Leigh Diffey and Ben Bostrom discuss American rider Cameron Beaubier's move to Moto2, take a look at Suzuki’s points lead, and preview the Teruel Grand Prix. #NBCSports #MotoGP #TeruelGrandPrix
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Sunday, October 18, 2020
MotoGP Round 11: Aragon Grand Prix (Aragon, Spain)
Motorland Aragon in Aragon, Spain, the autonomous community of the country, and it is located in Alcaniz, on the banks of the Guadalope River, in the province of Teruel. This is the setting for the tenth race of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship, and will be the home of MotoGP for the next two races in the championship. This is the first of two races that will run at Motorland Aragon, including one, next weekend as well. Fabio Quartararo heats the brakes on his Petronas Yamaha, starting from pole position for the tenth time this season. Alex Rins did very well in a race simulation in Free Practice 4. He will be another one to watch as we are ready to get underway. Could it also be Suzuki and Joan Mir's day to finally win a MotoGP race? We are about to find out.
Who will master Motorland? Turn up the volume, and enjoy, MotoGP at Aragon, in Spain. Red lights, on. Red lights, out! Away we go! Cal Crutchlow gets a good launch and Jack Miller is scything his way up to the sharp end as we speak. 23 laps scheduled around Motorland Aragon for today's race. Franco Morbidelli, meanwhile, is the man who will lead this motorcycle race into the first corner. Morbidelli moves past team mate Fabio Quartararo. Morbidelli tries to hold the lead but runs wide, look. So, someone is going to challenge him right from lights out, here at Motorland.
It is a Yamaha 1-2-3 as Maverick Vinales also gets a flyer from the start of this motorcycle race. Vinales leads as Alex Rins slices his way past another rider. Rins has gained six spots in the opening lap, alone! Holy mackerel! He was shot out of a cannon and goes from tenth place to fourth. Joan Mir has lost spots on the Suzuki as he scraps with Takaaki Nakagami on the LCR Idemitsu Honda. Andrea Dovizioso has also had a good start aboard the factory Ducati. Joan Mir runs sixth and Jack Miller on one of the other Ducati's, the second of the Pramac bikes, is losing places.
Miller cannot get by Rins as they enter the Reverse Corkscrew for the first time. This corner is set up very much like the famous Corkscrew at Laguna Seca Raceway in California in the United States, but goes in the opposite direction. Lap two now and Andrea Dovizioso is challenging Alex Marquez on the inside, gets in the corner a little too hot, and Alex Marquez says "I'll have some of that, thank you very much, mate", and takes the spot right back from the Italian. Alex Rins moves past Franco Morbidelli and now he has Alex Marquez to deal with as well. The younger Marquez is showing his worth of being a MotoGP rider, just as his older brother, World Champion, Marc Marquez, is, although Marc Marquez continues to recover from injury that he suffered earlier in the season.
Rins moves to third on lap three. You never know what to xpect from Alex Rins except for the fact that the Spaniard is really fast. Fabio Quartararo registers the first fastest lap of the motorcycle race, uncorking a 1:48.606. Quartararo meanwhile, is catching Maverick Vinales who is leading the race on the factory Yamaha. But, it is game over for Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia. It has been an unmitigated disaster for the Italian on the #63 Pramac Racing Ducati. "Pecco" was scrapping with Miguel Oliveira for 16th spot, Oliveira on the #88 KTM for Red Bull KTM Tech3. He was caught out at corner number five.
Meantime, we look back to the front of the pack in this motorcycle race, and it remains a battle between Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Marquez. Marquez has gone around Andrea Dovizioso and left him eating the Repsol Honda rider's dust. Lap six now, and Alex Marquez still has his hands full, this time, another Ducati, reeling in Marquez, and the man doing the chasing, look, is the Aussie, Jack Miller. Miller on the second of the Pramac Racing Ducati's, bike #43. He has the inside line, but Alex Marquez, he's a terrier, and he is going to nip at Miller's heels and say, "you don't have anything, sunshine. I'm coming right back by."
Takaaki Nakagami, the Japanese rider aboard the Idemitsu Honda, is going to try and make a move as well. Meantime, Maverick Vinales continues in the lead and gets pit board information, not that he could probably read it at 200 miles an hour plus while trying to control the motorcycle. But, he has Alex Rins right on his six, right on his rear wheel. Lap seven, and from the time split, we can see that Rins is actually quicker than Vinales, by 6/10ths of a second. 1:49.225 for Vinales, while Rins clocks in at 1:48.601. A ways to go yet. Still 17 laps left on the board. Anything can happen.
Rins is still chasing Vinales, and meanwhile, Franco Morbidelli has moved by Fabio Quartararo. Quartaro and Morbidelli both run wide on the pair of Petronas SRT Yamaha's, and in going wide, as they both do, Joan Mir on the Suzuki, picks up the bish bash bosh bonus, and gets two for the price of one! Hardy har har. Mir moves up to third, has his cake, and eats it as well, rubbing whipped cream in the collective faces of the SRT Petronas Yamaha boys. Our live championship points are displayed. Now, we have 16 laps to go. If the race, by surprise, ended now, we'd see this. Fabio Quartaro on 126 points leads the championship cup, but by five only, over Maverick Vinales on 121 and Joan Mir, tied on the same amount of points.
So, the two blokes in second place would be tied, and then, we see a further 22 point gap from the leader, Quartararo, to fourth place points man, Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso. It was a battle of who would be the king of the late brakers between the Petronas Yamaha boys. Sweeping down the back straight, Cal Crutchlow passes Danilo Petrucci for tenth spot. Rins is moving up and Alex Marquez is catching Fabio Quartararo hand over fist. Alex Rins, look, moves right past Maverick Vinales for the lead of this motorcycle race.
Joan Mir also continues closing up. So, we might just have a Suzuki 1-2 before long. Alex Marquez has moved past Fabio Quartararo who continues to lead the World Championship but by even less now. More gray hairs, and no nails for Davide Brivio, Suzuki team boss. Suzuki had to wait 13 years until last time out, to have two bikes on the podium, after they last did so in 2007 at Misano. Marquez moves to the inside of Franco Morbidelli. The last time Suzuki has two bikes on a podium, in 2007, the riders were Australian Chris Vermuellen and American John Hopkins.
Morbidelli gerts dusted by Alex Marquez moving into fourth. Cal Crutchlow also wants by Fabio Quartararo. He will be in pain and his championship nwi;ll be throbbing as well. Quatararo, as it stands now, will be only a single point ahead of Joan Mir, 122-121, with Maverick Vinales six markers adrift at 116, and 17 points in-arrears, at 105, will be Andrea Dovizioso. 11 laps left in this motorcycle race at Aragon. Alex Marquez is a transformed rider, and the Honda as a motorcycle is getting better and better in 2020.
Honda has been one of the most amazing factory teams in MotoGP history. But, Suzuki is also a top contender. Here comes Vinales, sweeping around Mir, but Mir tries to go back around. He has the inside line, but Vinales slams the door in his face, however, Mir comes back. Mir makes it a Suzuki 1-2. Can Vinales hold on? The Yamaha is turning into an evil handling motorcycle right now. Can Maverick Vinales keep up the pressure? Alex Marquez is going to make a move on Vinales. Live points again, now show Mir at 125, four markers ahead of Quatararo at 121. Vinales is third on 112, 13 points adrift, and fourth is Dovizioso, on 105, 20 points out of the lead.
Alex Marquez dive bombs Vinales into the corner, but the Yamaha's are having a horrid time. Johann Zarco of all people, has just passed Fabio Quartararo. Remember the tear he went on earlier in the season? Well, the wheels may be coming off the wagon now. Alex Marquez looks to the inside of Joan Mir. We are on lap 18. Just five laps remain here at Motorland Aragon. Alex Marquez could still win this race. There's still time for him to make a convincing move on the Suzuki duo. In low grip conditions like we have here at Motorland Aragon, we are aware that the Honda does do a number on it's tires. Will the tires on that motorcycle hold out for the last six laps of the race?
Again, Suzuki boss Davide Brivio is getting nervous. He can barely watch what is going on with the race at the moment. Can Alex Marquez pounce on the Suzuki's? Will he? Through he goes there, look. Like a hot knife through butter, he makes the pass. The medium compound Michelin front tire will be doing much better in these conditions than the soft compound Michelin. There's no question of that. Marc Marquez has won at Motorland Aragon the last three years. Alex Marquez wants to keep his family's reputation going here at the Spanish circuit.
Their dad, Julian, can barely watch. Marc Marquez, recovering, at home in Severa, has to be keeping an eye on how his brother is doing. Down the back straight wre go, and with three laps left, it is Honda vs. Suzuki. Marquez is closing on Alex Rins. He's coming after Rins now, and he wiggles! He almost throws the motorcycle on the deck, but stays in the saddle! Unbelievable! It's the Alex and Alex show with two laps left here at Motorland Aragon. Marquez spun up the rear tire. We will have an eighth different race winner in MotoGP. It's crunch time. Alex Marquez is not giving up. Joan Mir will be the points leader, but Mir is in trouble and Maverick Vinales is closing for third spot.
Alex Marquez is coming in a hurry. Downhill into the reverse corkscrew for the final time. Alex Marquez will have to get close enough to get a slipstream on the Suzuki if he wants a chance at winning this race. Mir and Vinales are 3/10ths of a second apart. There will be a close finish for third spot, too. But as they come out of the last turn, can Alex Marquez drive far enough? Marquez wants it. He might not be close enough. Rins might just have this and he does! Alex Rins wins the race with Marquez second and Joan Mir rounding out the podium.
Maverick Vinales and Takaaki Nakagami round out the top five. Six through tenth, it is Franco Morbidelli, Andrea Dovizioso, Cal Crutchlow, Jack Miller, and Johann Zarco. Alex Rins takes Suzuki's first win of 2020.
#42 Alex Rins ESP. Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki GSX RR
We do it all again, here at Aragon, next weekend, for the Teruel Grand Prix. Joins us then, for the 11th of 14 races in MotoGP 2020. See you next weekend, for more from MotoGP. Bye for now.
Monday, October 12, 2020
MotoGP Race Recap: Petrucci, Ducati win crazy, rainy race at Le Mans | Motorsports on NBC
Steve Day, Simon Crafar and Matt Birt break down a crazy French Grand Prix at Le Mans. #MotorsportsonNBC #MotoGP
Sunday, October 11, 2020
MotoGP Round 10: French Grand Prix (SHARK Helmets Grand Prix de France), Le Mans, France
The fabled motor racing city of Le Mans, in northwestern France, is the scene for the latest round of the MotoGP World Championship. Of course, the motorcycles do not use the full Circuit de la Sarthe as the cars do for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They, for this race, and for their own 24 Hours of Le Mans race, utilize the shorter Bugatti circuit, and that is the track that will play host to today's MotoGP action, which is coming at you, right now. It's live, and it's next!
Fabio Quartararo is still leading the MotoGP World Championship as he lines up here on the grid at Le Mans. It is going to be a wet race today at Le Mans that we have to look forward to. Quartararo is leading the championship ahead of Joan Mir. It's the Yamaha rider vs. the Suzuki rider in the points fight. Quartararo's bike is squatted and he's ready to go, along with the other MotoGP contenders. Right lights, on. Red lights, out! Away we go in the French motorcycle Grand Prix at Le Mans! A good start for Jack Miller and here comes Cal Crutchlow as we climb the hill towards the first turn at the Dunlop chicane for the first time of asking in this 26 lap race.
Crutchlow, the British rider on the LCR Honda with Castrol oil sponsorship, he rockets out of the starting gate and leads this motorcycle race right from the off. Maverick Vinales on the first of the factory Yamaha's has been swallowed up as they approach the Dunlop curves for the first time, on a damp, wet track here at Le Mans. Quartararo and Crutchlow are scrapping and oh dear! Valentino Rossi is down. He's planted his motorcycle just within the first couple corners!
"The Doctor" can't find a cure for his ailments as far as results in 2020. It is a third successive DNF for Rossi! Heartbreaking stuff. Really heartbreaking, for a guy who used to dominate and rule Grand Prix motorcycle racing in the past, but not this year. Jack Miller was shot out of a cannon and leads into La Chapelle for the first time, but he runs wide, and will give that lead up as Fabio Quartararo is going to fight on the outside. Quartararo is second on the #20 Yamaha YZR M1 for Petronas Yamaha SRT. Pol Espargaro is also running well aboard the #44 factory Red Bull backed KTM.
He is fifth. Even better is Andrea Dovizioso, the factory Ducati rider, who is now in second place. Danilo Petrucci, his Ducati team mate is making a move on the inside line past Quartararo too, look. Quartararo is learning how to be brave in the rain, but he is being monstered by the Ducati's at the moment. No pun intended, as Monster Energy is of course the sponsor of the Yamaha factory team. Alex Rins, the Spaniard is also moving up and he's gained at last ten spots within the span of the first couple corners here at Le Mans.
Rins of course is Joan Mir's Suzuki team mate. For Valentino Rossi, as we've said, it is his third successive retirement. What a shame. It is a Ducati 1-2-3 right now, in the wet. Jack Miller leading Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso. #43 leads #9 leads #04. Bradley Smith is showing his prowess in the rain as well, going inside of Johann Zarco. Zarco on the #5 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati, being passed by the #38 bike, the Brit on the factory Aprilia for Team Gresini. Petrucci and Miller are wheel to wheel, and Petrucci, the winner of the Mugello race, takes the lead away.
Now, Ducati have never won here at Le Mans, nor have they locked out the podium at a MotoGP race. It's early doors yet, but, could the bikes from Bologna spring a surprise before this motorcycle race is done and dusted? We'll see. Quartararo is not running to his expected form today. Lap three and he's being monstered by the KTM there, of Miguel Oliveira. Alex Marquez on the #73 Repsol Honda has also fallen victim to the wrath of his fellow Spaniard. Takaaki Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro are also ready to pounce. You have the Idemitsu LCR Honda of Nakagami, bike #30, and Aleix Espargaro on the #41, the second Team Gresini Aprilia, absolutely going for it.
As of now (and I know, the points as they run thing is silly because it's during the race and not after), we can see Fabio Quartararo would have his lead cut down to just ten points over Andrea Dovizioso, 114-110. Joan Mir on the Suzuki would be third, 14 markers behind at 100 points even, and Jack Miller, 23 points behind Quartararo, on 91. We can see now, a battle between two Yamaha's. One factory bike and one SRT Petronas bike. Maverick Vinales is about to be passed by Franco Morbidelli. Vinales, Morbidelli, and Mir, are nearly caboose on the field in 18th, 19th, and 20th, respectively.
That action was on lap five. We move ahead now to lap seven and at the top of the shop, it's getting heavy. The three Ducati's are still scrapping away for the lead of this motorcycle race. It is Danilo Petrucci leading, Andrea Dovizioso in second, and Jack Miller in third. Alex Rins on the Suzuki, he is catching these blokes on the Ducati's, and uncorks yet another 1:45.8, another consistent lap time from the rapid Spaniard. Petrucci runs wide through turn two, and so, this opens the door for Andrea Dovizioso.
Rain has come to Le Mans on lap nine. It is tipping down with rain now. Ouch! Bradley Smith, down and out, off the Aprilia, so the Gresini Aprilia effort has been halved here at Le Mans. After a bruising high side crash, Bradley Smith, the Briton, crawls away. He alsohad a mega sized high side on Friday. So it is his second giant wallop of the weekend. He goes down at Recordements corner. Lap 11 and we are almost to halfway as the Ducati riders continue to dominate. We are watching Joan Mir, down in 17th place aboard the factory Ecstar Suzuki, bike #36. The points tables, meanwhile, are still chopping and changing. Quatararo, at this juncture, would lead by nine points over Dovizioso 113-104, a gap of nine points.
Joan Mir would be 13 markers back, still on 100 points, and on these calculations, just like the earlier ones, we would see Maverick Vinales and Yamaha on 91 points. Mir is cooking having put in a 1:45 dead, 1:45.0, much quicker than Senore Petrucci on the Ducati as we are a lap away from the halfway mark here at Le Mans. Halfway home officially now, as we watch from the onboard camera as Alex Rins is reeling in Jack Miller. The Suzuki vs. Ducati scrap continues. The Ducati will have the legs on the straightaway, but as we move into the twists and turns of sector four on the circuit, that's where Rins and the Suzuki will make up time.
Pol Espargaro is running even quicker than Alex Rins. 1:44.734 for Pol Espargaro on the KTM. Petrucci, too, on the Ducati, is running extremely well, for a rider, who, well, to say the least and put it bluntly, he's either really hot or really cold with his performances. He might be on a hot streak, as we cross the halfway mark here at Le Mans. 13 laps on the board. 13 laps left to race. A crash has been reported, and it's Tito Rabat. The Spaniard is down, and hopefully not out, aboard the #53 Ducati Desmosedici 19 for Hublot Real Avinita/ESponsorama Racing. He is the first man to ditch the motorcycle in these tricky, wet conditions, at turn four, La Chapelle. Pol Espargaro seems to be moving up, as we move past the fan wall, the spectators watching this race, from home, and clearly enjoying it.
Joan Mir is working his way through the field, trying to move into the points paying spots. Lap 16, just ten laps remaining, here at Le Mans in MotoGP. Alex Marquez is the rider with the fastest lap at 1:44.224. Compare that, in wet conditions, to a dry lap by Maverick Vinales here at Le Mans in 2017 at 1:32.309. Pol Espargaro and Alex Marquez, are catching the leading quartet, and fast. Two more riders finding an extra turn of speed at this point are Cal Crutchlow and Miguel Oliveira. Rins wants by Miller. Miller is reluctant and does not want to give it up, and so, once again, he slams the door in Rins' face.
Oh dear. Someone else has fallen off their motorcycle. That is a sure bet, if you hear scraping noises on the pavement, someone has ditched their motorcycle, someplace. It looks like Franco Morbidelli has crashed out, but, the Italian won't roll over and play dead. He's going to get back in the saddle and keep on trucking. He crashed at turn four, at La Chapelle, which has been calamity corner all day. He is going to keep going in the race, but his championship hopes have all but evaporated. The Ducati trio continues to lead, but no one has been willing to show each other a wheel and say, "hey, you want a piece of me?" That's not come yet. Not yet. But it might.
We continue to watch the Ducati battle and points are back on the screen. As of this moment, Fabio Quartararo, has a very slim, four point margin over Andrea Dovizioso. 113-109. Joan Mir is shown 11 points back in third at 102. Maverick Vinales 91 point total, is 22 behind the points leader. Meantime, Andrea Dovizioso has shown a front wheel to Danilo Petrucci, and has gone around his Ducati team mate for the factory team. Dovizioso leads, but not for long! He runs wide, and now, Petrucci, his team mate, and fellow Italian, is bearing down on him.
Jack Miller now makes it a Ducati 1-2-3 once again, making his move on Alex Rins' Suzuki. Dovizioso and Petrucci almost touch. Just eight laps left. Oh dear! Cal Crutchlow, over and out! Cal Crutchlow was in seventh, looking for a few more places to be on the podium. That's not going to happen today. Danilo Petrucci runs deep into the corner. This is a proper ding dong between the Ducati boys, but it is playing right into the hands of both Pol Espargaro and Alex Marquez. Four wide into the Dunlop Curve! Oh dear! Something has to give here!
There's argy bargy everywhere! Miller has to surrender. He has to put his arm up to signal, "I'm going to give that position back to you, mate." Dovizioso was picked off by Miller and Rins on the inside. Pol Espargaro, meanwhile, along with Alex Rins, have attached themselves to this lead group. So this has become something like a six way battle for position. Seven laps left, and Jack Miller might have a mechanical issue with his Pramac Ducati! Miller bails for the pit lane! He has smoke spewing out the back of the bike! This malfunction with the motorcycle might ruin his world championship hopes! Spare a thought for the Aussie on his way to retirement.
Alex Marquez moves inside of Pol Espargaro. Juse eight laps left to run here at Le Mans before this race is over. Again, we spare a thought for Jack Miller. He could have very well won this race had the bike not let him down. Joan Mir on the Suzuki has worked his way to 12th spot. Oh! Oh no! The other Suzuki! Alex Rins is down, from second spot! Suzuki's dreams of winning at Le Mans are dashed! Chris Vermuellen won here at Le Mans 13 years ago in 2007. Rins made a classic mistake and has crashed out at turn three, the second part of the Dunlop chicane.
There must be a curse of running in second spot here at Le Mans. Now, just one lap remains in the motorcycle race. Everything is laid down on the table now, as a peace offering, or, as a chance for someone to steal the loot and say, "you're mine now, suckers!" We start the final lap of the most bizarre French Grand Prix in some time as Johann Zarco moves past Takaaki Nakagami. It's Reale Avintia Ducati passing Idemitsu LCR Honda. The gap is 1.2 seconds between Danilo Petrucci and Alex Marquez is constant. It's KTM in third spot, on the podium, with Pol Espargaro. So, we shall perhaps see three different makes on the podium here at Le Mans.
Somehow or other, Andrea Dovizioso is fending off the challenge of Miguel Oliveira. That battle sees Ducati and KTM as well. Alex Marquez, until now, had never ridden a MotoGP top class motorcycle in wet conditions, but he is doing so now, and putting on a clinic. Dovizioso and Oliveira are both experiencing fading rear tires. It's the final lap at Le Mans and is Petrucci's race to lose. Stefan Bradl leads a group that includes a couple of cotenders. Mir is going to try Quartararo here, look. He sticks the pass as Quartararo goes in hot at Garage Vert. Just don't park it in the green garage yet, mate.
Danilo Petrucci though, he's going to experience sweet relief. He hasn't had a top six placing since the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring in 2019. Engine engine number nine, brings it to the finish line! Tip your hat! Danilo Petrucci wins MotoGP at Le Mans! Alex Marquez and Pol Espargaro complete the podium. Dovizioso fourth, and Johann Zarco fifth. The rest of the top ten is Miguel Oliveira, Takaaki Nakagami, Stefan Bradl (in at Repsol Honda for the injured Marc Marquez), Fabio Quartararo, and Maverick Vinales.
#9 Danilo Petrucci ITA. Ducati Team Ducati Desmosedici GP20
The next MotoGP race, is the tenth round of 14, back in Spain, in the autonomous community of Aragon at Motorland Aragon, or Ciudad del Motor de Aragon Alcaniz, in Aragon, Spain, next weekend. Looking forward to bringing you all the action. Au revoir for now, from Le Mans, in France.
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