After being at a standstill for several months, motorcycle competition truly resumes this week in Europe. However, it is useful to summarize what already happened before the coronavirus forced everyone into confinement.
En Grand Prizes, the MotoGP were able to do their tests in Malaysia and Qatar in February before being forced to abandon the Qatar Grand Prix at the beginning of March. This is fortunately not the case for Moto2 and Moto3 whose championships are currently led by Tetsuta nagashima (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo), Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex, Flex-Box Pons HP 40), Enea Bastianini (Kalex, Italtrans Racing Team), Joe Roberts (Kalex, American Racing) and Remy gardner (Kalex, Onexox TKKR SAG Team) in the intermediate category, and Albert Arenas (KTM, Aspar Team Gaviota), John McPhee (Honda, Petronas Sprinta Racing), Ai Ogura (Honda, Honda Team Asia), Jaume Masia (Honda, Leopard Racing) and Tatsuki Suzuki (Honda, SIC58 Squadra Corse) in Moto3.
All these beautiful people will meet for 2 races at Jerez July 19 and 26, along with MotoE.
The competitors of WorldSuperbike were able to compete from February 28 to March 1 during the round at Phillip Island in Australia. alex lowes
(Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) leads the championship ahead
Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati),
Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team), Jonathan Rhea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team).
In Supersport, these are Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team), Raffaele De Rosa
(MV Agusta Reparto Corsica), Jules cluzel
(GMT94 Yamaha), Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who are best placed for the title.
The next round will take place in Jerez from July 31 to August 2.
Somewhat paradoxically in a country strongly affected by the health crisis, the pilots of the MotoAmerica have already run 4 races, all on the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake (Wisconsin).
In Superbike, Cameron Beaubier (Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha) leads the way in front Jake Gagne (Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha) and
Bobby Fong (M4 ECSTAR Suzuki) while
Richie Escalante (Honos Kawasaki), Sean Dylan Kelly (M4 ECSTAR Suzuki) and Brandon Paasch (Celtic HSBK Racing Yamaha) lead the Supersport.
The next event will take place at Road Atlanta from July 31 to August 2.
From July 31 to August 2, the round of the
French FSBK Championship in Magny-Cours, but before that, our Italian friends will battle it out this weekend at Mugello as part of the
CIV.
As Grand Prix enthusiasts, we will be particularly watching the dominator of recent seasons (7 times Italian champion!) Michele Pirro (Ducati Barni Racing), but also the test rider of the Aprilia MotoGP team,
Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Nuova M2 Racing), who will face Lorenzo Zanetti (Ducati Broncos Racing Team), Samuel Cavalieri (Ducati Barni Racing), Matthew Baiocco (Ducati ZPM Racing),
Kevin Calia (Suzuki Penta Motorsport),
Luca Vitali (BMW Cherry Box 24 Guandalini Racing),
Andrea Mantovani (BMW Tutapista Corse) and the ghost Eddi La Marra (Aprilia Nuova M2 Racing) in Superbike.
In Moto3, the name of Kevin Zannoni (Honda Junior Team Total Gresini) is no stranger to us, but we will be particularly attentive to the introduction of the Yamaha 450cc engine prepared by Geo Technology SA alongside the 250cc Honda (learn more here).
Finally, in Supersport, the title of Lorenzo Gabellini will be contested by Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Rosso Corsa) and Davide Stirpe (MV Extreme Racing Bardhal), followed by
Marco Bussolotti (yamaha), Kevin Manfredi (MV CM Racing), Stefano Valtulini (Kawasaki Black Flag Motorsport) and Luca Bernardi (Yamaha Gomma Racing). It is also worth mentioning the return to the ELF CIV ofAlessandro Nocco (Kawasaki Renzi Corse) as well as the temporary arrival ofAndrea Locatelli (Yamaha Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) as wildcard.
Last but not least, the championship END CEV will debut…next Tuesday! Indeed, this weekend will only be devoted to testing on the Portuguese circuit of Estoril, near Lisbon, while the races will take place on July 7.
Only 3 categories are on the program for this first event, but the French will be rather well represented, with
Marceau Lapierre, Mateo Pedeneau, Amaury Mizera, Guillem Planques, Bartholomé Perrin and Ilan Peron in the European Talent Cup, as well as Lorenzo Fellon, Clément Rougé and Gabin Planques in Moto3.
We'll return to all of this in due course, just as we'll update our full printable calendar very soon, now that things seem at least temporarily stabilized...
