
8. Valentino ROSSI Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP +22.992
9. Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +32.704
10. Pol ESPARGARO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +32.973
11. Tito RABAT Reale Avintia Racing +42.795
12. Mika KALLIO Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +45.732
13. Jorge LORENZO Repsol Honda Team +51.044
14. Karel ABRAHAM Reale Avintia Racing +1’04.871
15. Hafizh SYAHRIN Red Bull KTM Tech 3 +1’16.487
Not Classified
29 Andrea IANNONE Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
21 Franco MORBIDELLI Petronas Yamaha SRT
9 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati Team
5 Johann ZARCO LCR Honda IDEMITSU
27 Iker LECUONA Red Bull KTM Tech 3
35 Cal CRUTCHLOW LCR Honda CASTROL
51 Michele PIRRO Ducati Team
MotoGP World Championship Standings:
1 Marc MARQUEZ Honda 420
2 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati 269
3 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha 211
4 Alex RINS Suzuki 205
5 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha 192
6 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati ITA 176
7 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha 174
8 Jack MILLER Ducati 165
9 Cal CRUTCHLOW Honda 133
10 Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha 115
11 Pol ESPARGARO KTM 100
12 Joan MIR Suzuki 92
13 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda 74
14 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia 63
15 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati 54
16 Andrea IANNONE Aprilia 43
17 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM 33
18 Johann ZARCO Honda 30
19 Jorge LORENZO Honda 28
20 Tito RABAT Ducati 23
21 Stefan BRADL Honda 16
22 Michele PIRRO Ducati 9
23 Hafizh SYAHRIN KTM 9
24 Karel ABRAHAM Ducati 9
25 Sylvain GUINTOLI Suzuki 7
26 Mika KALLIO KTM 7
27 Bradley SMITH Aprilia
28 Iker LECUONA
