2023 banter & Silly season thread for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3

[Everso Biggyballies]

MOTOGP: 2023


Time to start a 2023 thread for the bikes.... all discussion for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 this is the place



I guess the biggest question will surround Marc Marquez, MM93.... after the recent seasons of missed races, injuries and an undeveloped bike, things appeared to be getting back to a better place for Marc.... will that continue and will Honda have a bike worthy of a championship challenge.

I guess the same can be said of Yamaha in terms of getting their engine up to scratch and capable of fighting the strength Ducati showed last year. Quartararo is of course a rider who will get the maximum out of any bike, but at times last season having to over-ride the bike to try and keep up with Ducati and Suzuki in the final races, and this led to a few errors and fails.

Of course having mentioned Suzuki for their final flurry last year lets remember they are no more, having pulled the plug.

That leaves us with the following entry list of what riders on what bikes.


Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
Fabio Quartararo (end of 2024) #20
Franco Morbidelli (end of 2023) #21

Ducati Lenovo Team
Francesco Bagnaia (end of 2024) #63 (now confirmed he will use #1 for 2023.)
Enea Bastianini (end of 2024) #23

Aprilia Racing
Aleix Espargaro (end of 2024) #41
Maverick Vinales (end of 2024) #12

Repsol Honda Team
Marc Marquez (end of 2024) #93
Joan Mir (end of 2024) #36

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Jack Miller (end of 2024) #43
Brad Binder (end of 2024) #33

Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati)
Alex Marquez (end of 2023) #73
Fabio di Giannantonio (end of 2023) #49

Prima Pramac Racing (Ducati)
Johann Zarco (Ducati contract for 2023) #5
Jorge Martin (Ducati contract for 2023) #89

Mooney VR46 Racing Team (Ducati)
Luca Marini (for 2023) #10
Marco Bezzecchi (for 2023) #72

RNF MotoGP Team (Aprilia)
Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia contract, end of 2024) #88
Raul Fernandez (Aprilia contract, end of 2024) #25

Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing (KTM)
Pol Espargaro (KTM contract, end of 2024) #44
Augusto Fernandez (KTM contract, end of 2024) #37

LCR Honda Castrol/Idemitsu
Alex Rins (Honda contract, end of 2024) #42
Takaaki Nakagami (Honda contract, end of 2023) #30




This year we have 21 rounds, calendar as follows

Rnd Date Event Location
1 Mar 24 - 26 Portugal Algarve International Circuit
2 Mar 31 - Apr 2 Argentina Autodromo Termas de Río Hondo
3 Apr 14 - 16 Americas Circuit of The Americas
4 Apr 28 - 30 Spain Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto
5 May 12 - 14 France Le Mans
6 Jun 9 - 11 Italy Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello
7 Jun 16 - 18 Germany Sachsenring
8 Jun 23 - 26 Netherlands TT Circuit Assen
9 Jul 7 - 9 Kazakhstan Sokol International Racetrack
10 Aug 4 - 6 Great Britain Silverstone Circuit
11 Aug 18 - 20 Austria Red Bull Ring
12 Sep 1 - 3 Catalunya Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
13 Sep 8 - 10 San Marino Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
14 Sep 22 - 24 India Buddh International Circuit
15 Sep 29 - 1 Japan Mobility Resort Motegi
16 Oct 13 - 15 Indonesia Mandalika International Street Circuit
17 Oct 20 - 22 Australia Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
18 Oct 27 - 29 Thailand Buriram International Circuit
19 Nov 10 - 12 Malaysia Sepang International Circuit
20 Nov 17 - 19 Qatar Lusail International Circuit
21 Nov 24 - 26 Valencia Circuit Ricardo Tormo

All rounds will be in the new Sprint format.... .

Briefly that works as follows:

Friday action will still be comprised of two free practice sessions, although they will be longer than the 45-minute affairs of the present day by an as yet unspecified amount of time.

Saturday, however, is where the key changes occur.

One practice session will be dropped, with a half-hour Free Practice 3 hit-out which will be “similar to the current FP4” which exists for race set-up work and does not determine the starting order for qualifying.

FP3 will be followed by Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2, with the Sprint Race to take place at 15:00.

Said sprint will be half of the full race distance, and pay approximately half the points (See below for points allocation), but the same sporting rules will otherwise apply.

In a departure from Formula 1’s sprint race format, Q1 and Q2 will set the grid for both MotoGP races of the weekend.

“Riders must be free to race on Saturday, without the need to consider their Sunday grid position,” read MotoGP’s format release, in part.

In another change to the timetable, each block of track activity will now be Moto3, followed by Moto2 and then MotoGP, at every point of the weekend.

At present, standard procedure is for Moto2 to go after MotoGP until race day.

Sunday will still be the big day, with what are being referred to as the “Grand Prix races” for all three classes.



Full info and news on the Sprint format can be found here:
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk/forums/vi ... hp?t=17728


Discuss away.

Will MM93 be the man to beat and title favourite or will we see more of the same battles amongst Ducati and Quartararo?

Difficult to downplay the risk of a return to MM93 being the one to beat.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bagnaia to carry the #1 plate.

It has been a case of will he wont he since he won the title but today it has been officiall confirmed that Yes, for the first time in a decade, the reigning MotoGP world champion will begin their title defence carrying the #1 plate.

The #1 hasn’t appeared on the front of a MotoGP bike since 2012, when Casey Stoner rode what would be his final season.

There are all sorts of pros and cons re #1 or not..... of course on one side is the likes of Valentino Rossi, who at no point in his grand prix career ran anything other than #46 despite his nine world titles. VR46 was his brand, his legacy.

#1b in the premier class has not carried much in the way of success..... Bags is keen to upset the trend of history. He set one record last season when he became the first rider ever to overcome a 91-point deficit and five DNFs in a season to win his first crown. Can he defend his title successfully carrying #1?

Not since Mick Doohan in 1998 has a rider in the premier class successfully defended a title with the #1 plate, ....when Mick took the fifth and final 500cc title of his career. (Yeah I was shocked too)

Of the 29 riders who have won premier class titles since 1949, only 12 have successfully defended a crown.

In the 'moder'n MotoGP era, beginning in 2002, only Nicky Hayden (2007), Casey Stoner (2008 and 2012) and Jorge Lorenzo (2011) have raced with the #1 plate in defence of their titles. Lorenzo, of course, won three titles, but in 2013 and 2016 used his traditional #99 instead.

None of those riders did win the title again running the #1 plate, with those since Stoner in 2012 and prior to Bagnaia in 2023 – Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Joan Mir and Fabio Quartararo – all sticking to their standard race numbers.

So it will be strange to see a #1 racing round in the Premier class. Whether he does it successfully is a different question.

[Everso Biggyballies]

MotoGP pre-season testing 2023:


Just an update on pre season activity like Testing and such.....

The 2023 MotoGP pre-season gets underway on 10-12 February in Malaysia with the first of two tests before the GP campaign proper gets underway on March 26th.

There are just five days of official pre-season running permitted before that first race.

[bWhere is MotoGP pre-season testing in 2023?

There are two tests split by a month this winter, ahead of the 2023 season starting on 26 March with the Portuguese Grand Prix.

The first official three-day test takes place at Sepang on Friday 10 February to Sunday 12 February.
A two-day test will follow at Portimao on Saturday 11 March to Sunday 12 March, with the season beginning two weeks later.

Thats it for pre season..... There will be one day of in-season testing in 2023, taking place after the San Marino GP in September on the Monday after the race, while there will be one day of running on the Tuesday following the Valencia GP finale in November.

Actually The Sepang test in next week will be the first time the entire MotoGP grid has assembled since the post-race one-day test in Valencia last November.


Other stuff

Unlike in Formula 1 pre-season testing, both riders from each team – as well as test riders when required – will take to the track at the same time, rather than sharing machinery. Riders will have multiple bikes at their disposal during the test to try out various updates.


In terms of regs the major changes are the banning of front rode height devices that can be altered on track during a iap. There is a new minimum tyre pressure ruling in place but that wont affect testing. only racings.


The big questions we should see answere are :
1) Have Yamaha pulled their finger out and produced a decent engine that has some top speed.
2) Have Honda also pulled their finger out and produced a bike for MM93 that can regularly challenge for wins.

We should start to see some answers in a couple of dayss from now....


Oh and finally....

[Everso Biggyballies]

Testing Day 1
Marco Bezzecchi has set the fastest lap on Day 1 of the Sepang MotoGP test on a year-old Ducati.

As it was when the GP21 Desmosedicis were quick at the start of 2022, the Mooney VR46 rider clocked a 1:58.470s to hold sway on the first of three days of testing at the Malaysian Grand Prix venue despite also crashing at Turn 7.

Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales was next-best at 0.130s off the pace, with the top 10 made up entirely of riders on the two Italian brands of motorcycle.

The Ducati Team’s Enea Bastianini edged Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin to third place, with a 1:58.732s compared to a 1:58.737s, while Francesco Bagnaia claimed fifth on a 1:58.857s on his #1 Desmosedici.

Monster Energy Yamaha duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo were 11th and 12th respectively, with Marc Marquez 13th on his Repsol Honda, while Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led the way for the KTM/GasGas quartet in 16th on a 1:59.826s.

MM93 and Honda are obviously serious about it.....they had a full four RC213Vs at his disposal, one of which had a new air intake, a ground effect lower side fairing, and yet another spec of swingarm.

2023 OFFICIAL SEPANG MOTOGP TEST - DAY 1 (FINAL)
RIDER NAT TEAM TIME LAP. TOP SPEED
1 ^10 Marco Bezzecchi ITA Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) 1m 58.47s 54/55 335.4
2 ^2 Maverick Viñales SPA Aprilia Racing (RS-GP 23) +0.130s 65/67 333.3
3 ˅2 Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati Lenovo (GP23) +0.262s 42/54 336.4
4 ˅2 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP23) +0.267s 21/67 335.4
5 ˅2 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo (GP23) +0.387s 23/58 334.3
6 ˅1 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Racing (RS-GP 23) +0.471s 44/49 332.3
7 ^2 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP22) +0.496s 46/56 333.3
8 ^7 Fabio Di Giannantonio ITA Gresini Ducati (GP22) +0.551s 45/47 332.3
9 ^1 Alex Marquez SPA Gresini Ducati (GP22) +0.566s 47/53 332.3
10 ^9 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.648s 54/59 333.3
11 ˅5 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.952s 47/58 334.3
12 ˅5 Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.954s 23/58 333.3
13 ˅5 Luca Marini ITA Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) +0.999s 21/50 334.3
14 ˅2 Miguel Oliveira POR RNF Aprilia (RS-GP 22) +1.260s 39/50 331.2
15 ^6 Raul Fernandez SPA RNF Aprilia (RS-GP 22) +1.343s 52/54 331.2
16 ^4 Jack Miller AUS Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.356s 48/53 330.2
17 ˅4 Joan Mir SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.362s 47/53 330.2
18 ˅4 Alex Rins SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +1.493s 49/66 331.2
19 ˅3 Augusto Fernandez SPA Tech3 GASGAS (RC16)* +1.557s 23/58 326.2
20 ˅3 Pol Espargaro SPA Tech3 GASGAS (RC16) +1.608s 40/58 331.2
21 ˅3 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.615s 18/60 330.2
22 = Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +2.734s 27/49 328.2
23 = Katsuyuki Nakasuga JPN Yamaha Test Rider (YZR-M1) +2.769s 45/58 327.2
24 = Stefan Bradl GER Honda Test Rider (RC213V) +5.031s 2/3 325.3


To explain the first column after the position in the times
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than previous hour. (ie Bezzechi ^10 indicates he jumped up 10 positions in the final hour)
= Rider is same position as previous hour.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than previous hour.

[boss]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing these dates and rankings. I can't wait for March.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Just a quick reminder that the 2023 MotoGP Season gets under way this weekend with Round 1 the Portuguese GP at the Algarve International Circuit AKA Portimão.

We should see some indication of who has the form and the bike, be it Bagnaia who seems to have been more than happy with his prospects on the Ducati. Of course he has a new teamate on the factory bike now with Bastianini....

Yamaha seemed to look like they still had work to do so Quartararo might have a bike not a good as him as last year.... if he has to over ride the bike again to try and match Ducati then mistakes will happen. Mind you he had some really good days in testing so the actual Yamaha status could be in amongst a few sandbags. Has the engine improved as much as it needed to is the key there I think. Lets not forget the combination of El Diablo and his Yamaha have proved to be a winning formula at this circuit in 2021 and 2022.

Of course there is also the Marquez factor.... it seems his injury woes are behind him so it would be a brave man to discount his prospects.

I will be interested to see how the Mooney Rossi Team 46 Ducatis go, particularly the Marini ridden bike. He looked promising in testing.

Dont forget we have the new for 2023 Sprint Race format with every weekend now featuring both a Sprint and Feature race.

[Everso Biggyballies]

The season did not start well for Pol Espargaro....

.....a practice crash at Portimao has left him with injuries including a broken jaw and bruised lungs and what has been referred to as 'spinal trauma', although it seems he is able to move but needs further scans particularly to his spine for a full diagnosis.

He highsided at Turn 10 of the Portimao circuit jin the final quarter-hour of Practice 2, rolling across the gravel trap and into the barriers at a section not protected by an air fence.

The session was red flagged as a medical crew attended to Espargaro, before he was taken to the circuit’s medical centre and then airlifted to hospital in nearby Faro for checks.

Since then, MotoGP Medical Director Dr Angel Charte has advised that he has suffered a pulmonary contusion, a fractured jaw, and a fractured dorsal vertebra. Pol did not lose consciousness at any stage, and he was said to be “perfectly fine neurologically”.

Dr Charte added,

“his oxygen levels are good, but he has quite a significant lung contusion, the extent of which we will need to confirm with CT scans and MRIs at Faro hospital.

“He has suffered severe spinal trauma and a contusion to his lungs which we will have to monitor closely. Although I think he will recover well, we need to conduct the appropriate tests to determine the extent of his injuries

“He is conscious, alert, and responding well. He is slightly sedated due to the painkillers we have administered.

In terms of who looks good after P2..... some strange names at the top.

Red Bull KTM’s Jack Miller has set a new lap record in practice for Round 1 of the 2023 MotoGP season in Portugal.

The Australian finished Practice 2 at Portimao with a fastest lap time of 1:37.709s, edging Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales by 0.037s at the second session of the day.

Under MotoGP’s new event format, which features just three free practice sessions due to the existence of a Sprint race, they are among the 10 riders locked in to Qualifying 2, which now takes place on Saturday morning (local time).

“I found a shortcut at Turn 3 and then also in the last sector,” joked ‘Jackass’, who beat the old record of 1:38.725s by more than a full second.

The 10 riders already through to Q2 are Miller, Viñales, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Ducati), Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha), Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Ducati), Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Ducati), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Not so good for MM93.... he missed out when he crashed his Repsol Honda while tailing Quartararo, and will be going into Qualifying 1.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Seeing as it is a new format weekend with the Sprint race here is the schedule for Saturday and Sunday.

SATURDAY

Moto3
Practice Nr. 3
08:40
-
09:10
Moto2
Practice Nr. 3
09:25
-
09:55
MotoGP
Free Practice
10:10
-
10:40
MotoGP
Qualifying Nr. 1
10:50-11:05

MotoGP
Qualifying Nr. 2
11:15
-
11:30
MotoGP
Best of
11:45-12:20

Moto3
Qualifying Nr. 1
12:50
-
13:05
Moto3
Qualifying Nr. 2
13:15-13:30

Moto2
Qualifying Nr. 1
13:45
-14:00

Moto2
Qualifying Nr. 2
14:10-14:25

MotoGP
Sprint
15:00


SUNDAY

MotoGP
Warm Up
09:45
-
09:55
MotoGP
Rider Fan Parade
10:00-10:35

Moto3
Race
11:00

Moto2
Race
12:15

MotoGP
Race
14:00

[Everso Biggyballies]

MM93 on Pole

He seems to be back and in good form. Having had to go through Q1 Marc Marquez has taken pole position for the Portuguese MotoGP round after Jack Miller crashed out of qualifying.

Bagnaia looked like he had pole looked after until Marquez finished his final lap after the flag had flown. Somewhat amusingly MM managed the pole time by going faster than Bagnaia thanks thanks to a tow from Bags teamate Bastianini.

Miller had gone out for his first run and had promptly broken the lap record he set in P2 earlier, but sadly did a Miller and crashed on his second run. He was still on the front row when the flg fell, but Oliveira (who also came via Q1) and MM both put in last second laps to end up 5th. A lost opportunity after his form all weekend.

So MM Bagnaia and Martin on the front row, Oliveira ended up fourth, from Miller, Bastianini, Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati), Marini (VR46 Ducati), and Zarco (Pramac Ducati). Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) could only manage 11th. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) ended up 12th after crashing on his first run



The Sprint race is due to start in about 20 minutes.

[Vassago]

Good thing I checked this thread since I thought the sprint race starts in 1h 20mins and now I realized Portugal is Greenwich time

[Everso Biggyballies]

Good thing I checked this thread since I thought the sprint race starts in 1h 20mins and now I realized Portugal is Greenwich time

Hehehe just in time.... warm up lap underway now.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Shocking start from Fabio.... down to 15th.

How long can Marquez keep the Ducatis behind him. Mir crashes so not a good start to his Honda career

[Everso Biggyballies]

As Marini loses it and takes Bastianini with him.

[Everso Biggyballies]

But Marquez couldnt hang on to the lead and now drops behind Bags and Martin just ahead of Miller.

Martin takes the lead.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Marquez down to 5th now as Miller and Oliveira sweep past.