MotoGP

MotoGP has announced that it will retire the number 46 from the championship at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello in two weeks' time.

It’s supposed to honour their legacy, but I think it fails spectacularly in doing so. Retiring numbers is one of the dumbest things that MotoGP insists on doing, even (as in this case) when it’s directly against the wishes of the riders in question. “I prefer that it remains and if some other rider wants to take that number they can.”

Pramac Ducati's Johann Zarco smashed the Le Mans lap record to top FP3 at the MotoGP French Grand Prix as Suzuki's Joan Mir missed the Q2 qualifying cut.

Martin was denied a place in Q2 by 0.003s, with Rins’ late improvement also proving detrimental to Maverick Vinales’ hopes on the second Aprilia in 12th. Pol Espargaro held onto a place in Q2 in ninth on his Honda despite a crash at Turn 6 earlier in the session, with Friday pacesetter Bastianini 10th by virtue of his FP2 effort after the Gresini Ducati rider's session was interrupted by a late mechanical issue. But it was France’s other hero Zarco who lit up the timing screens on his last effort on the Pramac Ducati to snatch top spot with a 1m30.537s. On his final lap, Quartararo looked to cement second with a 1m30.682s as Marquez found a bit more time in fourth with a 1m30.785s to safely get into Q2. A few minutes later, home hero Fabio Quartararo moved to second on his Yamaha with a 1m31.214s, while Marquez – who shadowed the reigning world champion – jumped up to fourth. Pramac Ducati rider Jorge Martin was the first significant name to make an improvement to 10th on the combined order in the early stages of the 45-minute session, with six-time world champion Marc Marquez going to 12th briefly on the Honda after a tough Friday.

If you weren't breaking records, you didn't make the Q2 cut on a thrilling Saturday morning.

Fortunately for the Italian, his Friday time was enough to squeeze into Q2. It’s set to be another qualifying thriller, so make sure you tune in from 14:10 CET to see which way it falls. Quartararo refused to rest on his laurels. Quartararo was the first to get the home fans on their feet as he posted the first-ever 1:30 lap seen at the circuit. The Italian moved the goalposts into the mid-1:30s. It took a while to kick into life, but it proved to be worth the wait as all 10 riders inside the Q2 places smashed the previous Le Mans lap record prior to this weekend.

MotoGP has announced that remodelling work at the Losail International Circuit means the 2023 season will not start with the Qatar Grand Prix.

It is unclear yet where the 2023 season will kick off now. “Instead, it will take place towards the end of the season, under the spectacular floodlights of Losail as the sport returns to enjoy some incredible racing – as has become tradition at the Qatar GP.” “Losail will host the 2023 Grand Prix of Qatar upon completion of the work, meaning the event will therefore not be the opening round, as it has been from 2007.

Jack Miller (Ducati) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) were both caught out by early front-end falls at Turn 7, with Marc Marquez crashing from his Repsol Honda on ...

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The Qatari track is the traditional season opener in MotoGP™ and will undergo works ahead of the Championship's return there in 2023.

Lusail will host the 2023 Grand Prix of Qatar upon completion of the work, meaning the event will therefore not be the opening round, as it has been from 2007. The track is already confirmed on the MotoGP™ calendar until at least 2031, and the works will see the Middle East’s flagship motorsport venue further confirm its status as one of the world’s best-equipped racing facilities. That includes new areas for spectators, establishing Lusail as a truly state-of-the-art, cutting edge racetrack.

Local hero Johann Zarco led a Ducati 1-2 in the third MotoGP practice of the French Grand Prix weekend at Le Mans.

Ducati WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team Ducati Lenovo Team Honda WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Honda Repsol Honda Team Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Honda Honda Repsol Honda Team

Qatar will not host MotoGP's 2023 season-opener as an extensive overhaul of the circuit is completed next year.

One of those could be the new-for-2022 Indonesian round at Mandalika Bay, which took place directly after Qatar last year. “The remodelling project will begin to take shape in 2022,” according to the statement. “Lusail will host the 2023 Grand Prix of Qatar upon completion of the work, meaning the event will therefore not be the opening round, as it has been from 2007.

KTM made a strong start to the 2022 season with its new RC16 after an initially difficult testing phase, with Brad Binder second in the Qatar Grand Prix and ...

We need some material, we need new parts, new things.” I don’t get in that deep, to be honest. “We need material. It’s going to be a tough weekend. It’s never putting a package together. It’s pretty bleak at the moment.

MotoGP riders expressed concerns to Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta on Friday at the French Grand Prix about the trend of low-cost contracts being put in ...

But when a rider wants to leave, he can't.” In response, one rider who wished to remain anonymous, told Autosport: “MotoGP is a big show and a big business, which moves a lot of money, and we riders are the clowns in this circus. “When Fabio Quartararo moved up to MotoGP, he had to sign for 80,000 euros, and these amounts are what they are paying some riders [now],” another present at the meeting told Autosport, likely in reference to some of the rookies.

The iconic number 46 that the recently retired Valentino Rossi ran for the entirety of his motorcycle grand prix career will be resigned from MotoGP next ...

“The number 46 will be retired from use in the MotoGP™ class at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello,” read a short statement from MotoGP organisers Dorna. He also continues to run his VR46 MotoGP team for pilots Marco Bezzecchi and half-brother Luca Marini, though while in France this weekend he is currently racing in the GT Challenge Sprint Cup round at Magny-Cours roughly 340 kilometres away from his MotoGP peers, who are competing at Le Mans for the French GP. The Italian ran with the 46 across all 26 of his seasons racing across all classes, the number accompanying him to a grand total of nine world titles – including seven in the premier class – as well as all of his 115 race wins and 235 total podium finishes.

Francesco Bagnaia on Saturday grabbed pole position for the French MotoGP by breaking the track record set hours earlier.

Enea Bastianini, on a Ducati Gresini who broke Zarco's 2018 record, on Friday will start fifth. French pair Quartararo and Zarco are striving to end a long French drought in their home Grand Prix. The only previous French winner was Pierre Monneret at Reims in 1954 in the era of two-stroke 500cc. Aleix Espargaro, who is second in the standings, seized third on his Aprilia right at the end of qualifying pushing championship leader Fabio Quartararo off the front row.

Full Qualifying results and grid line-up for the French MotoGP at Le Mans, round 7 of the 2022 world championship.

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The records kept coming as MotoGP practice continued at Le Mans with Frenchman Johann Zarco topping the times in FP3.

Aprilia looked to lock out the session as Aleix Espargaro headed Vinales on 1’31.5 pace and Top Gun found ninth in the Q2 battle. Fourth in the session was the score thanks to a 1’31.855, with the time still short of promotion before he put his head down and tried again. Bagnaia, Quartararo and Marquez headed Miller, Aleix Espargaro and Nakagami with a late push from Alex Rins finding eight and Pol Espargaro ninth. Pramac teammate Martin slotting into seventh with Nakagami eighth as the two previously precarious Ducati’s lost out. The Frenchman’s time set a new track record with the first 1’30 at the Bugatti Circuit with Miller circulating just 0.198 adrift as the Ducati too topped the previous target. Mooney VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi circulating in the session’s top four with 20 minutes on the clock.

Joan Mir's manager Paco Sanchez says MotoGP riders “merit” having a minimum base salary implemented into any contracts “because they play with their lives”.

“All the factory riders are beyond this. “And MotoGP riders are the stars of this world. “We forget sometimes, but they are playing with their lives.

It wasn't a dream day for hometown heroes Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) or Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), but they will still launch from ...

16 hours ago 16 hours ago 9. He might have gone into Q1 for the second time this year, after also doing so in Indonesia, but Joan Mir qualified seventh to be the top Suzuki rider. That will be 68 years ago, this 30th of May. 6. Fabio Quartararo was on pole position for the last two years at Le Mans and finished third at the circuit last year. It wasn't a dream day for hometown heroes Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) or Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), but they will still launch from competitive positions on Sunday. It's set to be a cracker in Le Mans, so to whet the appetite, why don't you sink your teeth into 10 juicy facts ahead of lights out.

A number of MotoGP racers have hit out at the way in which the series manages rider contracts after the sacking of Moto2 rider Romano Fenati.

But for sure if you have a contract the team must respect the contract.” “Yeah, sincerely, we talked about this,” the Suzuki rider said, “more than the salaries, that it’s difficult to keep the contract – not for us, but for example, we discussed the thing from Fenati, that if you have a contract, the team needs to comply with the contract. The teams and the riders.

MotoGP™ Legend Valentino Rossi will return to the emblematic venue to see the number 46 retired from the sport.

2 months ago The ‘Doctor’ took nine World Championships, 115 wins and 235 podiums across all classes as he played a key role in redefining the sport for millions of fans around the world. The retirement ceremony will take place on the main straight on Saturday, just ahead of qualifying.

Joan Mir's manager Paco Sanchez says MotoGP riders “merit” having a minimum base salary implemented into any contracts “because they play with their lives”.

“All the factory riders are beyond this. “And MotoGP riders are the stars of this world. “We forget sometimes, but they are playing with their lives.

Warm-up results from the French MotoGP at Le Mans, round 7 of the 2022 world championship.

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The Aprilia rider qualified on the front row and his good form has continued on race day.

????— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) @AleixEspargarois your fastest rider in #MotoGPwarm up! The session ran in dry conditions but, with the threat of rain later in the day, Miller was among those who practiced a flag-to-flag bike change and some even briefly ran wet Michelin tyres. Takaaki Nakagami made it three manufacturers in the top three with a 1:31.822 on his LCR Honda Idemitsu entry.

It was disappointment for poleman Dennis Foggia as he missed out on the podium following a stunning last lap at a restarted French GP.

Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) ended the day eighth, ahead of Öncü with Migno rounding out the top 10. ????— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) @jaume_masiawins it on the last corner! GASGAS Aspar duo Sergio Garcia and Izan Guevara were joined in the gravel by Sasaki, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Riccardo Rossi (SI58 Squadra Corse) as the spits of rain began to play havoc. That gave Masia a couple tenths of breathing space out front, but it didn’t last long as he was soon reeled in by Foggia and Sasaki at S Bleu with just over three laps to go. Behind Masia, Garcia had moved up to second after getting past the Leopard Hondas, while Öncü in P4 had entered the podium conversation. La Musee is another hot spot for overtaking, and that’s where Sasaki picked off Foggia, relegating the poleman to third. With a new race distance of 14 laps set, it was always going to be a tight affair with the sun shining again, and so it proved. The Italian tried to return the favour one lap later, but Aki Ajo’s prized asset was in control of the race and fended him off. The Dunlop Chicane is always a popular overtaking spot and Masia lined up a successful attempt for the lead. The threat of rain loomed large over Le Mans on Sunday, and we saw the effects just a few spits of rain can have on the asphalt as the Red Flags were waving by the end of the opening lap. Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) were the first to go before five riders went down in simultaneous but separate crashes. ???? #Moto3