MotoGP Statistics update heading to Thailand

2019 MotoGP

MotoGP Statistics update heading to Thailand

Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing in Asia

This is the second time that Thailand has hosted a Grand Prix and below are some facts and statistics related to the previous events in Asia:

Buriram (Chang International Circuit) is the 28th circuit to hold a MotoGP race since it replaced the 500cc class as the premier class of motorcycle Grand Prix racing in 2002.

In addition, Thailand is the 20th different country to host a MotoGP race since 2002 and the seventh different Asian country to host a Grand Prix event (all solo classes) along with Qatar, Turkey, Japan, Malaysia, China and Indonesia.

A total of 285 Grand Prix races for solo motorcycles have taken place in Asia as follows: MotoGP –59, 500cc–30, Moto2 –48, 350cc–4, 250cc–47, Moto3 –44, 125cc–49, 80cc–4.

Last year, Buriram became the 11th different circuit that has been used for Grand Prix racing in Asia.

The circuits that have been used in Asia are as follows: Suzuka (56 Grand Prix races), Motegi (60), Losail (48), Fisco/Fuji (8), Sepang (59), Shah Alam (21), Johor (3), Shanghai (12), Istanbul Park (9), Sentul (6) and Buriram (3).

Asian riders have had great success across all solo Grand Prix classes in Asia, winning 44 of the 285 GP races (15.4%) that have taken place, all of them coming from Japan. The last Asian rider to win on any of the Asian tracks is Kaito Toba in Moto3 in Qatar earlier this year.

Honda is the most successful manufacturer in Asia in the MotoGP class since 2002 with 23 victories, with nine different riders: Dani Pedrosa (7), Marc Márquez (6), Valentino Rossi (3), Marco Melandri (2), Makoto Tamada (1), Max Biaggi (1), Casey Stoner (1), Sete Gibernau (1) and Alex Barros (1).

Yamaha has had 19 wins in the MotoGP class throughout Asia since 2002, with four different riders: Valentino Rossi (11), Jorge Lorenzo (6), Max Biaggi (1) and Maverick Viñales (1).

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha Team Director

“We now start the Asian and Oceanian leg, which is always a crucial and very demanding part of the season for both the team and the riders. We have four races in five weeks, all in different time zones and the climates in these countries can also be quite different from each other. We will start with what we expect to be a very hot and humid race weekend at the Chang International Circuit. The team are very much looking forward to getting to work, especially because we really enjoyed last year‘s race weekend in Thailand. The Buriram track has great facilities, the track seems to suit our bike, and the fans are fantastic here as well. It was at this track where we started to see improvements last year, so we are very keen to compare our current shape and measure the progress we‘ve made since then.”

Ducati has had 17 wins in the MotoGP class in Asia. The last Ducati rider to win in Asia is Andrea Dovizioso this year in Qatar.

The best result in Asia for Suzuki in the MotoGP class is the second-place finish achieved in 2002 by Akira Ryo at Suzuka and Alex Rins at Sepang last year.

The Chang International Circuit venue is the 37th different circuit that Valentino Rossi has raced at during his Grand Prix career and his 28th in the premier class. Buriram is one of just four circuits on the current Grand Prix schedule where Valentino Rossi has not had a MotoGP victory yet, along with Austin, the Red Bull Ring in Austria and Aragon. Rossi has won in 23 different circuits so far in the premier class of GP racing.

Valentino Rossi is the most successful rider in the MotoGP class in Asia with 14 wins: Sepang (5), Losail (4), Suzuka (2), Shanghai (2) and Motegi (1).

MotoGP Facts and Stats

At the Aragon GP, Marc Márquez won for the 52nd time on what was his 122nd start in the premier class, which represents a winning rate of 42.6%: 25 times on his 37 visits on anticlockwise circuit and 27 on his 85 visits on clockwise circuits.

At MotorLand, Marquez won after qualifying on pole position. Of his 52nd victories in the premier class, 36 came after qualifying on pole. In addition, 47 of his 52 wins in the class came after qualifying within the top three.

Marquez’ win in Aragon is the seventh time that he had won at any circuit in the MotoGP class after qualifying on pole position, leading across the line on every lap and setting the fastest lap of the race along with Jerez (2014), Austin (2014, 2016, 2018), Argentina (2019) and Sachsenring (2019).

This was Marquez’ sixth GP win at MotorLand, which is the fourth track where he has won at least six times in GP racing along with the Sachsenring (10 wins), Austin (6) and Misano (6). Only four riders have won at least six times at more than four different tracks: Giacomo Agostini (11 tracks), Rossi (9), Mike Hailwood (6), Angel Nieto (5).

Marquez has won at least eight GPs per season in five different seasons of his GP career, equalling Angel Nieto and Giacomo Agostini. Only Valentino Rossi did better with at least eight wins per season over eight years.

In Aragon, Marquez made it 11 successive races on the podium for the first time since he finished on the podium 12 times in a row from the last two races of 2013 through the opening 10 races of 2014, which is his record in the MotoGP class.

Marquez is now leading the Championship with 98 points ahead of Andrea Dovizioso; this is the highest margin after the opening 14 races of the season in the premier class since 2005 and the 147-point margin between Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi after the Qatar GP.

In Aragon, Andrea Dovizioso stood on the podium for the first time since he won in Austria and the seventh time this year, equalling last year after the opening 14 races.

Andrea Dovizioso

“We needed that podium at Aragón to demonstrate that the work we are doing is right and to tackle these last five races with more confidence. Throughout the weekend in Spain, we made some small steps forward that helped us to finalize the set-up for the race and this must be our objective in every Grand Prix: improve the bike and my sensations in each session. Last year we completed a fantastic weekend at Buriram and we hope to start well again this year on Friday, even though in Thailand the weather factor always plays an important role and we will have to be clever to interpret it.”

Jack Miller was third at the Aragon GP, which is his fourth podium finish in the premier class and his third so far this year along with Austin and Brno. In addition, this is his 14th podium finish in Grand Prix racing, equalling Daryl Beattie in 11th place on the list of the Australian riders with most podium finishes.

With Andrea Dovizioso and Jack Miller’s podium finishes at the MotorLand, this was the fourth time this year there were at least two Ducati riders on the podium, one more than last year.

In addition, this was the 13th podium finish for Ducati after the opening 14 races of the season, one more than 2018 at this stage of the season. Only once have Ducati riders had more podium finishes at this stage of the season in the MotoGP class: 14 in 2007 with Casey Stoner, Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros.

Only one rider has now scored points in all 14 of the MotoGP races in 2019: Danilo Petrucci, who crossed the line in 12th place at MotorLand, although it was his worst result across the line since he was also 12th in Australia last year.

Danilo Petrucci

“I believe that we have got over the most difficult races of the season and from here on we can only improve. After the disappointment of Aragón, this week we’ve been working back in Borgo Panigale to find the answers to my problems and at Buriram I think we will see the first results. I can’t wait to arrive in Thailand and I hope to recapture the feeling I had in the first part of the season because I absolutely want to change this situation.”

Fabio Quartararo, who crossed the line in fifth place in Aragon, is still leading the fight for the Rookie of the Year with 123 points ahead Joan Mir (49 points), followed by Francesco Bagnaia (29) and Miguel Oliveira (29), who was the top KTM rider across the line at MotorLand.

In addition, Fabio Quartararo is leading the Independent Team rider classification, six points ahead of Jack Miller and 25 ahead of Cal Crutchlow.

Aleix Espargaro finished seventh at the Aragon GP, which his best result since he was sixth at MotorLand last year.

Valentino Rossi, who crossed the line in eighth place in Aragon as the third Yamaha rider, has not won since Assen back in 2017, 41 successive races. The last time he failed to win in more than 41 successive races was from Portugal/2010 to Catalunya/2013 (44 successive races).

Valentino Rossi

“Now begins a series of races that will take us outside of Europe. The first of these GPs is the round held in Thailand. Last year the Buriram race weekend was really nice because I had the second place in qualifying and I was fast in the race. I fought for the podium until the end. I didn‘t get it and finished fourth, but I was fast. So, this year the goal is to be fast again and try to do even better than last year.”

Following the Aragon GP, Suzuki have scored 181 points in the Constructor’s World Championship classification thanks to Alex Rins’ ninth place, which is the highest points accumulated after the opening 14 races by Suzuki since 2007 when the Japanese manufacturer had 201 points after the Portuguese GP.

Alex Rins

“It’s been a pity for me not to get the results I’m capable of during the last couple of rounds, but now we sort of ‘restart’ the season with all these overseas races and it’s a good chance to reset. Despite my recent results, I’m still feeling very strong in general, and I hope to bring my bike to a good result this weekend. The atmosphere in Thailand is always impressive with so many fans! It will be exciting.”

The only one of the four rookies in the MotoGP class this year to have won at the Thai GP in any of the smaller classes last season is Francesco Bagnaia in Moto2.

However, fellow rookie Miguel Oliveira is the only other rookie who has stood on the podium in Thailand, finishing third in the Moto2 class last year.

At the Thai GP, Pol Espargaro, who missed the race in Aragon due to a wrist injury, is scheduled to start his 100th race in the premier class of GP racing.

MotoGP Championship Standings

AEST/AEDT Schedule