Valencia Test concludes with Maverick Vinales at the top!
Maverick Vinales is a major title contender for 2017 with his performance at the Valencia test quiet remarkable. We knew Maverick would be fast but to be at the top of the time sheets two days in a row and crack the 1:29.975 mark is absolutely sensational. The body language of the top riders has dramatically changed over the last two days as they begin to understand his impact in the sport. Rossi is feeling the pressure and in all reality is probably not happy whatsoever with Yamaha’s decision to sign him as he may just prevent Rossi from that tenth world title. Maverick like Jorge also completed sixty-six laps on day two. The initial nerves of being at Yamaha have departed from Maverick’s mindset and he has found a rhythm that works!
Herve Poncharal spoke about Maverick: “for me the two very strong riders are Maverick and Marquez. They are the riders of the future. Marc Marquez is the present. Jorge and Valentino are older.” It is true that Maverick is a magician when it comes to adaptation and working in with his new team. He is adjusting to the Yamaha, as its spec is closest to the Suzuki. The pressure will be incredibly high as he is the new investment that Yamaha want to do well with. On the other side of the garage, Valentino Rossi spent majority of the afternoon session testing the 2017 spec machine and comparing set up options to determine what works. Rossi still wants to go faster and wants more from the first evolution engine. The Doctor will spend more time testing with the entire grid at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia at the end of January and beginning of February 2017. They have elected not to take part in the Jerez testing next week.
The 2017 season of MotoGP is going to be exciting and an adrenaline rush. Lorenzo left a mark at Yamaha and now Vinales is beginning to do the same. Rossi has a new rival. Poncharal also noticed a change with Rossi. Herve: “If I can tell you something from what I have heard, the tension is already big and Vale was not happy with day one. He was not the top Yamaha guy. Vale is a fighter and winner. He is desperate to win the title for a tenth time. Maverick was the top guy of the day. This is not going to help the harmony.” From our perspective, it would be a dream and picture perfect relationship if they were to work together effectively. However, this is a two-rider team. One side is Vale and the other Maverick.
In comparison, the Repsol Honda rider’s were switching from their 2016 machines to the 2017 spec bikes quite a few times. Marc Marquez was on a different style chassis and new engine in the morning of testing on day two. He was surprised by Lorenzo’s pace and is also focusing on his transition to the 2017 model. Repsol Honda is looking to improve on their acceleration and performance in order to challenge Ducati and Yamaha for a back-to-back World Championship. The Spanish Ant is fast! Honda has their main guy on the bike working day in and day out to look for another title in 2017. Marc has been faster and improved at a more rapid rate in this weeks testing compared to last season. The two aspects of testing that Marc did not focus on were time attack and the new Michelin front tyre. Instead, the team collectively decided to focus on making long exits and a couple of 10-lap mini-long runs to get a good feel for the bike and how he handles it.
Alex Rins managed to crash on Wednesday morning putting a dent in his confidence and the bike. It was at turn twelve that the bike went from underneath him. It was a big crash! It was the third big crash for the weekend with Iannone, the test rider Takuya Tsuda and Rins putting the bike down. Rins was stretchered away and looked like he was in pain at the time. He has had several injuries in 2016 with the collarbone the one that shook him up and put pressure on his Moto2 World Championship bid. It was on his sixth lap of the day that Rins was unable to get away from the track unassisted. He had a fair bit of pain all over his body. He was transferred to a local hospital for precautionary checks, as this is a priority to the governing body of MotoGP. Michele Zasa - Clinica Mobile Medical Co-ordinator noted that Rins managed to injure his T8 and T12 vertebra and needs to rest for at least a month. He will not be taking part in Jerez testing next week and will be required to wait until Sepang in 2017. This comes as a dent to the Suzuki team as they were really looking forward to Alex gaining as much experience and track time as possible. This will now have to wait and their focus shifts to Andrea Iannone who is testing in the private Jerez test next week. It appears that traction, acceleration and feedback on the electronics will be key.
Jonas Folger’s riding style should be competitive in MotoGP. The team boss Herve has high hopes for the German rider and has invested in his talent. Out of all the rookies, Folger managed to improve his time on day two. He finished tenth overall with a fastest time of 1:30.948 and completed sixty-three laps in total. Folger’s priority was his riding style as he transitions from Moto2 to MotoGP. With his riding style, Folger noticed that he was putting pressure on the worn tyres and this meant that he would lose grip too quickly. Folger’s teammate Johann Zarco also did a superb job. He finished eleventh with a fastest time of 1:31:015 and completed sixty-one laps in total. Zarco is comfortable on the bike and this is excellent news to boss Herve who stated that “there was a lot of pressure on Zarco and a lot of questions about Folger”. Both riders did a good job and are strong considering their lack of experience in the premier class. The expectations are high and this comes from both rider and team. The process can be slow. Johann and Jonas are not expected to finish in the top three of the time sheets. Zarco is a very different character and the first ever two times Moto2 World Champion. The team is made up of old school values and his chief crew engineer is sixty-two whom he has a very strong relationship with. The world is watching and the mission is clear and that is to succeed. Herve: “the two riders will push each other. We will have a good garage”.
In comparison, the KTM is going to be interesting. Pol is a fantastic team player and always has a smile on his face. You could tell throughout the season that Pol wanted to get to the top of the results and is hungry for a win. Herve: “Pol did not reach the level he wanted. It has been a really great three seasons with him.” Pol is aiming to go further than ever on the KTM. It will take time for the KTM riders to adjust after seeing the debut of the bike at the Valencia Grand Prix with Mika Kallio. This is new territory for the manufacturer and their riders.
In terms of Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso went out on the GP16 Desmo with no wings on the side of the bike to provide his opinions on it. The engineers have been looking at the data with regard to the wings: front load, front feedback and confidence. This is exclusively set out in the data. Some riders have lost confidence. The concerns about safety were the main reasons for removing the winglets. There is still an open debate about the winglets although the decision has been made. For example: Valentino Rossi set his quickest lap on Tuesday with wings. Maverick on the other hand did not use wings all day. This is an intriguing debate. Michelin may even have to develop tyres that work more appropriately with the bikes without wings. They are watching Jorge with a fine tooth pick and comb. Everyone wants to see Lorenzo on the bike without winglets. The smallest modification can enhance or prevent the performance of a bike. There is no doubt in Herve’s mind that Jorge and Ducati will be world title contenders. “He has an attitude that he is sure of himself. Clearly, the feeling he has is good and it is a big challenge for Jorge. Ducati is motivated. Ducati is working really hard. They will do anything to win. I would put them in the title chase”.
Jack Miller is using a new chassis. He feels good. The lap times have improved and his feeling has improved. He cannot fault it so far. The new part is adding value and his new crew setting up the bike has been working hard. All around it is positive for Australian rider Jack Miller. With this said, the electronics have been levelling the playing field. It has helped Cal Crutchlow, Jack Miller and Maverick Vinales to win races. It has enabled nine winners. The electronics have been one of the best decisions by the technical department and it reduces the costs associated with the sport. We do not want to fall asleep on success as it arrives. Rather, we want to enjoy the journey! The spectators have grown both on television and at the circuits. Fan support has grown and more bikes are being sold around the world. MotoGP is on the right path and is continually developing on a global scale.
Herve puts it simply: “Our plan and mission is to prepare the future. If we take an established second level MotoGP rider, we say why? The factory team has the best of everything. We do not have that. We are one step behind but we need to challenge and fight them. The special conditions that allow Cal and Jack to win are good. Life is a fight and difficult. I love to dream. Johann and Jonas have to start somewhere. The frustrating aspect in the sport is people expecting us to beat the factory guys. My mission is to take motivation and push. Let the action start!”
