2019 MotoGP/WSBK/Motorcycle Racing Thread

862
England
Northamptonshire
Ryanswannell
2018 was a great year for motorcycle racing, with some memorable moments. The Marquez and Rossi clash at Argentina, Jonathan Rea winning yet another world title in WSBK, as well as Marquez winning his 7th World title. Pedrosa finished his last race in MotoGP at Valencia and Leon Haslam stormed his way to winning a BSB championship, before moving up to the World stage in 2019.

2019 looks to be a cracker as well. We have Marquez and Lorenzo as team mates for Repsol Honda and four Yamaha's and KTM's on the MotoGP grid. Marquez will be looking to secure an 8th World title, but hopefully Lorenzo and Dovisioso can give him some firm competition.

In WSBK Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki will be favourites for the championship, although Ducati will be racing their new Panigale V4R with Chaz Davies and now ex-MotoGP rider Bautista.
BMW and Honda are also stepping up their game with full factory support for 2019, with the former racing their all new S1000rr.

Is there anything you guys are looking forward to seeing in 2019?
 
With so many plot threads to follow in 2019, it's hard to know where to look first. :boggled:

How will Marquez and Lorenzo get on? It'll be fascinating to observe especially as the championship pressure builds. Lorenzo isn’t the easiest man to have on the other side of any garage, but Marquez seems impossible to faze. Indeed, both men have rock-solid heads on their shoulders, so they’ll need to play some very artful mind-games if they’re to have any affect on the other. Whatever happens, all the fans who are sad because they never got to see Marquez and Stoner race each other surely now can rejoice in the fact that Marquez and Lorenzo will race each other on the same bike.

It's safe to assume that Dovizioso and Ducati will once again play their roles in the outcome of the title. Despite their inconsistent start to the 2018 season, by Valencia the GP18 was arguably the best bike out there, so the GP19 should follow suit - whatever Dall’Igna and his crew have been working on over the winter will surely leave the other teams scratching their heads.

2019 could well be a make or break year for Yamaha: its longest winless-streak, a sole victory and finishing outside the top two in the teams' standings for the first time since 2007 certainly doesn't make for good reading after 2018. Ever since Michelin took over from Bridgestone as tyre supplier in 2016, and Magnetti Marelli's common ECU was introduced in the same year, the Iwata squad's form has experienced something of a nosedive with no real sign of improvement. Whether that's down to lack of investment or otherwise we'll probably never know in full, but with the formation of a new European test team among other things, the signs are that realisation has sunk in and Yamaha now need to play on the same level as its biggest rivals if it wants to win big. Considering MotoGP's current restrictions on testing, when (or if?) and how the potential turnaround in fortune comes is hard to tell, as is the patience of Vinales and Rossi in that regard.

The respective prospects of Suzuki, Tech 3, Mir, Bagnaia, Oliveira and Quartararo will also be watched with intrigue. The early signs for Bagnaia at least look promising, as do those of Mir alongside Rins: that pairing could really help in keeping the current upward momentum the Hamamatsu team experienced in 2018 going into the new year. As for Zarco at KTM... not including their maiden podium in the rain at Valencia, a top-10 finish will probably be the best he can hope for given the team's performance level in 2018.

Looking forward to seeing (and hearing :mischievous:) the new Panigale V4 in anger in both BSB and SBK forms. Brookes, Redding, Davies and Bautista have the potential to warrant some great results in their respective championships, perhaps even, with regards to the latter pairing, in the face of the near invincible Kawasaki team. Haslam's return to the series alongside Rea will be one to watch too, perhaps in the same vein as Marquez and Lorenzo.

I'm not expecting a lot from either BMW or Honda in their respective returns to SBK beyond the odd podium finish. The first year of any new project usually boils down to working out any problems that will surely present themselves, with anything else seen as a bonus before the first push for real results the following year. Between the two though, the S1000RR looks the more promising.
 
Last edited:
For a while, I used to follow a lot of MotoGP and World Superbike. Not so much in recent years, but I do still love the Grand Prix motorcycle action. I'll try to keep tabs on this season if I can.

On top of that, I have heard of this new "MotoE" championship dedicated to electric racing motorcycles. That should be interesting. Maybe it could do for Grand Prix motorbike racing like Formula E Grand Prix racing.
 
On top of that, I have heard of this new "MotoE" championship dedicated to electric racing motorcycles. That should be interesting. Maybe it could do for Grand Prix motorbike racing like Formula E Grand Prix racing.

It sounds a lot like Formula E minus Attack Mode or Fan Boost.

18 riders including Smith, Gibernau, De Puniet, De Angelis and Terol across 12 teams from the likes of Pramac, Avintia, LCR, Tech 3 and so on, all competing on identical Energica Ego Corsa bikes, with a motor capable of producing 110kwh/147hp. Top speeds are reckoned to be in the region of 250kmh/155mph.

5 rounds are booked for 2019, with each taking place before Moto3 on the Sunday of each respective race weekend, lasting 15 minutes. The final race in Misano is a double header, with one race on Saturday and the other on Sunday.

Jerez - 5th May
Le Mans - 19th May
Sachsenring - 7th July
Austria - 11th August
Misano - 15th September
 
I recall some of those names from Post #4. A lot of ex-MotoGP racers much like how Formula E has a lot of ex-F1 racers. So I think that MotoE deal will be something to watch.
 
2018 Ducati dressed in the team's 2019 livery, which follows in the footsteps of the Ferrari F1 team with 'Mission Winnow' branding. Not surprising really as they both get sponsorship money from the same Philip Morris pot.

If anything, the branding suits the bike better than it ever did on the car.

DxNji_WXcAACwnU.jpg

DxNmCexXcAIWlTd.jpg

DxNmCLoWsAUOB7v.jpg

DxNmChNWoAYUCtq.jpg

DxMh7GMXcAANO7f.jpg
 
I suspect the decision was made long before the announcement, but the timing would suggest otherwise - Yamaha's project leader Kouji Tsuya has stepped down ahead of the new season, after taking over from Kouichi Tsuji in 2017 as technical chief. His replacement was until now the head of the team's chassis division, Takahiro Sumi.

If you recall the race weekend last year in Austria, it was Tsuya who fronted the public apology by Yamaha to its factory riders not long after they were unable to make the top 10 in qualifying.
 
Honda's 2019 presentation making light of the fact that the team and Repsol have (or will have) been in partnership for 25 years. Marquez and Lorenzo were joined by Mick Doohan and Alex Criville and their NSR500s, the first Honda pairing to run in Repsol colours back in 1995.

Despite the contract between them being renewed just a couple of weeks before this presentation, the 25th anniversary of the Repsol/Honda alliance being celebrated now is a bit weird seeing as that particular milestone is officially in 2020. :odd:

Unless of course they mean that 2019 will be Repsol and Honda's 25th racing season together.

c651e615709a984607f0ae58f0bed338.jpg

5c4876522e0339.12819104.jpg

5c4876de840031.29173582.jpg

5c4876ea938804.69672695.jpg
 
Last edited:
It is because it is there 25th year in GP this year
Really was hoping for an anniversary design for the team especially with doohan and crivilles bike there too
Like a modern retro livery or something just anything different aha
Thought Lorenzo being onboard might change a logo or two it alas no
They really have worn out the copy and paste for the last 5 years

As for the motogp I’m well excited Ducati seem to have the best package closely followed by Honda

Then a little gap to Suzuki and Yamaha so it should be tight at the front just with the factory boys
Then we have some very fast satellite hondas and satellite Ducati’s all GP18 or GP19 on the grid
So that adds to the mix

Guys I feel sorry for is oliviera I can’t see the tech 3 karma getting too far anytime soon let alone the factory squad and Aprillia tbh, especially with how competitive it is!


MotoE could be exciting or could be a laugh
Cos in testing there was 20 seconds between fastest and slowest (1 lap)
But I don’t know how much running people did so can’t judge too much
Looking forward to seeing the designs on there bikes too

Wsbk the format is interesting really wish they didn’t keep changing it!
Rea is clear favourite that bike is like a third leg he knows it so well and is just a class rider
Looking forward to haslam being back on the world stage

Ducati’s will struggle but not for long I think Alvaro will be good
Melandri back on the Yamaha is exciting
The bmw looks the part doubtful whether it will go the part
Honda just have been struggling so much the new bike just isn’t what it’s cracked up to be


The rest of the series
Bsb is always pretty insane this year probably one of the most up for grabs yet with, redding, Ray, Irwin, Mossey, ohalloren, Brookes, iddon and more

Motoamerica has been interesting recently haven’t followed much of who’s going where but I know the yoshimura Suzuki have got Elias and Herrin which is a fantastic line up, can’t remember the others off the top of my head but will try to keep an eye on it

AUS WSBK Troy bayliss back for another crack for battle of the Troy’s!
I believe there have been a few key switches here maybe maxwell to Suzuki off the top of my head could be interesting to follow

Also I wish I knew where to watch the Brazilian superbike cos they’ve picked up Anthony west for a top spec Kawasaki ride so look forward to that, with Barros and Grenado I believe still going strong in that series

Roads saw that Dunlop is continuing which is surprising considering the amount tradgedy that has been around him this year with his brother and team mate both being killed at road race events last year
Look forward to the road racing Hickman has been on fire, just be safe out there we lost a few great names last year!
 
Petronas SRT launch: Morbidelli and Quartararo on MotoGP Yamahas, Pawi on a Moto2 Kalex, and Sasaki and McPhee on Moto3 Hondas.

001.jpg

003.jpg


Also a first look at the returning BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (fielded by Shaun Muir Racing), with Sykes and Reiterberger as its riders aboard the brand new S1000RR.

sykes-reiti.jpg
 
Last edited:
That first picture of the Suzukis makes the aero package look horrendous.
I like the new Yamaha, the Tech 3 was always my favourite so it's nice to see something similar now they've gone Austrian.
 
I think the Yamaha is a beautiful motorcycle, the Suzuki isn't too bad either.

The Ducati in Red and Black isn't quite doing it for me, I preferred last year's Res and White colours.
 
KTM's 2019 liveries, now pretty much mirroring Red Bull and Toro Rosso in F1. Zarco and Espargaro line up on the factory RC16s, with Oliveira and Syahrin on the Tech 3 factory-supported bikes.

DzNdqi_X0Acep2q.jpg

DzNXE7EXQAA1rRf.jpg


The same liveries apply to their other projects too: Oettl and Bezecchi ride for Tech 3 in Moto2 alongside Binder and Martin with Ajo, and Oncu as well with Ajo in Moto3.

DzN1uNWX4AEhz18.jpg

DzNnFTKU0AYiAW6.jpg


Also unveiled today was MV Agusta Forward Racing's Moto2 effort, with Manzi and Aegerter on board.

26d72f34-530c-41e6-8e0c-f80c238215db.jpg
 
Last edited:
Looks like MotoGP’s going to Indonesia, on a purpose-built street circuit in the Mandalika area of the island of Lombok after a deal was struck between Dorna and the state-owned Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation at the end of January.

Its first ever street race will finally allow MotoGP access to one of the world’s largest motorcycle markets – the layout has already been approved by FIM Safety Officer Franco Uncini, and according to the IDTC’s president, there is an option in the contract to extend beyond the initial three year stint from 2021-23.

To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what to make of this. I can only assume the layout isn’t anything like Macau, which is notorious enough as it is with Superbike levels of racing.
 
Last edited:
Street circuits are not :censored:ing welcome in motorcycle racing.

That's all.
Don't go to Ireland with that attitude.


WSB is back this weekend in Phillip Island as always. A new format with an additional race on Sunday morning of 10 laps at all tracks which gives out points as follows: 12/the9/7/6/5/4/3/2/1
 
Alvaro Bautista won Race 1 at PI earlier today, leading Rea by a huge 15 seconds. It will be interesting to see if races 2 and 3 will be similar. If so I can see the revs of the Ducati taking a drop courtesy of the rules implemented last season.

Haslam also looked good until he crashed out of the race. Hopefully we can have a title challenge this year.
 
Well that was pretty... ominous from Bautista – no-one could lay a glove on him and the new V4-R. Then again, his form around Philip Island was fairly decent in MotoGP when the bike was in his favour: he was in amongst the front runners in the early part of last years race on the factory Ducati before finishing fourth.

There's still a long way to go before the destiny of the title will be decided, though that hasn't stopped some already writing off Rea for a fifth straight title. Clearly they didn't see what happened after Philip Island during the last four seasons. :rolleyes:
 
MotoGP is back today! :D

Theres so many potential race winners on the grid it's almost impossible to predict a victor for this weekend.

Can Marquez get yet another win under his belt? Will Lorenzo set a good first impression at Honda? Maybe Dovi and Petrucci will ride their Ducatis to 1st and 2nd? Or could Alex Rins continue his impressive form from the end of last season.

That's before mentioning the factory Yamaha riders, Rossi and Vinales, or Pramac Ducatis Jack Miller and GP newcomer Bagnaia

Predictions for race 1 anyone?

I'm going to say:
1st - Dovisioso
2nd - Petrucci
3rd - Marquez

I think there'll be a standout performance from Zarco too. The KTM during testing hasn't looked too fast, however Zarco looked to be head and shoulders above the other riders on several time sheets, not to mention Zarco can set a blistering pace around Qatar as we saw last year. I reckon he'll finish 5th at the end of race one.
 
Dovizioso
Marquez
Petrucci

Not so sure about Zarco, but I can imagine a massive scrap behind the top 3 between Vinales, Rossi, Lorenzo, Rins, Miller, Bagnaia, and possibly one of the SRT Yamahas.
 
Back