The WSBK is warming us up with its great games this weekend near Phillip Island, but from next Friday, the MotoGP will open its 2020 hostilities on the Losail track. A site which was used for the last tests with the big melee and which revealed a field almost assembled in the same second! This is promising and Hervé Poncharal, a fine sleuth, and an experienced man if ever there was one, has his idea of what will happen. And he lets us benefit from it…
Hervé Poncharal was able to analyze the feedback from his team Tech3 over the three days of testing Qatar and he can make some predictions about what awaits him at Losail. We will recall that the French boss will bet this season on a Miguel Oliveira who will begin his second year in MotoGP and on the youngest of the starting grid which is Iker Lecuona. All with a KTM RC16 with proven progress... But the competition can also claim a step forward!
The timesheet from Doha did not reveal any drivers Tech3 at the forefront, but the French boss sees further: “ Miguel has never been a lap time specialist. I remember the 2 Moto2018 World Championship in Mugello and Barcelona. He won the two Grands Prix there, starting 17th and 18th. I think Miguel will put his best foot forward in the race. But I think the top 10 will be difficult for him at the start of the season in Qatar, because we had a little more trouble at Losail than at Sepang » recognizes Hervé.
« Performance in Malaysia was slightly better. We'll see. On the last day there were still good improvements in Qatar and the Grand Prix conditions will be different. Sometimes the feeling changes between the test and the race. Two weeks after the test, higher temperatures can also be expected He adds.
Hervé Poncharal also evaluates the competition: “ Yamaha, Suzuki and Ducati will be very strong. I don't mean to say that the Honda and KTM V4 machines have similar DNA, but there are some similarities in the technology of these motorcycles. And Losail is not the ideal route for these concepts. We will definitely have better chances at circuits like Argentina. »
« Of course, all eyes are now on the Qatar Grand Prix, everyone will risk a lot and push without limits », assures the tricolor. “ All the tenors will want to prove that they are candidates for the title. But at the same time you have to drive intelligently, leave Qatar with points and lay the foundations for the rest of the season. I don't imagine that my team can become world champions in 2020. Therefore, the first race is about getting yourself out of trouble, checking the physical condition of our two riders, providing KTM with as much information as possible and , hopefully to collect some points. It won't be easy as we saw 18 drivers in 0,9 seconds during the test. »
He ends on the case Honda and the state of Marc Márquez : " with Marc, Honda will be competitive. We also saw during the Doha tests a sort of panic at Honda. I'm not sure Marc can win the race. But he will be strong on race day. If he makes the top 5 at Losail, he will get good points. Then in Thailand, the United States and Argentina, it will be stronger. Physically and technically, he will not yet be in great shape in Qatar. He is thinking about the championship, which extends over 20 races. I'm not worried about Marc » declares Hervé on speedweek.
