Photo: motogp.com
Skipping the latest Dorna Factory 2 regulations fireworks, the 2014 MotoGP season kick-off round looks like a really to-die-for race to watch closely. And the latest news from the official tire supplier Bridgestone are only making things even better. The Japanese tire manufacturer has finished analyzing the data collected at both the tire test at Phillip Island and in Qatar and made it clear: this year’s opening round will have a faster pace!
“It was encouraging to see how quick the pace was during this test, both over a single lap and during the race simulations, as this track offers comparatively little grip compared to other venues on the calendar. The best lap time from this test was 0.6 seconds faster than the best race time from 2013 and many riders also had good results in their race simulations as well, so overall I am pleased that our 2014-spec tyres worked well here,” Masao Azuma, Chief Engineer for Bridgestone tells motogp.com
These results are even better as more riders lapped faster times around the Losail Circuit, with Forward Yamaha’s Aleix Espargaro being the fastest of them all. His previous placements in the two Sepang tests earlier this year confirm that both he and his bike are in great shape and we can expect the battle for the podium to become fiercer.
At the same time, Marc Marquez experiences the first time when he must defend the MotoGP title he won last year. However, he’s far from being in top physical condition, as he is still recovering from a fractured fibula, so things are complicated on the Qatar track.
Jorge Lorenzo is sworn on gunning Marquez as hard as possible, and his team mate Valentino Rossi has recently shown a much better form than last year, possibly thinking about one more championship win, as well. Marquez’ Repsol Honda colleague Dani Pedrosa is out for his first premier-class world title as well, while Ducati benefits from the extra perks of the Open class teams.
And with Bridgestone saying that the race pace in Qatar will surely be faster than the last year’s round, we’re in for quite some thrilling action on March 23. The 2014 MotoGP season kicks off march 20-23 at the Losail Circuit in Qatar, for the 11th time on this desert track, and the 7th night race in a row.
These results are even better as more riders lapped faster times around the Losail Circuit, with Forward Yamaha’s Aleix Espargaro being the fastest of them all. His previous placements in the two Sepang tests earlier this year confirm that both he and his bike are in great shape and we can expect the battle for the podium to become fiercer.
At the same time, Marc Marquez experiences the first time when he must defend the MotoGP title he won last year. However, he’s far from being in top physical condition, as he is still recovering from a fractured fibula, so things are complicated on the Qatar track.
Jorge Lorenzo is sworn on gunning Marquez as hard as possible, and his team mate Valentino Rossi has recently shown a much better form than last year, possibly thinking about one more championship win, as well. Marquez’ Repsol Honda colleague Dani Pedrosa is out for his first premier-class world title as well, while Ducati benefits from the extra perks of the Open class teams.
And with Bridgestone saying that the race pace in Qatar will surely be faster than the last year’s round, we’re in for quite some thrilling action on March 23. The 2014 MotoGP season kicks off march 20-23 at the Losail Circuit in Qatar, for the 11th time on this desert track, and the 7th night race in a row.
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