You forgot these drivers! 2019 edition

After skimming the grids 2017 et 2018, today let's take a look at the forgotten drivers and freelancers of the 2019 season. Although fewer in number that year, some notable replacements punctuated the season.

Let's start, again, with the immutable Michele Pirro at Ducati. If it was necessary to award a title of “best wildcard driver”, there is no doubt that the Italian would be very well placed. Every year, he distinguished himself, not having to be ashamed of the factory drivers. Pirro intervened three times, each time as a wildcard (Mugello, Misano and Valencia) and took the points for seventh place in the Italian Grand Prix.

 

 

Another regular in this section, Sylvain Guintoli is at it again. Very important for Suzuki, the Frenchman played a decisive role in the 2020 title race, crowning the legendary Japanese brand for the first time in 20 years. The winner of the 2021 World Endurance Championship achieved three wildcards (Catalonia, Brno and Motegi), but also a replacement. Indeed, Joan mir suffered a pulmonary contusion mid-season and was sidelined two races. If it was not replaced on the Red Bull Ring, “Guinters” put on the leather Silverstone. These four races ended in a single points finish in Barcelona.

 

 

Stefan bradl was also called in for reinforcement, following the enormous injury of Jorge Lorenzo in Honda Repsol. Moreover, if we cannot include the Spaniard in this article due to his tenure status, the photos of the RC213V stamped with No. 99 are still as shocking as ever. Bradl had already made a wildcard at Jerez on behalf of HRC. We definitely can’t get enough of this “factory” livery.

 

 

You may have forgotten it but Bradley Smith also played the role of developers in 2019. We cannot say that the experience was conclusive at Aprilia, but these four freelances resulted in a full-time contract for 2020.

 

 

À Valencia, for the last round, Iker Lecuona made his debut in the premier category. Then a Moto2 rider with American Racing, the Spaniard became the first rider born in the XNUMXst century to make his debut in MotoGP, in order to replace Miguel Oliveira at KTM Tech3. The experience resulted in a violent fall, almost causing serious injury. Johann zarco...

 

 

…On Honda LCR ! Indeed, after a controversial start to the season at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, the double Moto2 world champion had found refuge with Lucio Cecchinello for the last three races of the year. Zarco then replaced Takaaki Nakagami, operated on the shoulder. On a 2018 machine, he entered the points in Australia and did not finish in Malaysia. In Valencia, he fell before being mowed down by Iker Lecuona's KTM RC16 while going to recover his own machine.

 

 

That's all for 2019! What year would you like to see? Tell us in the comments!

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport