Jonathan Rea, now an official Yamaha rider, has quickly adapted to his new team, as evidenced by his initial tests with the Yamaha R1. He humorously noted that the blue color of Yamaha matches well with his eyes. However, his focus has shifted towards Ducati, the dominant force in the World Superbike Championship (WSBK), indicating a change in his stance since joining Yamaha.

In WSBK, as in MotoGP, Ducati is often the target due to its strong performance. This rivalry extends beyond the track to the off-season, as demonstrated by Rea during a visit to the Milan Motorcycle Show. He commented on the weight handicap of 7 kilograms that Alvaro Bautista will have to carry on his Ducati Panigale V4R in the upcoming WSBK season. Rea expressed skepticism about the impact of this weight penalty, believing that Bautista’s fitness and Ducati’s capabilities would allow them to remain competitive.

Rea stated, “Seven kilos of ballast? Alvaro Bautista is super trained and prepared, and with the Ducati, they will find a solution to stay ahead.” He further explained that in the Superpole Race, the bikes might use about seven kilos less than in longer races, so the impact would be minimal, and Bautista would manage well.

Rea also raised concerns about the cost disparity between motorcycles in the series. He pointed out that it’s problematic to have bikes costing 44,000 euros competing against those priced at 20,000 euros, especially when the rules are close to standard production. He emphasized the need for Dorna, the organizing body of WSBK, to address this issue. Rea hopes to be competitive with the Yamaha R1, but he also questioned whether it’s Ducati’s fault that Yamaha doesn’t produce a more expensive superbike to match Ducati’s pricing.

Rea’s comments reflect the ongoing debate in WSBK about balancing competition and maintaining fairness in a series that features production-based motorcycles. His move to Yamaha and his observations on the competitive landscape indicate a new chapter in his career and in the dynamics of the WSBK championship.

O conteúdo Jonathan Rea goes public with his war against Ducati: ‘We cannot let motorcycles that cost 44,000 euros race against motorcycles that cost 20,000’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Tony Cairoli was recently announced as part of Ducati’s motocross project and has already visited the manufacturer’s headquarters in Borgo Panigale.

On Friday, the legendary rider used social media to share a photo from Ducati’s facilities with the caption: ‘A completely Italian new adventure.’

At Ducati, Cairoli will serve as an ambassador and also test new bikes and participate in some national-level races. However, the main test rider for the manufacturer will be Alessandro Lupino.

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O conteúdo Tony Cairoli is already working with Ducati and «wearing» Red aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martin is the fastest rider on the grid now, but to achieve the world title it is often not enough just to be the fastest, it is also necessary to be consistent.

However, the Spanish rider maintains his excellent form at the start of the Thai GP, scoring the top position in both practice sessions on Friday. Despite this, the #89 suffered a crash in the last session of the day, near the end, something that left the Spanish rider surprised as he felt he was not going to the limit of his Ducati:

– Certainly, I wanted to improve a little bit, because you never know if you’re inside or outside and here we are very close. I saw the data, I braked a little bit earlier and I was getting there slower, so I think it was a bounce or something, I have to understand tomorrow on the track, so I don’t repeat the same. But I wasn’t on the edge, I think. (…) First in the two sessions, in the morning it was a bit easier with the new tyres, but in the afternoon, I was very competitive with the morning tyres because everyone put on the new tyres and I was on the used tyres. Still, I was in the top 5, top 6 and that’s very good for tomorrow and Sunday. It’s a track where the tyres, both front and rear, have a big loss, so it’s going to be difficult to understand for Sunday, but it’s the same for everyone and hopefully I can improve a little bit more.

Jorge Martin also said that the Thai circuit does not yet offer the best grip conditions, but that he expects the times to drop tomorrow:

– In the morning I think the track was very dirty, and in the afternoon, it was very hot, so the grip was not the best. I think we’re going to be a little bit faster, but it is what it is. I think tomorrow we’ll improve a little bit.

Martin ended the first day’s debrief by stating that he feels prepared for the Sprint, but with what happened in the long race in Australia, he is a little more cautious in his approach to the long race:

– Yes, I feel more prepared for the Sprint than for Sunday. I think Sunday is going to be a very long race and as I’ve told you, like what happened at Phillip Island, it’s not easy to come here and see that the tyres are losing a lot. So hopefully we make the best choice, that we can understand what my opponents are doing and hopefully we can do something like the other weeks.

O conteúdo ‘I feel more prepared for the Sprint than for Sunday’ Jorge Martin aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Enea Bastianini heads to the Indonesian GP with a 10th place in the Australian GP race and continues his recovery from the injuries that have kept the Italian rider away from good results.

In a debrief, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider revealed his expectations for this weekend.

– ‘I always want to be at the top, of course. Physically I’m better, after the Australian GP I didn’t have any pain in my body, which was a good sign. After these two GPs in a row I’m a bit tired, but I’m ready to start this one, I like this circuit and I want to stay at the top.

After a great season with Gresini Racing MotoGP, Enea Bastianini was promoted to the factory Ducati Lenovo Team. Unfortunately, the Italian rider hasn’t had the best results due to injuries or racing incidents. Enea is therefore looking to show his commitment in these last four races, and is motivated to be at the top of the standings.

O conteúdo ‘I like this track and I want to stay at the top’ – Enea Bastianini aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

A new and historic chapter is opening for Ducati – the red team from Borgo Panigale is entering the world of motocross.

Nine-time MX World Champion Antonio Cairoli will join Ducati as a high-performance test rider for the new racing program.

Ducati has also signed a multi-year agreement with Maddii Racing, one of the most experienced teams in the motocross paddock, which will be the reference structure for MX racing activities and will take part in the 2024 Italian Motocross Championship with Alessandro Lupino, eight-time Italian Champion and winner of the 2021 MXoN, also hired by Ducati as a race and test rider.

This is a multi-year project that envisages the creation of a complete range of engines and off-road motorcycles. The models will gradually form part of a family of Ducati-branded motorcycles, starting with motocross.

The focus of Ducati’s off-road project is a combination of the demand for lightness taken to the extreme, top-of-the-range components and engines characterized by a very wide power delivery curve. The latter is achieved thanks to the use of the Desmodromic system, used on all the Bologna company’s sports bikes from MotoGP onwards. Ducati is, in fact, the only company in the world that uses the same valve return system on its top-performing production bikes as it does on its racing prototypes.

Entering the specialized off-road sector represents a very important and challenging strategic choice for Ducati, made possible by the excellent results achieved in recent years. A decision that confirms the desire to expand the brand’s presence in currently unexplored terrain. New young riders will be able to get closer to the Borgo Panigale brand and thus enter the large community of Ducatisti.

Performance is one of the brand’s three core values, along with style and sophistication.

O conteúdo Breaking News – Ducati enters into the world of motocross with Antonio Cairoli and much more aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

In a surprising move, Ducati, primarily known for its dominance in the world of MotoGP, has announced the launch of an ambitious motocross program. The Italian motorcycle manufacturer has teamed up with none other than motocross legend, Tony Cairoli, for this new venture.

Tony Cairoli, a name synonymous with motocross success, has won multiple World Championships and is considered one of the greatest riders in the history of the sport. His partnership with Ducati signals the brand’s serious intentions to make a mark in the motocross arena.

Details about the program remain under wraps, but insiders suggest that Ducati is investing heavily in research and development to produce a competitive motocross bike. The collaboration with Cairoli is expected to provide valuable insights and feedback to the Ducati engineering team, ensuring that the bike is tailored to meet the demands of professional motocross racing.

This move by Ducati is seen by many as a strategic expansion of its motorsport portfolio. While the brand has achieved significant success on the tarmac, entering the dirt track world of motocross presents a new set of challenges and opportunities. With Cairoli on board, Ducati aims to leverage his expertise and experience to fast-track its motocross program’s success.

The motocross community has expressed excitement and curiosity about this unexpected collaboration. Many are eager to see how Ducati’s engineering prowess, combined with Cairoli’s unparalleled skills, will shape the future of motocross racing.

It remains to be seen how this partnership will evolve and what impact it will have on the motocross world. However, one thing is certain: with two giants of the motorsport world coming together, fans can expect some thrilling action and innovations in the coming years.

O conteúdo Breaking News: Ducati Launches Ambitious Motocross Program with Tony Cairoli aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Pole-sitter Luca Marini finished the Sprint race in second position yesterday, ending today’s long race early, through no fault of his own, but because he was hit by Brad Binder.

In a debrief, the Italian rider of the Mooney VR46 explained that there was nothing he could do to avoid the collision, showing himself satisfied with the weekend and not being resentful of Brad Binder:

– No, it was impossible (to dodge), I just saw a flash and fart, that was it. But Brad went to my garage, and I explain everything to me, so now I’m less upset because he said that when he went to the kerb he had a moment with the bike and sometimes it happens that the front pads open. This has happened to me this weekend too and I know that feeling. It was just bad luck in my case. It’s something I can’t control, but I’m more disappointed with my start because my start wasn’t that good, but then when Jorge passed me on the straight, I had to close the throttle because I was almost crashing because of my front tyre and I lost two positions there that for this case, caused me not to be in the correct position for my run. And anyway, it was a good weekend for me, the speed was good, and we’ll see how my physical condition is at Phillip Island, if it’s a bit better. I hope so.

Marini was also asked about the weekend as a whole and if he expected to achieve the results, he achieved in Mandalika, showing that he was somewhat surprised with the way things went, with the certainty that he could fight for the podium without today’s bad luck:

– The race was a bit strange (Sprint), as was the podium. Nobody expected the podium like that. We knew that Maverick could be strong and Jorge the strongest today but seeing the lap times and the pace that everyone had, I could have fought for the podium easily because today was also cold, with the wind. And especially with the rear medium the bike is easier to ride in the physical department, because with less grip the bike wobbles much less, so the effort you must apply to the handlebar is much less…

O conteúdo ‘It was just bad luck’ – Luca Marini aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martin will enter the long race at Mandalika in the lead of the championship, having taken victory in today’s Sprint. It is known that the Ducati riders share the data with each other, and Martin did not hide, in statements after the race, that he looks at his rival’s data, to understand what is going on with the #1:

– No, I always look at Pecco’s data and try to see what he is doing during the weekend and his settings. I look to see how the situation is, but then I need to work on my set-up and be focused on my driving style and set-up. I can’t help you.

Regarding tomorrow’s race, Jorge Martin was confident, especially after being able to test the medium tyre:

– I’m happy because I was the only one who worked with the medium rear tyre this morning and I think it’s a positive thing because I know the tyre better, it’s working well and maybe it’s not easy under braking, but it will certainly last a lot longer than the soft. Today the soft, you saw by Maverick the tyre was completely destroyed after 7/8 laps, and the medium is much more constant, and I managed to do 1.31, which is similar to what we were doing at the end of the race (Sprint). So, I think that after 8 laps there will be a cross between the soft and the medium, and I hope I can benefit from the laps I did.

O conteúdo “You saw by Maverick that the tyre was completely destroyed’ – Jorge Martín aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The championship has a new leader almost half a year later, as we have already reported here. Jorge Martin has been in unbelievable form, decimating the competition and doing what he wants with his bike.

Today, in the Mandalika Sprint, the #89 was once again impeccable, getting a lot of overtaking, starting from 6th to finish the race in 1st position. In a debrief, Martin said he was very happy, saying that he even doubted if he would be able to overtake Brad Binder:

– I’m very happy, today was a difficult race because I started sixth, maybe it wasn’t the best position, but I was able to overtake a lot of riders and on a track where it’s usually difficult, so hopefully tomorrow we can do it again. (…) I wasn’t in the best position, that’s for sure. When I got to the first corner, I was in the dirty part, so I couldn’t overtake, I was just holding the position. Then, step by step I was overtaking some riders, and I was feeling really good, and I thought I wouldn’t even be able to overtake Brad, but in the end I overtook everyone. So, I’m very, very happy, even if I was managing the rear tyre a little bit, because it was difficult to take to the end, because the soft is very soft. I’m very proud of the work and we’ll see how I can improve.

Martin also said that the circuit has been gaining grip, despite the ideal race line remaining very narrow, noting that the problem in qualifying was that he recorded his best lap on the hard tyre:

– I think it’s getting cleaner every time we go out and that’s why we’re going faster. Today with the used soft tyres I did the same time as in qualifying with the new ones. The track is not bad, but as you say, it’s difficult to overtake because you only have about 1.5m to make the line, so you have to be very smart to prepare well for overtaking two or three corners before and I did that, and it was working. (…) I crashed on the new tyre and then on the hard tyre in front it was completely impossible. I was 4 tenths better than yesterday’s (Friday) time in sector 1, so it would have been 1.30 down or 1.29 for sure, but I almost crashed at Turn 5 and then when I crashed and came back into the pits I had to go out with a hard front and I gave as much as I could.

The new championship leader also made it clear that, despite appearing to be extremely comfortable on the bike, he gave 100% of himself to win the Sprint race:

– Yes, of course (I gave 100%). If not, it’s impossible to win. We’re in MotoGP and if you don’t take risks, starting from 6th to overtake champions like Fabio (Quartararo) and other riders, it’s very complicated.

O conteúdo ‘We are in MotoGP and if you don’t risk it…’ – Jorge Martin aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martin finished Friday with the fifth fastest time, less than a second behind Aleix Espargaro who led and broke the track record. Still, Francesco Bagnaia’s absence from Q2 was noted by Martin who says he is happy with his bike, stating that he hopes to see the world champion in Q2:

– Well, it’s working well (the bike), in terms of pace I feel good, it was just Aleix who was one step above everyone else, but compared to Maverick I feel a bit stronger. I’m still in doubt with the front tyre, to try to understand its normal wear, we started to lose grip after 4/5 laps so it’s difficult, I have to test more tyres than I’m used to, but with the hard front I felt good in the afternoon, not in the morning and I was competitive. Then in the time attack I had a great moment, so I stopped and did the second attempt and it was difficult, but the important thing is that we are in Q2 and we will try again tomorrow. (…) Yes, I saw that he was left out and it’s a bit strange of him to have been left out of Q2 like that, but for sure he will go to Q2. The point is that he’ll have one less tyre if he can advance (to Q2), so it’s important, it’s like it’s his first mistake, let’s put it that way. The important thing is that we are inside (Q2) and we will try to focus on the race in FP3.

Still asked in a debrief about the weather conditions, Jorge Martin said he felt good, explaining that the Indonesian circuit is a fluid layout, not very physical:

– In the morning I felt good here. Not like in India that in the afternoon I was already fighting a lot, right in FP2, I was fighting a lot. I feel comfortable, and I feel like it’s not going to happen the same as in India, I hope, and it’s not a very physical track, we have to ride smoothly. I need to work a little bit on the bike, the maps and the power, but the bike is working really well and the set-up is almost perfect so that.

O conteúdo ‘I feel like it’s not going to happen the same as in India’ – Jorge Martín aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.