MotoGP heads to Valencia season finale
Moto3: Alex Marquez and Jack Miller ready for title showdown at Valencia
The 2014 Moto3 World Championship title battle goes down to the final event of the year with just 11 points separating standings leader Alex Marquez and Jack Miller, as they prepare for Valencia.
Miller’s victory at his home race in Australia and his second place in Malaysia have seen him fight his way back into contention for the title at the last race of the year. Marquez still has the advantage though and will have a passionate home crowd behind him on Sunday.
Of the several possible scenarios on Sunday with regard to the championship title, Miller winning the race would mean he would become World Champion if Marquez does not finish on the podium.
If Miller finishes second then Marquez needs to finish sixth or better to clinch the title, whilst if Miller finishes third then Marquez needs to finish 10th or better to become World Champion.
There are other potential results which would also give Marquez the title and if Miller does not finish in the top five then the Spaniard would also be this year’s Moto3™ championship winner.
Both Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Marquez and Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miller will bid farewell to the lightweight class on Sunday – Marquez moving up to Moto2™ in 2015 and Miller heading straight up to MotoGP™. Both are desperate to do so as World Champion.
This is the seventh time that the lightweight class World title has been settled in Valencia since it became the final event on the Grand Prix calendar in 2002.
Last year with five points separating Luis Salom, Alex Rins and Maverick Viñales any of the three could have won the World title in Valencia with a race victory, irrespective of where their rivals finished. Salom’s chances disappeared when he crashed on the 15th lap and the battle between Rins and Viñales went down to the final corner, with Viñales taking the win to clinch the title.
This year Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Rins is aiming to clinch third overall in the standings, with Sepang race winner Efren Vazquez (SaxoPrint-RTG) 14 points behind him in fourth going into the final round.
- If Miller wins the race, Marquez needs to finish on the podium to become World Champion
- If Miller finishes second, Marquez needs to finish sixth or better to become World Champion
- If Miller finishes third, Marquez needs to finish 10th or better to become World Champion
- If Miller finishes fourth, Marquez needs to finish 13th or better to become World Champion
- If Miller finishes fifth, Marquez needs to finish 15th or better to become World Champion
- If Miller does not finish in the top five, Marquez will become World Champion.
World Championship Standings Moto3
- MotoGP Sepang 2014 Moto3 Championship Points Standings
- MotoGP: Rossi and Lorenzo contest second as champion Marquez arrives home
The fans at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana will gather to salute double MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez this weekend, with the battle for the runner-up spot between Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo to be settled at the 2014 season finale.
This year will be the 16th Valencia GP, which has been held every year since the first visit in 1999 and indeed this is the 13th successive year that the Ricardo Tormo circuit has hosted the final race of the season.
Last year Marquez arrived at the Spanish track for the final round looking to become the youngest ever premier class World Champion and this time he arrives in a more relaxed mood, having made history this season with his incredible performances to become the youngest ever back-to-back title winner at the top level.
The win by Marquez in Malaysia at the penultimate round was his 12th victory this year, equaling the record for most wins in the premier class in a single season, held by Mick Doohan since 1997. Another triumph would see Marquez take the record outright, with the Repsol Honda rider having already also set a record of 13 premier class poles in a season last time out at Sepang.
Spanish riders have won the last 10 MotoGP races on Spanish soil and the last non-Spanish rider to win a MotoGP race in Spain was Casey Stoner at Jerez in 2012.
The task for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s nine time World Champion Rossi is to end that run, which would also see him clinch second place in the 2014 World Championship over his teammate Lorenzo, who trails him by 12 points as they head to Valencia.
Meanwhile, Marquez’s teammate Dani Pedrosa is out of the race for second but could well be a contender for victory on Sunday. Pedrosa is the most successful rider at the Valencia circuit with six wins, three in MotoGP, two in 250cc, and one in the 125cc class. No other rider has had more than three GP wins at the Valencia circuit.
Since the introduction of the four-stroke MotoGP formula in 2002, Honda has been the most successful manufacturer at Valencia with seven wins, whilst Yamaha has had three and Ducati two.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) will do his best to add to the Italian manufacturer’s Valencia win tally, with the Italian rider set to race alongside his British colleague Cal Crutchlow for the last time this weekend. Crutchlow will head to the CWM-LCR Honda Team for 2015 and in the post Valencia test next week he will get his first ride with his new squad.
Sunday’s race will also see the battle for sixth place overall come to a head, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammates Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith, in addition to Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) and Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP), all in contention.
Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) still has an outside chance of taking sixth but it would require a race win from the Italian on his return from injury, after he missed the Sepang contest due to a severe contusion to his left arm. Pol Espargaro will have checks on his injured foot this week but is expected to be fit to race.
Only two riders have competed at all 15 previous Grand Prix events at the Valencia circuit. Rossi is one of them and Randy de Puniet is the other, with the Frenchman set to extend that run of appearances with a wild card ride for Suzuki as the Japanese factory prepares to return to MotoGP in 2015.
Suzuki back in the MotoGP ring
The prologue to Suzuki’s latest chapter of Grand Prix racing will open this weekend when the revitalised works team roll into action with the refined version of the GSX-RR at the Ricardo Tormo circuit for the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana.
Randy De Puniet’s presence as a ‘wild-card’, overseen by the experience and expertise of Davide Brivio, and with the honed GSX-RR, will mark the first time the factory is back on the grid of the premier class since the same Grand Prix in 2011. The outing represents a competitive statement-of-intent ahead of the first testing run for the 2015 season that will take place on Monday and a matter of hours after the last chequered flag of the 2014 championship.
Suzuki has been riding, analysing and testing comprehensively in 2014 with sessions at Grand Prix venues of Sepang, Termas de Rio Hondo, Circuit of the Americas, Phillip Island and Catalunya and have now chosen to re-join the fray and bring a manufacturer with 40 years of Grand Prix history and six (Rider) titles in the premier class back to the sharp-edge of the sport.
“This is a big moment for us because we have been testing for so long,” commented Brivio. “We have been waiting for this. It is only a wild-card appearance and it is the last race of the year but I’m happy to be going to Valencia and I think it is a reward for Randy for the big job he has done on this project.
“It is the end of our preparation and I’m excited,” continued the Italian, who has helmed Suzuki’s MotoGP regeneration for over a year. “This is where the new adventure really starts. I’m aware we have a big job to do, and during the weekend we will take a lot of notes for the work we need to do through the winter. This is our first comparison with our competitors and you can only ever really see where you are through a race situation so it’s an important meeting.”
Suzuki celebrated its championships (and seven constructor’s titles) in a 24-year spell of the sport from 1976 to 2000 and with renowned winners such as Barry Sheene, Marco Lucchinelli, Franco Uncini, Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jnr in the saddle of its formidable two-stroke technology. Suzuki is now chasing the prospect of a second victory in the MotoGP (four-stroke) era after Chris Vermeulen gave the marque the initial spoils in the 2007 French Grand Prix at Le Mans under the limitations of the now-defunct 800cc engine regulation. Suzuki’s last MotoGP podium appearance was at the 2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix courtesy of Loris Capirossi.
“Suzuki has a long racing history and it is exciting to be part of the comeback,” enthused Brivio. “I am aware that the competition are very strong and they have kept racing while Suzuki stepped away for almost three seasons, so we need to catch-up and recover the gap and also learn as much as possible to get to their level. The target is to be in a position to challenge our competitors as soon as we can. Let’s start the challenge!”
Valencia is the last stop of 18 on the 2014 MotoGP trail but it is one in which Suzuki has enjoyed reasonably decent showings in previous visits. John Hopkins captured a podium finish with third place in 2007, Capirossi was ninth in 2008 and Alvaro Bautista also broke into the top-10 back in 2010.
Largely flat and encapsulated within a ‘bowl’ that fits 60,000 spectators in the surrounding ‘tribunas’, the Circuit Ricardo Tormo venue (named after the Valencian-born racer that clinched the 1978 and 1981 50cc FIM World Championships) is a winding and tight 4km course with nine left turns, five right and perhaps best characterised by the long descending left-hand curve after the Champi Herreros right handed ‘flick’. The track and the city of Valencia has been the site of the MotoGP ‘curtain closer’ since 2002.
Thirty laps, 120km and 74-and-a-half miles remain of the 2014 MotoGP campaign and De Puniet – who has worked long and diligently with testing mileage of the GSX-RR – will be making the most of his swansong in the series where he notched 252 Grand Prix appearances (and two MotoGP podium results) before taking a berth with the Crescent Suzuki team in World Superbike for 2015.
“I’m excited. I’ve missed racing and it feels like a long time,” the 33-year-old Frenchman says. “We were out at Suzuka (the 8-Hour) but it was a different bike and pipe. I’m proud to be part of this comeback on the factory bike and I know it will be difficult to judge what result we can get but I want to enjoy the race and give the best that I can.
“I like the track even though it is not easy on a MotoGP bike,” he adds, talking specifically about Circuit Ricardo Tormo. “It is a place where you need good grip and traction and that is something we worked a lot on in the last two tests. We are right at the end of the championship; but we are just ‘beginning’. I’m sure Valencia will be positive for us.”
Suzuki’s work will extend beyond practice, qualification and the race across Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively (covered with a pleasant long-term weather forecast but with the chance of some showers on Sunday) as the primary 2015 test will take place on Monday where tyre warmers will come-off for new recruits Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro.
“The GSX-RR will be the same for the test as used in the race,” says Brivio. “Randy will hand over the bike and it will be the same spec for Maverick and Aleix. We will then start our winter work and our job for 2015 based on the comments and the feedback from those first laps with those riders.”
World Championship Standings MotoGP
Moto2: Rabat to ride as champion on home territory at final round
Having already clinched the Moto2™ World title in a dominant fashion Tito Rabat arrives at the final race of the year with an opportunity to go in search of another victory in front of the noisy home crowd at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana.
Rabat has already attained a total of 326 points in the World Championship this year and if he finishes in 13th place or better in Valencia he will set a new record highest points’ total in the intermediate class of Grand Prix racing. That record is currently held by Marc Marquez who scored 328 points in winning the Moto2 World title in 2012 over the course of a 17 round season, though this year there are 18 races in total.
Rabat has also finished on the podium 13 times so far in 2014 and another top three finish at the final race of the year in Valencia means he will equal the record of 14 podiums in a season in the intermediate class, also set by Marquez in 2012.
On the other side of the Marc VDS Racing Team pit box, Rabat’s colleague Mika Kallio has amassed a total of 289 points so far this year, which is already the greatest ever points’ total than any rider has achieved in finishing second in the intermediate class World Championship. Kallio’s performances this year have been commendable and he has made Rabat work extremely hard to take the title.
Meanwhile, Moto2’s remarkable Rookie of the Year Maverick Viñales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40), who is still only 19 years-old and is still the reigning Moto3™ World Champion, took the 16th victory of his Grand Prix career in Malaysia. Only three riders have scored more than 16 GP wins before reaching the age of 20: Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi.
That is good company to aim to be keeping and Viñales will join them in the premier class next year, though before he does he will strive for another win, to make it four victories in his last five Moto2 races before he moves up to MotoGP™.
Behind Viñales in the standings an intriguing battle for fourth overall will be settled on Sunday with Swiss compatriots Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Sitag) and Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert) both keen to finish ahead of each other.
World Championship Standings Moto2
Repsol HRC Preview
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa are headed for the ultimate race of 2014 in front of their home fans. En route to Valencia, both riders paid a visit to the EICMA Milan motorcycle show where they unveiled Honda’s new production version of the RC213V (RC213V-S Prototype) and appeared with all HRC factory riders across multiple disciplines of motorcycle racing.
The MotoGP race at the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana is held on a 4km track comprising of five right handed corners, eight left handers and a 650m straight. Although the track is regarded as quite small, the stadium style grandstands can seat up to 150,000 spectators, and many fans are expected to come and greet 2014 World Champion, Marc, and watch Lorenzo and Rossi battle it out for third in the World standings, with Dani a firm favourite at a track where he has an incredible record.
Marc has experienced very dramatic Valencia GP’s in the past two years, after clinching the title here last year – in his maiden season – and in 2012 with his emphatic victory from last place on the grid to 1st in Moto2 however, these remain his only podiums at this track. Dani, who unfortunately crashed out of the Malaysian GP, has now secured fourth in the World Championship and has celebrated nine podiums in Valencia which include six 1st positions – 2012, 2009, 2007 (MotoGP), 2005, 2004 (250cc), 2002 (125cc).
Both riders will be aiming to beat Lorenzo and Rossi to clinch the Team’s Title for Repsol Honda, and thus granting Honda back-to-back Triple Crowns (Rider, Constructor and Team Championships).
Marc Marquez – 2014 MotoGP World Champion – “The past month has been a whirlwind and winning the Championship in Japan seems like a long time ago now! After Malaysia we attended an event with Honda and Alpinestars in Thailand on the way home and then had a few days to relax in Spain and do some training before leaving for Milan to visit the EICMA show. It was a really good event with many people there, I really appreciate all the kind words from everyone I met! Now we head to Valencia for the final race of an incredible season. It’s always nice to race in front of the home fans and this year will be much more relaxed and I will be able to enjoy it without any pressure!”
Dani Pedrosa – Championship Standing: 4th – 230 points – “Obviously I’m now out of the race for second or third in the Championship, especially after the events in Malaysia, but I’m looking forward to going to Valencia and finishing the season on a high. This is always a special race for me, the fans are fantastic and they create a wonderful atmosphere. My results here in the past have been strong and this weekend I hope to repeat this and fight for victory on Sunday!”
Yamaha Preview
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP returns to Spain to wrap up the 2014 MotoGP season this weekend at the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana.
With just 12 points separating Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in their battle for second in the championship, the Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo Circuit sets the scene for an intense battle on Sunday. However, the teammates won’t only be battling for their own glory: also the Team Title is still up for grabs for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP.
After three successful weekends overseas Valentino Rossi arrives in Spain with the intention to defend his second place in the championship by claiming another podium finish. The very experienced nine-time world champion has taken two premier class wins at Valencia in 2003 and 2004 and claimed multiple other podiums there, with a second place in 2002 and 2009 and third places in 2005, 2008 and 2010.
Having won a phenomenal race at the Valencia track last year, teammate Lorenzo arrives in his home country with confidence. He looks forward to the support of the passionate Spanish crowd as he aims to finish the season with another thrilling battle for victory. So far Lorenzo has claimed two premier class victories at this circuit in 2010 and 2013 and a third place podium position in 2009.
The final showdown at the Ricardo Tormo circuit is always enjoyable for the riders, thanks to its unique atmosphere. Valencia became the traditional closing stage of the MotoGP calendar in 2002 and is known to draw record crowds. Its layout ensures all parts of the circuit can be seen from every stand, so fans won’t miss any of the final racing action. Completed in 1999, the 4.005 m MotoGP track is run anti-clockwise, with five right and eight left hand corners and a 650 meters straight.
Valentino Rossi – championship: 2nd / 275 points – “It won’t be an easy race! I’m second in the championship and being 12 points ahead is good, but this gap is not sufficient enough to play a passive role this weekend. Jorge is in a good moment. During the second part of the season Jorge was very fast and he wants to win in Spain and try to take the second place from me. We must focus on finishing the season with a victory just like we aim to do at all races! My team and I will do our best, as usual. Valencia isn’t one of my favorite tracks, but that doesn’t bother me. In this season we were strong also in the tracks that aren’t favorable to me. The three races in a row went well, I won another race, and for this reason I think that we can do a good race in Valencia! I am confident!”
Jorge Lorenzo – championship: 3rd / 263 points – “Finally we face the last race of the championship and it’s always exciting to come back to Spain to close the season. We have already saved third position in the championship after the race in Sepang and I hope to fight for the win again in Valencia. I think this is a better track for our Yamaha M1 than Sepang. I won here last year and hopefully we get to try this again this year. The second position of the championship is still a possibility, but I need to get the victory and wait to see what Valentino’s result will be like. I would like to close the championship in a better way than I started it, especially in front of the big crowd that always visits us in Valencia!”
Massimo Meregalli – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director – “We are now at the end of the season and head to Valencia for the final race. Not only will second and third place in the championship be decided between Vale and Jorge, but we’re also in with a shot to claim the Team Title. We want to get the best results possible and start the weekend off strongly. During the races overseas Valentino has proven to be in great shape. Especially his win at Philip Island was a stunning performance that showed the high level of his riding, but both our riders have a great pace. Jorge’s win at Motegi was magnificent and he’s been consistently fast in every session. The team and riders did a great job this season and we are motivated to work hard this weekend to give it one final push. It will be important that we give Valentino and Jorge the possibility to compete at the front from the beginning, so we can close the season in the best way.”
Espargaro and Smith ready to fight at the final shootout in Valencia
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith will compete this week in the all important season finale at Valencia as they aim to conclude the year as highest non-factory riders in the final standings.
With many memorable battles having occurred at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana in recent years, this weekend promises to be an exciting end to the 2014 MotoGP season for both Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders in front of the ever passionate Spanish crowd.
Pol Espargaro will look to close his rookie year with another fiercely contested result at Valencia after heroically riding through his pain threshold to finish sixth in Malaysia despite having fractured a bone in his left foot. This weekend, the reigning Moto2 world champion will intend to clinch the top satellites honours in order to be successful in his quest for the sixth position in the championship standings. Meanwhile, Britain’s Bradley Smith will aim to continue his impressive run with a fight to land a top six result in Sunday’s 30 lap sprint in order to seal his ambition of finishing sixth in the world championship standings.
Pol Espargaro – Championship Standings: 6th / 126 points – “We will finally return to Europe this weekend where my debut season in the premier class comes to an end. It goes without saying that I aim to finish with a strong performance to underline the progress we made during the last 12 months. Luckily I have had some time to recover and the most significant thing is that I didn’t require any surgery, after the injury I sustained in Sepang. Although I still may not be 100% fit, I am fully determined and confident of riding to a top result in order to clinch sixth in the championship. Furthermore, I also want to thank my team for the great job this year by finishing in a high scoring position. The event at Valencia is always a notable one and the fans are very enthusiastic which gives me even more motivation for this race. The Yamaha will be strong here due to the meandering nature of the track but the competition will be tough as always. After a positive season of learning a huge amount, I am ready to intend once again to finish as the leading satellite bike in my last appearance as a MotoGP rookie.”
Bradley Smith – championship: 7th / 119 points – “I’m very excited to go to Valencia this weekend for the important last race of the year. My performances over the previous two rounds have been strong and I fully intend to continue this form at the season finale. Yet, I must say that I’m a bit disappointed that we are close to the end as the racing calendar seems to pass by far too quickly, as always! Valencia is a track I enjoy riding at and I have had good success there in previous years in all classes, but particularly in 2010 where I won the 125cc race from third on the grid. I undertook an extremely productive test last season after the final GP, so we already have a strong base setting and a lap time which we must chase. Obviously the conditions do change with every visit, but I feel optimistic for the challenge. Furthermore, I am determined to close 2014 on a high note and win the fight for sixth position in the championship standings.”
NGM Forward Racing arrives in Spain for Valencia GP season finale
With eight months and seventeen races having passed since the 2014 season-opening round in Qatar, the NGM Forward Racing Team is heading to Spain for the final event of the year, the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana.
The Valencia Circuit, a stadium-like facility housing a relatively tight track that runs in an anticlockwise direction, will welcome teams, riders and MotoGP fans with its extraordinary season-finale atmosphere.
For the NGM Forward Racing Team, Valencia will be the perfect place to celebrate the Open class title clinched by Aleix Espargaro with one race before the end of the season. The title, won in Malaysia two weeks ago, crowned an exciting season that saw the Spaniard among the protagonist of the MotoGP class with one podium finish and a pole position.
The Valencia GP will be an important appointment for Alex De Angelis, who rode a very good race in Malaysia, despite the final result that saw him obliged to retire on the last lap for a technical problem when he was close to the top ten.
Aleix Espargaro – Championship: 8th / 117 points – “Valencia is a small track, it’s not fast but it’s technically demanding. It’s not one of my favorite but it’s always nice to race in Spain and the atmosphere is exciting. Valencia will be my last race with the team; I hope to make a good result to thank them for this great season together.”
Alex De Angelis – Championship Standings: 19th / 14 points – “I have scored good results at Valencia so I have good memories and it will be great to return on board of the Forward Yamaha. It’s a tight track for the MotoGP machines and you don’t need all the power so I think this could be an advantage for us. It’s my last race of the season so I arrive with more experience on the Forward Yamaha. I look forward to make a good result.”
Ducati Preview
Almost eight months and seventeen races since the start of the championship in Qatar, all the protagonists of 2014 MotoGP are gearing up for the final round of the season in Spain, the Valencian Community GP.
The Ricardo Tormo circuit, which is situated at Cheste close to Valencia, is the fourth event this year on Spanish soil, and is a medium-slow and twisty track that runs in a counter-clockwise direction. As is tradition, the Sunday race will be followed by three days of official IRTA tests in preparation for next season, but for the two riders of the 2015 Ducati Team – Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone – participation will be limited to just one day on Monday.
The Ducati Team have scored two wins in MotoGP at Valencia, one with Troy Bayliss in 2006 and the other with Casey Stoner in 2008. Andrea Dovizioso has taken part in the Valencia race six times, his best result being a third place in 2011, while Cal Crutchlow’s best performance in his three races at Valencia was fourth place in 2011.
For Cal, the final event of the season will also be his last time in Ducati Team colours: the British rider in fact will be continuing his career in MotoGP next year with another team.
After his eighth place at Sepang, Dovizioso is fifth overall in the standings with 174 points, while Crutchlow, who celebrated his 29th birthday last week, is fourteenth with 63 points.
The race at Valencia will also see a return to the track for Ducati Team test-rider Michele Pirro, who will step onto his Desmosedici GP14 for the sixth time this season, the fifth time as wild-card.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – “I don’t think the Valencia race will be easy for us: the layout of the track is totally different to the others, but in any case we have to continue to give the best feedback to the team, as we have always done throughout the season. We’ve made some big steps forward recently in consistency and pace and I’m sure we can improve in the future. I’ve got some good memories of the 2011 race when I got onto the podium, beating Pedrosa for third overall, but I don’t like the track very much and I’m sure I’m not the only rider who thinks this way.”
Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35) – “I’ve been feeling a lot more confident on the bike now since Aragòn, we’ve really found my pace back, so we need to take these positives to Valencia. This will be my last GP with the Ducati Team so a big thanks to them for this season, I’m going to miss them. They worked hard all through the year and I will try my best in the last race to get a good result.”
Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51) – “I haven’t raced since Brno, so it’ll be great to be back in action. Valencia is a track that I like, and I’ve also won a race here. I hope to get a good result and gather all the info we need for the things we are testing on the bike. We’ve still got a few things in the electronics package to fine-tune and we hope to finish off the year in the best possible way”.
Gresini Honda
Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini and the MotoGP circus will re-group at Valencia in Spain this weekend for the eighteenth and final race of 2014, which traditionally takes place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Fresh from an unlucky race at Sepang, where he was forced to retire after being hit by another rider after only two laps, Alvaro Bautista will try to finish a difficult season with a good result in front of his home crowd. In the last two years, the Spaniard has always entered in the top five in the season finale: fourth in 2012 and fifth in 2013.
His teammate, Scott Redding, will try instead to defend the first position in the Championship among the riders aboard the Open Class Honda RCV1000R: the English rookie, who has 75 points thanks to 15 points finishes out of 17 races, can count on a 8 points advantage from Hiroshi Aoyama, his closest rival in the championship.
Alvaro Bautista “We head to Valencia after a long and really difficult season: of course we will try to end the year in the best possible way, even if there is not much to say, given the recent results. It seems that this is not our season, definitely! We struggled with a lot of problems and we also suffered bad luck in the last race at Sepang, with a crash on the second lap in which we were involved with no faults. Simply, we have to wait and see what will be the situation after the first free practice, then we will give our best, as always”.
Scott Redding “After the difficult conditions encountered in Malaysia is good to be back in Europe on a track where the weather situation should be definitely easy. Anyway, we expect another tough battle: we will try to confirm once again ourselves as that the best Open Class Honda, which would mean also keeping the first position in the Championship among the riders aboard the RCV1000R machine. This is our goal and it would be nice to end the season achieving it”.
Bridgestone Preview
Bridgestone slick compounds available:
Front: Extra-soft & Soft (Symmetric) & Soft (Asymmetric). Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative)
The 2014 MotoGP™ season finale takes place at Valencia’s Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana, a tight and technical circuit with an unbalanced layout and a stadium-like atmosphere.
The Valencia circuit is 4005 metres in length and offers tyres little respite over the course of a lap due to the constant corners, so a good bike setup is important to ensure the most efficient use of the tyres. The circuit has an unbalanced layout with nine left corners compared to just five right corners, and this necessitates the use of asymmetric rear slicks with harder rubber on the left shoulder at this venue. Adding to the challenge is the likelihood of cool temperatures, which place further importance on the need of a good bike setup.
Rear tyre options for the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders at Valencia will be the medium and hard compounds, while the Ducati and Open-class riders will be able to use the soft and medium compound rear slicks. Bridgestone will offer three front slick options at Valencia, an extra-soft and soft compound symmetric front slick and also the soft compound asymmetric front slick.
The main wet tyre for the Valencia Grand Prix is the soft compound wet tyre, with each rider also being able to select up to two front and two rear tyres in the alternative, hard compound wet tyre.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department – “The final race of the 2014 season takes place at Valencia and given the exciting races at this venue in the past few years, expectations are high that we will see another thrilling season finale this year. With Marc wanting to take the record for most premier-class wins in a season, Dani’s peerless record at Valencia and the fight for second place in the championship between Valentino and Jorge still wide open, there is a lot at stake this weekend. As soon as the curtain falls on the 2014 season, our preparations for 2015 will start the very next day as we will be supporting all the teams in the Valencia MotoGP test starting on Monday. The data we acquire at this test is very important as it gives us an indication of the performance characteristics of next year’s MotoGP machinery which will help steer our development for next year’s range of race tyres.”
Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department – “Valencia is the traditional season finale, and this circuit features a low-grip surface and a relatively slow layout with a large difference in the number of right and left-hand turns. The frequency of corners at this circuit means the tyres spend a lot of time at high lean angles and have little chance to cool down over the course of a whole lap. As this race is the last of the season, low ambient and track temperatures are usually encountered, suggesting the use of softer compounds, however harder compounds are needed on the left shoulder of the rear tyres because of the temperature generated by the last corner. This weekend marks the second time we are offering an asymmetric front slick option and given the unbalanced layout of the Valencia circuit, I expect this option to perform well this weekend.”
