After Austria and the Czech Republic, the MotoGP paddock travels to the United Kingdom for the 12th meeting of the season on the Silverstone circuit.
The press conference kicked off this British event in the presence of Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Hector Barbera, Cal Crutchlow and Eugene Laverty.
The turning point of the Championship?
Author of his 48th MotoGP podium in Brno, Marquez is now 53 points ahead of his closest rival Rossi and 59 points ahead of Lorenzo, “There are a lot of races left. I need to score the most points,” confides the Honda driver. “I want to win here and I will continue to ride 100%. Between now and the warm up, if we see that this is not possible, we will change strategy. »
On the long 5,9 kilometer track, the Honda RC213V should suffer less during acceleration phases according to Marquez, “There are three big accelerations which happen in third, whereas they happened in second in Austria. This is much better for us. »
In Brno, Red did not hide his focus on second place on the final podium behind Marquez who seems untouchable, “It’s easier to make mistakes with Michelins,” He explains. “There were other problems with the Bridgestones, but the front was safer. I arrived in Austin after 25 races without errors. It's the same problem for everyone, but after my engine broke at Mugello, I'm very far behind in the standings. »
In the Czech Republic, the Italian took advantage of his teammate's problems to regain the upper hand in the provisional ranking. After the Grand Prix, the Italian tried a new swingarm and chassis, “The test was very positive. We will confirm this feeling tomorrow [Friday]. »
Lorenzo suffered a front tire problem in tricky conditions at Brno. The Majorcan first pointed the finger at Michelin before helping to develop this tire during the test that followed, “I think the podium was possible,” declares the Yamaha rider. “But I had this problem with the front tire. »
Despite his delay in the rankings, Lorenzo does not admit defeat, “In 2013, I managed to recover 25 points from Marc after his mistake at Phillip Island [black flag]. I lost many points this year in the wet and with these tires anything can happen. If I am able to close the gap between now and Misano, the title will still be a possibility. »
35 years after Barry Sheene in Anderstop (Sweden), Crutchlow managed to put Great Britain on the top step of the podium, “I came back to reality quickly after Brno, without partying, because there were tests on Monday,” confides the Briton. “I then took care of my daughter and went cycling before Silverstone. » Note that Crutchlow is only the sixth MotoGP rider to win a race without having moved to a lower category.
Crutchlow also thinks he will suffer this weekend aboard the RC213V, “We have problems with acceleration, but my biggest problem is corner exit. I come out of the previous corner less well and I am forced to compensate when entering the next corner. »
In Austria, the Avinta Racing team announced that it would keep the same lineup for 2017 with Hector Barbera and Loris Baz, “This is my best season in MotoGP,” declares the Valencia pilot. “This is the first season where I have a motorcycle close to the official machines. Finishing 6th or 7th is good for the team, and I am going faster and faster. »
Remember that if Baz will have a Ducati GP15 in 2017, his Spanish teammate will ride on a D16 GP.
World Superbike and MotoGP
At the end of the 2016 season, Laverty will leave the MotoGP grid to return to the WorldSBK grid after two seasons under the Aspar colors. Laverty will join the Milwaukee team as it moves from BMW to Aprilia with factory support. He will team up with Lorenzo Savadori, “Returning to Superbike was one of the most difficult decisions of my career,” He explains. “This season is better than last year, especially in Austria before the incident at the last corner [with Danilo Petrucci]. »
Regarding his biggest challenges for next season, Laverty “hopes to win again, but [his] opponents Kawasaki and Ducati have been constantly evolving and progressing for years, just like Johnny Rea. I will be in a new team with a new package. There will be many challenges to face with the teams already in place. »
The Championship is currently dominated by the British with Jonathan Rea in the lead, “English riders have better results in Superbikes because they don't have many opportunities in Grands Prix,” says Crutchlow. “Our national championship is focused on Superbikes. »
This weekend, among other WorldSBK defectors, alex lowes will replace the injured Bradley Smith on the Yamaha Tech3 team. Current rider of the Pata Yamaha team in WorldSBK, Lowes will have to learn, “I think I will take advantage of Friday to learn,” he tells us. “I will have to quickly get used to the tires as well as the behavior of the bike. I know that the podium is not possible, we have to be realistic. So I have to make the most of it. I know the Silverstone track, but I have to adapt my riding style which is different from that of a Superbike, particularly on corner entries. »
Lowes is delighted with the opportunity presented to him, “I can’t wait to race against the best riders in the world. When I was a kid, I used to walk around my garden pretending I was Valentino Rossi. I think riding with the best will help me in WorldSBK. »
Points on the 2017 negotiations
If the MotoGP 2017 chessboard is coming to an end, in Moto3 and Moto2, negotiations are at the heart of the news. At Silverstone, Jorge Navarro has formalized his departure from the Monlau team to join Gresini in Moto2. On the side of the SKY VR46 team, Andrea Migno and Nicolo Bulega will team up again in Moto3 for the 2017 season.
In Moto2, alone Francis Bagnaia is confirmed at the moment. According to our information, the second pilot will be announced in the coming days.
An exchange of good practices between the two teams since Enea Bastianini should take the Spaniard's place at Monlau.
Navarro will accompany the rise of Brad Binder who will join Ajo (WP-KTM) and fabio quartararo who should ride under the colors of the Pons team.
Finally, against all odds, George Martin could take Bastianini's place at Gresini. Despite having a Mahindra contract on the table, the former Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion reportedly has other visions.
Among other information, Andrea Locatelli, current driver of the Leopard Racing team in Moto3, would join the Italtrans team for a period of three years.
