MotoGP 2019

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gamer16 said:
Thought I'd add Yamaha's answer


Absolutely gorgeous.

I find the post 2009 stock R1 too be the prettiest bike I've seen, especially from the front but sadly the Moto GP bikes didn't share the look.
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I went looking for the Yamaha launch but I don't think it has happened yet (at least officially). It seems that Rossi and Vinales are already at odds over their chances. Rossi reckons more development is needed while Vinales thinks they have a bike to challenge for the title.
 
That Honda pic... There are fourteen premier class world championships standing on that stage, another five junior class world championships if you're inclined to add those too.

Mick Doohan and Alex Criville. Class.

That said, I'll be shouting for Vale's tenth this year... again... But if that doesn't pan out, Dovi for the No 1 plate in 2020 please.
 
Lol, I see like Ferrari, Ducati are now also carrying the disguised (Mission Winnow) Phillip Morris International (Marlboro) branding.

Mission Winnow - As vague a site as you can get. That same site re-directs you to another bare bones site, PMI. PMI happens to be the acronym for Phillip Morris International. Snoop around there and voila, the link to tobacco is apparent. PMI doesn't lead you directly to the real PMI website, but it obvious what is going on.

Tobacco advertising is back, boys. And quite cleverly so.
 
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How about some championship predictions for the 2019 season.

MotoGP - Marc Marc Márquez
Moto2 - Jorge Martín
Moto3 - Can Öncü
 
Good looking bike! Whether it has the go to match the show remains to be seen.

Petronas Yamaha SRT reveal 2019 colours

Petronas Yamaha SRT begin their premier class voyage this season and on Monday 28th January in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the team unveiled their spectacular looking 2019 colours.

For their maiden MotoGP™ campaign, Petronas Yamaha SRT have an exciting lineup in 2018 Rookie of the Year Franco Morbidelli and 2019 rookie Fabio Quartararo – both of whom shared a few words about this new project before the covers came off their new machines:

“I feel we are taking part in a great thing,” began Morbidelli. “Petronas and SIC are doing a great thing too, so I’m very pleased. I hope we can get good results and make Petronas people happy.

“For sure I will try,” continued the Italian, when asked if he can continue his impressive start to life as a Yamaha rider in preseason testing. “We started well, and we have been working well from the beginning. This is a good start, but I don’t know. I will try to be the best rider I can, and I will see. I can say that I have to thank everybody from Petronas for giving me this opportunity. I feel, again, that we're doing a great thing. We’ll do the maximum to make you proud.”

Quartararo then shared his thoughts, as he makes the step up from Moto2™ as the youngest rider in the premier class for 2019: “For sure the first day in Valencia was incredible – the power of bike and brakes, the electronics, it’s a big change from Moto2. We know we have a lot to learn from this test to be ready for the season.

“I feel good. For sure I’m the youngest but I don’t need to think about age. We need to think about the results of the bike and make good results. Honestly, I’ve not seen the bike. I’ve seen pictures. it looks incredible. I can’t wait to see the bike unveiled.”

Joining the two MotoGP™ stars on stage to unveil their 2019 liveries were the Moto2™ and Moto3™ Petronas Sprinta Racing riders: Khariul Idham Pawi, Ayumu Sasaki and John McPhee – with all three relishing the challenge ahead for this season. Next on the agenda for Morbidelli and Quartararo is the Sepang Test, with the duo aiming to continue their positive 2019 preseason testing on the 6th, 7th and 8th February.
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Yamaha launch their 2019 challenger

Yamaha.JPG

The Yamaha MotoGP factory team has presented an all-new livery for the 2019 version of its YZR-M1 bike.

The new M1, which will be campaigned by seven-time premier-class champion Valentino Rossi and Yamaha's most recent grand prix winner Maverick Vinales, will carry a striped black and blue colour scheme.

This marks a departure from the primarily blue liveries that the works outfit ran throughout the last few seasons.
The revised paint scheme is a legacy of a change in title sponsor, with Spanish telecommunications company Movistar replaced by energy drink giant Monster.

“We're kicking off here in a very positive way,” Yamaha managing director Lin Jarvis said at the season launch in Jakarta, Indonesia. “I think the merging of these two brands [Yamaha and Monster] brings a new energy to the project. “We like a lot the colour of the bike, the design, it's more aggressive – and I think that's what we need to be.” Rossi added: “I like very much [the new livery] – Yamaha is always blue, and the blue of the Yamaha is beautiful, but I like the black of Monster because [the combination is] the colour of my soccer team, Inter, so I feel comfortable."

Monster was already backing both Vinales and Rossi before the change, and also served as the title sponsor for Yamaha's satellite team Tech 3 before the French outfit switched to the KTM camp in the off-season. “I'm excited that we've been able to step up and expand our visibility as the title sponsor of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team,” said Monster chairman and CEO Rodney Sacks. “Vale and Maverick will be piloting what we think is the best-looking bike on the grid.”

The works Yamaha team will look to rebound from what was a disappointing 2018, which marked its longest-ever win drought in the category before Vinales snapped the streak at Phillip Island. The underwhelming campaign led to the departure of Yamaha's MotoGP project leader Kouji Tsuya, who has been replaced by former head of chassis division Takahiro Sumi in the off-season. Vinales and Rossi, who are both signed with the manufacturer through 2020, will make their debuts riding the new M1 in the first pre-season test at Sepang on February 6-8.

“I can't wait to start, the holidays were already too long,” Vinales said. “I would like to be on the bike. “I'm really curious to see the steps forward we did, and see if we can push the bike at the maximum already in the first test.”
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Marquez having more trouble with his shoulder it seems. Could be an issue with the season about a month away...

Vinales blazes to first, Marquez feels pain in Sepang MotoGP test

Yamaha's Maverick Vinales made a late charge to finish first on day two of the MotoGP pre-season test in Malaysia on Thursday, while champion Marc Marquez slipped to eighth after suffering with an injured shoulder. Vinales of Spain, who rode 63 laps in Sepang, pulled off an incredible performance in the closing moments to post the fastest time of 1min 58.897sec. Rival Alex Rins, on a Suzuki, maintained his overnight position and was 0.527 seconds behind his countryman.

Jack Miller made a big improvement on his Ducati to finish third with 1min 59.517sec. The Australian had ended 11th on Wednesday. Meanwhile MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez slipped from first to eighth, complaining of pain from his left shoulder after surgery in December. The 25-year-old reigning and five-time champion completed only 37 laps, fewer than half the number of laps completed by some riders. He underwent a four-hour shoulder operation in December.

"In the beginning, I felt better than yesterday. Then immediately in the 2nd and 3rd runs I started to feel the energy go down on the shoulder and started to lose power and more pain," he said after ending his test runs much earlier than planned. But Marquez quickly downplayed concerns about not being ready for the opening Qatar race in March. "I will not be 100 percent in Qatar... but it will not be a big problem. My target is to arrive in Argentina 100 percent," he said, referring to the season's second race on March 31. Marquez also said he was not prepared to push hard during the Sepang test due to fears that it could cause inflammation to his shoulder muscles. "I can keep riding and riding in pain but the problem is if I have a big inflamation ... I lose one week of my recovery," he said.

Ducati rider Italian Andrea Dovizioso set the early pace on day two but finished fourth, 0.665sec off the fastest rider. Englishman Cal Crutchlow, returning from the ankle injury that ended his 2018 season early, put up a strong performance on his LCR Honda to end fifth. Valentino Rossi, in his 24th year of motorcycle grand prix, was sixth. The official first pre-season test run ends on Friday. The season starts in Qatar on March 10. Sepang will host the penultimate race of 2019 on November 3.

Pre-season MotoGP test times on Thursday on the Sepang circuit (5.543 km):
1. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 1min 58.897sec,
2. Alex Rins (ESP/Suzuki) at 0.527,
3. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati) 0.620,
4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 0.665sec,
5. Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Honda) 0.669,
6. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha)0.728,
7. Tito Rabat (ESP/Ducati)0.767,
8. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda)0.893,
9. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 0.948,
10.Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda)1.069
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Agent_Smith said:
Yeah some sort of aerodynamic aid. Look at the posts above with the Ducatis and Hondas. They have something similar.
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Oh I see, looks like it'll add some down force in the front. Should be beneficial in allowing harder acceleration and a bit more grip when braking at speed.
 
Final day at Sepang

Petrucci fastest in Sepang test as Ducati riders dominate

Danilo Petrucci topped the timesheets in Malaysia on Friday, emerging as the fastest-ever MotoGP rider at the Sepang circuit and enabling Italian manufacturer Ducati to dominate the final day of testing. In dry but blistering hot conditions, Petrucci – who has replaced Jorge Lorenzo in the Ducati team – topped the timesheets to set a stunning 1 minute 58.239 seconds early in the final three-day test. That obliterates the unofficial all-time lap record of 1min 58.830sec set by the three-time world champion Lorenzo during the 2018 pre-season testing.

But Petrucci quickly downplayed his sizzling performance, saying the unusual dry track conditions contributed to his awesome performance. "I did a very good lap time but the (track and weather) conditions was good," he told reporters. Petrucci also said it was going to be tough to secure a podium finish in the 2019 season. "I think we are okay to be in the top five. I don't know if it is enough for the podium," he said.

Petrucci's closest challenger was Italian rookie Francesco Bagnaia, also on a Ducati, who was 0.063 seconds slower. Bagnaia's teammate Jack Miller of Australia rode his Ducati to finish third with 1min 58.366sec. Another Ducati rider Italian Andrea Dovizioso was fourth, 0.299sec behind his teammate and quickest rider Petrucci, making it an all Ducati top four. MotoGP riders from Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, KTM, Aprilia and Suzuki are at Malaysia's Sepang circuit.

Lorenzo is the only 2019 race rider absent, due to a recent wrist injury, and will ride for Honda this season alongside compatriot Marc Marquez after switching from Ducati. Yamaha's Maverick Vinales who was quickest on Thursday, slipped to fifth at 1min 58.644sec. LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow, making his return on a MotoGP bike after a major ankle injury halted his 2018 campaign, finished sixth. Valentino Rossi, in his 24th year of motorcycle grand prix racing, was 10th while world champion Marc Marquez who is recovering from a shoulder surgery sat 11th.

Marquez told reporters that inflammation in his left shoulder forced him to ride easy on Friday. "Of course I would like to ride more and more fast but my physical condition is far from 100 percent," he said at the end of test. After the Sepang testing, the MotoGP riders head to Qatar for the final three-day test from 23 February at Losail International Circuit. The season starts in Qatar on 10 March. Sepang will host the penultimate race of 2019 on 3 November.

Pre-season MotoGP test times on Friday on the Sepang circuit (5.543 km):

1. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 1min 58.239
2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) at 0.063
3.Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati) 0.127
4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati)0.299
5. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha)0.405
6. Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Honda)0.541
7. Aleix Espargaro (SPA/Aprilia) 0.783
8. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Yamaha) 0.902
9. Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda) 0.909 10. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 0.916
11. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 0.931
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^^^
Great for Petrucci . I'm glad he finally got a proper ride to show off his talent.
 
I love how 0.591 second faster is "obliterating". Sounds ridiculous but it is actually quite a jump. Just goes to show how surgical these guys are on these machines.
 
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