MotoGP 2021

Agent_Smith

Agent_Smith

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And the new year certainly off with a shock as Davide Brivio confirms his Suzuki exit. MotoGP's loss is F1's gain as he'll be spearheading the Alpine F1 (formerly Renault) charge.

Davide Brivio and Team Suzuki Ecstar part ways​

After eight years in the role of Team Manager, Davide Brivio and Suzuki have announced an end to their collaboration​

After eight years at the helm of Team Suzuki Ecstar in the role of Team Manager, Davide Brivio and Suzuki have announced an end to their collaboration. The Italian has been present in the MotoGP™ World Championship paddock for more than 20 years and has been involved with Suzuki since 2013. He held the position of Team Manager when Suzuki embarked on their new MotoGP™ project and has remained in place throughout their rise to success, which was this year topped-off by the incredible World Championship crown achieved by Joan Mir, and the Teams’ Championship title for Team Suzuki Ecstar.

Brivio is pleased with the milestones achieved with Suzuki but now wishes to pursue new challenges in his professional and personal life, away from MotoGP™. Team Suzuki Ecstar appreciate the work done by Davide Brivio, and the excellent goals achieved together. The Suzuki squad now look to the future with sights set high for the 2021 season.
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Well damn..... Hopefully he can adapt well to F1 and the Alpine team. A huge loss to Ecstar though
 
A couple of snippets doing the rounds:

1. Bradl didn't think MM93 was going to make the Sepang tests
2. Sepang tests now cancelled due to lockdown in Malaysia
 
Great news indeed! Nice to see the the big manufacturers committing to the sport long term.

Ducati to remain in MotoGP™ until 2026​

Ducati and Dorna Sports have signed an agreement that confirms the Borgo Panigale manufacturer's presence in MotoGP™ for another five years​

Ducati and Dorna Sports SL are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement to guarantee the Bologna-based manufacturer's presence in the MotoGP™ World Championship from 2022 to 2026.
Since its debut in 2003, Ducati has played a leading role in the premier class of the MotoGP™ World Championship. After only 6 Grands Prix, Ducati obtained its first victory in the Catalan GP with Loris Capirossi and then won the Constructors', Riders' and Teams' World Titles in 2007 with Casey Stoner.

Last year, the Desmosedici GP was once again one of the most competitive bikes on the MotoGP™ grid: thanks to the points scored by five different riders (Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci, Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia and Johann Zarco), Ducati won the 2020 Constructors' World Title in the premier class with two victories (Dovizioso in Austria and Petrucci in France) and a total of nine podiums. In its eighteen seasons in MotoGP, Ducati has taken 160 podiums, including 51 victories.
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More here
 
Not a bad possibility but it does come with some potential hurdles down the line

"If the call comes, he's ready" - Dovizioso waiting on HRC​

According to his manager, Simone Battistella, Andrea Dovizioso is primed and ready to replace the injured Marc Marquez at Repsol Honda​

Tags MotoGP, 2021, Andrea Dovizioso
As the uncertainty grows over whether Marc Marquez will be fit in time for the start of the 2021 MotoGP™ World Championship, so do the rumours surrounding any possible part-time replacements for the eight-time World Champion. The Spaniard's crew chief, Santi Hernandez, had his say last week on who he'd prefer in his side of the Repsol Honda box if Marquez isn't ready in time for Qatar. And now, so has Andrea Dovizioso's manager Simone Battistella.

Whilst speaking with MotoGP™'s Italian broadcast partners Sky Sports, Battistella made it abundantly clear that the three-time premier class runner-up is primed and ready to hop on a flight to Doha if a call from HRC was to come. Continuing his training as if he was in "full MotoGP pre-season mode", Battistella, unsurprisingly, believes a Dovi-Repsol Honda combination would "definitely intrigue fans" as the Italian aimed to complete a hat-trick of Losail victories.
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More here. The article goes on to state that the teams can't run three bikes so what would HRC do if hypothetically, MM93 returns while Dovi is challenging for the title? Either they have to bin Dovi, forfeiting a tilt at a title, ask MM93 to sit the rest of the season out, or kick Pol Espargaro to the curb.
 
LCR Honda now commit to the end of 2026 too. More good news

LCR Team confirms presence in MotoGP™ until 2026​

Lucio Cecchinello’s Idemitsu and Castrol liveried bikes will be on the premier class grid for the foreseeable future​


In the year that marks its 25th anniversary, the LCR team is pleased to announce its presence in MotoGP™ until 2026. The independent team is currently participating in MotoGP™ and will continue to do so after signing a five-year contract with IRTA and Dorna.

The team that started with two technicians and one van in 1996, when Lucio decided to establish his own team, has come a long way. After nine years in the 125cc class, moving on to 250cc class in 2002, the LCR Team has been competing in the MotoGP™ class since 2006. In 2019, LCR also entered the MotoE™ category.

Cecchinello’s team has obtained a total of 85 podiums and 24 victories over the years in all the categories that it has competed in and is still committed to being a professional, multicultural, hardworking team with full factory support from Honda in the past years.

Lucio Cecchinello: “First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all the people who have worked with the LCR team since January of 1996, when we received our very first World Championship contract participation as a Team! I can’t believe that it’s been 25 years! A quarter of century lived with LCR riders and team personnel working at full speed on track and believe me, even off-track!

“It is a great honour for me to announce that LCR has recently renewed with IRTA and Dorna, its MotoGP class contract participation until 2026. I am grateful to be able to continue competing in the premier class category for 5 more years and I can’t wait to start a new chapter in LCR history with both of our riders Taka and Alex on a full factory bike! See you soon on track and surely very soon on TV!”
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Some team launches confirmed:

* Ducati Factory Racing - 09/02/2021 (16:00 CET)
* Red Bull KTM Factory Racing & Tech3 KTM - 12/02/2021 (10:00 CET)
* Yamaha Factory Racing - 15/02/2021 (10:30 CET)
* LCR Honda - Alex Marquez 19/02/2021 (12:00 CET) & Takaagi Nakagami 20/02/2021 (10:00 CET)
* Repsol Honda Factory Racing - 22/02/2021 (no time as yet)

Nothing from Aprilia, Petronas Yamaha, Avintia or Pramac Ducati yet. Perhaps the satellite Ducati launches will form part of the factory team's launch. All launches will be virtual. Can't wait to see pics!
 
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I like the new look.
 
Hope so too. Gigi doesn't appear to have changed strategy from chucking more and more content from the Halford's catalogue onto the bike. Hope that Pecco can find some rhythm too, he had shown signs of brilliance last year.
 
Of interest, Tech3's full name is now KTM Tech3 Factory Racing. Note their lack of sponsorship, apparently KTM themselves are funding the team.
 
Very nice! They're going to be a marked team this year, now that everyone knows what they're capable of. Ugh can it just be March 28th already, FFS!
 
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