Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1037465
VOL. 55 ISSUE 40 OCTOBER 9, 2018 P77 ANOTHER RECORD FOR MARQUEZ Marc Marquez's 50th MotoGP pole at the Chang circuit made another little piece of history for his record of re- cords—it was the first time a rider who had been through Q1 to join the fast guys in Q2 had ever qualified on pole. But he was not the first Q1 graduate to win a race. Both Jack Miller and Cal Crutchlow had achieved that distinc- tion already. GARDNER BACK, EVENTUALLY The promised announcement of Remy Gardner's future has not been forthcoming, but the son of the 1987 500cc champion is confidently expected to join the SAG team, cur- rently fielding Jules Danilo and at the start of the season also Isaak Vinales. An official announcement had been expected at the last round at Aragon, but Gardner had already confirmed: "I do have a bike for next year—it'll be a Kalex on Ohlins," said Gardner. "We had the deal done in Austria." THE BLAME GAME Future teammates Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez remained at odds over the former's crash at Aragon, with Lo- renzo still blaming his younger compa- triot, and Marquez still denying respon- sibility. Lorenzo made the accusation directly after the race, citing an overly aggressive block-pass by Marquez for forcing him wide and onto the dirty part of the track, so that when he opened the throttle the bike sent sideways and high-sided him. He landed heavily, suffering a dislocated big toe and a fractured second metatarsal. Marc, he said, had caused the crash, ruined his race, and left him injured. It emerged in Thailand that Marquez had telephoned Lorenzo on the next day, but what Lo- renzo described as "a private conversa- tion" went no way toward changing his mind. As for Marquez: "I telephoned because I care about my future team- mate. But he has his opinion, and I have mine." He declined to elucidate. TORRES IN FOR REMAINDER Jordi Torres is to stay with the Reale Avintia Ducati team at least for the four flyaway rounds, and possibly to the end of the season, after Silverstone injury victim Tito Rabat's hopes of an early return were perforce put on hold. Rabat suffered a triple broken leg in a multiple pile-up before the doomed British GP in free practice. The Span- ish team's first replacement rider, French GP novice Christophe Pons- son, caused great controversy and eventually a change of the rules when he was put on the bike as a MotoGP beginner at the San Marino GP at Misano. In response to the outcry, the team put former Moto2 race winner Jordi Torres on the bike at Aragon, where he finished 20th and last but at least was not lapped. NO MORE CONCESSIONS When Ecstar Suzuki rider Andrea Iannone finished on the podium at Aragon—his third of the year—it spelled a welcome end to the Japanese fac- tory's special status as a concession team. Added to teammate Alex Rins' two podium finishes this year, it means that the same restrictions—a freeze on engine development, restricted engine numbers (from nine to seven) and a ban on extra-curricular testing—will apply to Suzuki as to the other main factory teams: Honda, Yamaha and Ducati. Briefly... The moment of truth: Dovi goes for the inside, runs wide, and Marquez cuts back inside of the run to the line. Marquez finally got his revenge for the three times he's come off second best in last-corner battles with the Italian.