Franco Morbidelli completes his final round with Monster Energy Yamaha at the Valencia GP. After more than two very challenging seasons, his journey with the Japanese team comes to an end.

The Italian aims to conclude on a positive note, leaving behind the 16th place in Qatar. He also admits that this farewell to Yamaha will bring more emotions than usual:

– The Qatar GP didn’t go the way we wanted, but we will leave that behind us now because we need to focus on Valencia. This will be my last GP with the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team, which adds some extra emotion to this weekend. I want to end our run together in the best way possible and make some final nice memories with the crew, so that is the goal.

O conteúdo Say goodbye to Yamaha with more ‘nice memories’ is Franco Morbidelli’s goal for Valencia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

After returning to the podium in the Qatar GP, Luca Marini faces the MotoGP Valencian GP with high ambitions. Currently, he is ten points away from fifth place in the championship standings.

While it’s uncertain if this will be his last round with the Mooney VR46 Racing Team, the Italian highlighted his aim to end the season among the strongest riders, aiming for the top five in the World Championship.

– We arrive in Valencia for the last race of 2023, a very particular track, after a great weekend in Qatar. Let’s check the weather and temperatures, let’s not forget that we are now at the end of November. The goal is to finish on top, be able to show a good performance here too and be there in the leading group. The top 5 in the overall standings would be fantastic.

O conteúdo Luca Marini aiming for the top 5 in the championship aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Francesco Bagnaia arrives at the Valencia GP with a 21-point lead over Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) in the MotoGP title fight. So, the championship situation is better for the Ducati rider.

However, the Italian emphasized that the margin doesn’t allow him to be completely at ease in the final round of the year: ‘After the Qatar GP, we arrive in Valencia with a 21-point lead over Jorge. They definitely give us a bit more breathing space, but they are still not enough to relax completely’.

Confident in his potential, Bagnaia assured that he won’t change his strategy or goals: ‘Valencia is a track where we have been fast in the past and where we have the potential to do well. Our approach to the weekend will not change compared to the other races. The goal will always be the same: to work well from the first session on Friday and try to fight for the win in the race. I am calm and looking forward to getting on track for this season’s last act’.

O conteúdo ‘The 21-point lead give us a bit more breathing space, but…’ – Francesco Bagnaia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The Valencian GP will close the MotoGP season this weekend. As the final event, it will be marked by many farewells, with several riders switching teams or potentially exiting the grid.

One of the most notable goodbyes is that of Marc Márquez, who leaves Repsol Honda after a decade to join Gresini in 2024. It will be an emotional weekend for the rider and the team, after having achieved numerous successes together. As Márquez enters Gresini, Fabio di Giannantonio exits, possibly marking the end of his time in the paddock despite recent successes, including the win in Qatar.

Similarly, Pol Espargaró is set to compete in his last GP as a primary rider. The #44 was displaced by Pedro Acosta at GasGas Tech3 and will become KTM’s test rider. At Monster Energy Yamaha, Franco Morbidelli bids farewell after five years with the Iwata-based manufacturer (including his time with the satellite team).

In 2024, the #21 will move to Prima Pramac, where Johann Zarco says goodbye after three seasons, heading to LCR Honda… replacing Álex Rins, who, after a difficult season, leaves to become a factory rider in Yamaha next year. This also seems to be Luca Marini’s final race with the Mooney VR46 Racing Team, amid persistent rumors pointing to his move to Repsol Honda in 2024. For the Italian, it would mark the departure from his brother Valentino Rossi’s team, a connection since their Moto2 days in 2018.

O conteúdo The Valencia GP, the stage for farewells aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Pol Espargaró completes his last MotoGP Grand Prix as a primary rider in Valencia—at least for now. As known, he will become a test rider for KTM in 2024, making way for Pedro Acosta at GasGas Tech3.

In the preview of the Valencia round, the Spanish rider emphasized his intention to make the most of these final moments in the paddock, aiming to build good memories as he bids farewell:

– I am looking forward to going to Valencia. This is a place where I have very good memories, and I know that I will have family, friends and fans who will come to support both the team and myself. All I want is to enjoy this last round as it is set to be the last one of my active career, so I really want to take it all in, have fun with my team, and make this one memorable.

O conteúdo Pol Espargaró closes a chapter of his career in Valencia: ‘I want to make this GP memorable’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Fabio Quartararo heads into the final round of the MotoGP season with the conviction and goal of maintaining the streak of good results. Next up is the Valencia GP, at the newly resurfaced Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

After two top-five finishes and a seventh place in the last three rounds, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider stated that he hopes to have a good pace again in Valencia—where he holds positive expectations regarding the new tarmac:

– My race pace in Qatar was really good. I hope that it will be like that in Valencia too. Last year didn’t go too bad there. I think this year we might be able to do well again. We have to keep a positive mindset and keep the good results going until the end of the season. I think the new surface in Valencia will be good. I heard there’s a lot of grip now, so hopefully we can make a great Sprint and Race.

O conteúdo Fabio Quartararo hopes to have a good race pace again in Valencia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Francesco Bagnaia arrived at the MotoGP Qatar GP with the possibility of securing the championship. However, after Jorge Martín’s (Prima Pramac/Ducati) victory in the Sprint race, it’s certain that the title will be decided in Valencia.

In addition to the Spanish rider’s win, Bagnaia (Ducati) finished fifth, leaving him with only a seven-point lead at the top. In the best-case scenario, the Italian will leave Losail with a 32-point lead over Martín… when there will be 37 points up for grabs in Valencia.

On the other hand, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team/Ducati) has mathematically secured third place. Despite not scoring in the Sprint race, he holds a 66-point gap over Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) with only 62 points left to be awarded.

O conteúdo Battle until the end: Francesco Bagnaia with no chance of being champion in Qatar aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.